Security News
New Zscaler Channel Chief: We’re ‘In Build Mode Right Now’
Wade Tyler Millward
‘Zscaler is in build mode right now,’ Karl Soderlund tells CRN in an interview.

Why did you leave Palo Alto Networks for Zscaler?
I’ve always admired Zscaler as a company. The way I look at it, they’re solving customer challenges that are at the intersection of mobility, security and the cloud. And when you think about it, these are three of the highest IT priorities today in any organization around the world.
So I’m really excited to be joining a company that’s focused on solving these complex challenges and having companies increase their security posture. … Zscaler has had a vision of scale and growth with partners at the very center of that vision from the start. And that really excites me.
And then also Zscaler is in build mode right now. They’re crossing the chasm when it comes to their partner strategy. They’ve always been partner-first, but now they’re looking to continue to really invest and grow. We’re going to look at how we can evolve the partner program to be more beneficial and profitable for our partner community. I’m excited to leverage my 30 years of experience to lead this evolutionary transformation. … I’ve been very proud to represent Palo Alto Networks for the last six years.
It’s an amazing company. We’ve had a great run together. I’ve learned a lot. And I’ll have friends for life. There was no compelling event for me to leave Palo Alto. It is just a great opportunity and time to join Zscaler.