K en Xie is a visionary entrepreneur in the cybersecurity industry, renowned for founding two highly successful companies that have shaped the landscape of network security. His journey began after moving to the U.S. from China to study at Stanford University. In 1996, he founded Systems and Internet Security (SIS), where he designed the first application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)-based security appliance. A year later, he co-founded NetScreen Technologies with his brother, which revolutionized the firewall and VPN market with its high-performance security solutions. NetScreen was later acquired by Juniper Networks for over $4 billion.

Unsatisfied with resting on his laurels, Xie founded Fortinet in 2000, once again with his brother Michael. As founder, chairman, and CEO, Ken Xie has guided Fortinet to become a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions. The company's flagship product, the FortiGate firewall, is one of the most widely deployed security appliances in the world. Xie's career is a testament to his deep technical expertise and his remarkable ability to anticipate the evolving threats of the digital world and build successful companies to combat them.