Gil Shwed, founder of Israel's cybersecurity firm Checkpoint announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving his position as CEO, which he has held for the past 30 years. "In intend to move to the position of an active chairman of the board where I will be able to focus on the future of Checkpoint and of the cyber industry in general," he said.
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"Checkpoint is marking 30 years since its founding during which we were able to achieve growth and reach successes in nearly all parameters. I feel this is the right time for me to focus on the next leap for the company. We are now looking for a replacement for the CEO position. This will take time and when it is completed, I will remain involved," he said adding he would like to focus on the future of the company and less on the day-to-day aspects.
"I am excited to begin 2024 with an excellent technological forecast and a global team that is energized to create a safer future for our customers."
Schwed founded Checkpoint in 1993 with Marius Nacht and Shlomo Kramer. Their flagship product which propelled the company to great heights was the firewall. As CEO Shwed led the company to a value of 19 billion dollars and became one of the most outstanding executives in the Israeli high-tech industry and the international cyber security market.
Checkpoints fourth quarter earnings exceeded analysts' expectations. "We reached a record," Shwed said. "The company's earnings totaled 664 million dollars, 4% higher than the same quarter in the previous year."