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Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It is a business survival issue, and every leader needs to understand where the real risks are hiding.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave “merk” Merkel, CEO and co-founder of Expel, about the evolving world of cybersecurity, AI, and business resilience. Dave shared the founder’s journey behind Expel, how the company grew by solving cybersecurity as a technology-driven scale problem, and why businesses of every size need to think seriously about 24/7 protection.
We also explored the growing risks created by supply chains, fragmented systems, AI adoption, and increasingly sophisticated threat actors, while still keeping the conversation grounded, practical, and encouraging for business leaders.
Here are the highlights:
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Cybersecurity matters for every business, not just large enterprises. Dave explained that even smaller companies can become targets when they are part of the supply chain for larger organizations.
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Expel was built to solve the scale-and-quality problem in cybersecurity. Rather than operating like a traditional services business, Expel uses software and human expertise together to deliver consistent 24/7 protection.
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AI is changing the speed and complexity of cyber risk. Dave emphasized that both attackers and defenders are using AI, which means businesses need security partners who understand how AI is reshaping the threat landscape.
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Business owners should look for outcome-focused security partners. Dave cautioned leaders to avoid fear-based selling and instead seek providers who understand their business, ask smart questions, and can clearly explain their approach.
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Cybersecurity professionals are doing mission-driven work. One of the most powerful moments in the conversation was Dave’s reminder that cybersecurity teams are protecting companies, employees, families, and livelihoods every day.
About the guest: Dave “merk” Merkel is the co-founder and CEO of Expel, a leading provider of Managed Detection and Response cybersecurity. He has been involved in the information security field for nearly 30 years, first as a federal agent pursuing cyber criminals in the era of floppy disks and 2400 baud modems, then as Chief Technology Officer and vice president of Mandiant. Following FireEye’s acquisition of Mandiant, Dave served as the global CTO of FireEye.
Connect with merk:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemerkel
Website: https://expel.com/
Connect with Allison:
Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/
Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/
#CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast
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