Darktrace Appoints Ed Jennings as President and CEO

Darktrace, a global leader in AI-powered cybersecurity, announced the appointment of Ed Jennings as its recent President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective March 23, 2026. Jennings succeeds Jill Popelka, who stepped down at the end of January .

Leadership Transition and Vision

Charles Goodman, Chairman and interim CEO of Darktrace, expressed his confidence in Jennings’ ability to lead the company, stating he is a “veteran technology leader who has successfully scaled other cybersecurity and software category leaders.” Goodman highlighted Jennings’ strategic focus and people-focused leadership style as key assets for Darktrace’s continued growth .

Jennings’ Background and Experience

Jennings brings a wealth of experience in scaling software companies and driving transformation within global enterprises. Most recently, he served as CEO of Quickbase, a cloud-based function management platform, where he doubled the company’s annual revenue. Prior to Quickbase, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Mimecast, a London-based cybersecurity company, where he played a key role in its initial public offering (IPO) and international expansion . He also held go-to-market leadership positions at Veracode, ADP, Copanion, and PTC.

Darktrace’s Position in the Cybersecurity Landscape

Jennings emphasized Darktrace’s “first-mover advantage” as an AI-native cybersecurity company. He noted the platform’s unique ability to detect and respond to attacks, even those previously unknown, is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological landscape . Darktrace protects nearly 10,000 organizations worldwide from evolving threats across their digital environment, including cloud, email, network, and operational technology .

About Darktrace

Founded in 2013, Darktrace utilizes proprietary AI to learn the unique patterns of life for each customer in real-time, providing a proactive approach to cyber resilience. The Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform™ secures businesses across their entire digital estate. The company has filed over 200 patent applications based on innovations from its R&D teams in Cambridge, UK, and The Hague, Netherlands, and is supported by over 2,300 employees globally .