Dave DeWalt
Four-time cybersecurity CEO (Documentum, McAfee, FireEye) and founder of fund:nightdragon, a venture and advisory firm investing in growth-stage SecureTech companies.
Dave DeWalt is a veteran cybersecurity executive and investor, best known as a four-time CEO who led Documentum, McAfee, and FireEye in a career credited with creating over $20 billion in shareholder value. He was CEO of Documentum from 2001, overseeing its 2003 acquisition by EMC for $1.9 billion, then President and CEO of McAfee (2007-2011), leading Intel's ~$7.7B acquisition of the company. He was CEO of FireEye (2012-2016) and Executive Chairman (2012-2017), taking it public in a 2013 IPO called the most successful cybersecurity IPO to date. In 2012 he founded NightDragon, a cybersecurity venture and advisory firm where he is Founder and CEO, and is also Managing Director at AllegisCyber Capital and Executive Chairman of Momentum Cyber. He has held over 40 board roles, including chairing Delta Air Lines' Safety & Security committee, and has advised the U.S. government via the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
Overview
- Role
- Founder & CEO, NightDragon
- Based in
- San Francisco, CA
- Prior experience
- Documentum (President & CEO; 2001-2003); EMC Corporation (President; Content Management & Archiving Software / Software Sales & Services; 2003-2007); McAfee (President & CEO; 2007-2011); FireEye (CEO 2012-2016; Executive Chairman 2012-2017); AllegisCyber Capital (Managing Director); Momentum Cyber (Executive Chairman)
- www.linkedin.com/in/ddewalt/
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Affiliated funds1
Frequently asked
- Who is Dave DeWalt?
- Dave DeWalt is a veteran cybersecurity executive and investor, best known as a four-time CEO who led Documentum, McAfee, and FireEye in a career credited with creating over $20 billion in shareholder value. He was CEO of Documentum from 2001, overseeing its 2003 acquisition by EMC for $1.9 billion, then President and CEO of McAfee (2007-2011), leading Intel's ~$7.7B acquisition of the company. He was CEO of FireEye (2012-2016) and Executive Chairman (2012-2017), taking it public in a 2013 IPO called the most successful cybersecurity IPO to date. In 2012 he founded NightDragon, a cybersecurity venture and advisory firm where he is Founder and CEO, and is also Managing Director at AllegisCyber Capital and Executive Chairman of Momentum Cyber. He has held over 40 board roles, including chairing Delta Air Lines' Safety & Security committee, and has advised the U.S. government via the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
- What is Dave DeWalt's role?
- Dave DeWalt is Founder & CEO, NightDragon, based in San Francisco, CA.
- Where did Dave DeWalt work before?
- Dave DeWalt's prior roles include Documentum (President & CEO; 2001-2003); EMC Corporation (President; Content Management & Archiving Software / Software Sales & Services; 2003-2007); McAfee (President & CEO; 2007-2011); FireEye (CEO 2012-2016; Executive Chairman 2012-2017); AllegisCyber Capital (Managing Director); Momentum Cyber (Executive Chairman).
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Sources & citations5
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- 1
Dave DeWalt is a four-time CEO (Documentum, McAfee, FireEye) who created more than $20 billion in shareholder value, founded NightDragon in 2012, and has held more than 40 board seats including over a decade as Chairman of Safety & Security at Delta Air Lines.
NightDragon: Dave DeWalt | NightDragon TeamVerified2026-08-11 - 2
David DeWalt became CEO of Documentum in 2001; Documentum was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2003 for $1.9 billion, after which DeWalt led EMC's content management and archiving software business before being promoted to president of software, sales, and services.
University of Delaware: UD Messenger — David DeWalt: Cyber SecurityReported2026-08-11 - 3
DeWalt served as CEO of FireEye from 2012 to 2016 and Executive Chairman from 2012 to 2017, orchestrating FireEye's 2013 IPO, and was named to Delta Air Lines' board of directors effective November 28, 2011.
Delta Air Lines, Inc.: Delta Board of Directors Names David G. DeWalt as Newest MemberVerified2011-11-22 - 4
DeWalt is a Managing Director at AllegisCyber Capital, with current board seats at Callsign, Delta Air Lines (Vice Chairman), Forescout, ForgeRock, and Optiv, and holds a Doctorate of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Computer & Information Sciences from the University of Delaware.
AllegisCyber Capital: David G. DeWalt | AllegisCyber CapitalReported2026-08-11 - 5
DeWalt was President and CEO of McAfee, Inc. from 2007 until its 2011 acquisition by Intel; he holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Delaware.
GovExec: Dave DeWalt — biographyReported2026-08-15