Leadership is important in the cyber industry because it helps organizations navigate crises and implement strong security measures. Prominent leaders provide a culture of security awareness, ensuring that all employees understand their role in protecting the organization. They also play a vital role in crisis management, guiding teams through incidents and minimizing damage. They should possess a blend of technical knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and a commitment to team development.
Ric Smith, President of Product, Technology, and Operations at SentinelOne, is a notable industry leader with over two decades of experience in enterprise software development. He has successfully led and scaled product development teams through two IPOs and numerous acquisitions. Ric specializes in delivering cutting-edge, secure, and scalable solutions that address complex challenges, generate business value, and drive industry innovation. He is passionate about building products that empower organizations to protect their data, assets, and reputation from cyber threats.
From A-Team to Industry Leader
Ric’s career began at Oracle, where he was part of a special projects group, The A-Team, led by Mikael Ottosson (former CTO of Medallia) and reported directly to Thomas Kurian (now CEO of Google Cloud). This experience was pivotal in shaping his career, as working closely with leaders like Thomas and Mikael provided invaluable insights and mentorship.
The A-Team was a group of elite problem solvers, tasked with addressing a wide range of challenges. These challenges included internal skunkworks projects and direct collaborations with Oracle’s top global customers. The A-Team played a critical role in scaling Oracle’s middleware, applications, and cloud business. This foundation later enabled Ric to scale Medallia’s product development team to prepare for its IPO and, more recently, SentinelOne’s product, engineering, IT, and security organizations.
Over the last nine years, Ric Smith has focused on taking late-stage, venture-backed startups and guiding them through successful transitions into the public market. He has also contributed to driving SentinelOne’s growth and success as the fastest-growing publicly traded cybersecurity company. His current responsibilities encompass product, technology, customer support, services, and overall company operations. For Ric, leading over 65% of SentinelOne’s workforce and overseeing 100% of its products and services is a privilege and a significant responsibility.
Revolutionizing Cybersecurity with AI-Driven Protection
SentinelOne is a publicly traded cybersecurity company known for its advanced, AI-driven endpoint protection platform. The company utilizes artificial intelligence to automatically detect, prevent, and respond to various cybersecurity threats, such as malware, ransomware, and advanced persistent threats (APTs).
SentinelOne’s platform stands out by combining endpoint protection (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) into a single, cohesive solution. This integration allows organizations to safeguard their devices and systems in real-time with minimal manual effort. The company aims to provide reliable, integrated, and sophisticated security solutions to businesses, government agencies, and service providers of all sizes.
SentinelOne’s unique architecture and strong reputation have become increasingly important as the demand for cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions grows. Customers and partners are looking for effective protection that also supports business continuity.
In addition to its EPP and EDR offerings, SentinelOne delivers strong solutions for securing both public and private cloud environments. The platform features advanced data analytics capabilities, allowing security teams to gather, consolidate, and analyze large volumes of data and logs. This functionality helps identify and address potential threats using artificial intelligence. By taking this comprehensive approach, SentinelOne enhances threat detection and improves the overall security posture of enterprises.
As the company’s President of Product, Technology and Operations, Ric Smith is at the forefront of driving SentinelOne’s strategy. And his approach stands out.
A Strategic Approach to Risk-Taking
To effectively approach risk-taking and decision-making, it is crucial to clarify objectives and priorities. “Every decision should align with the organization’s or individual’s goals,” he says. Next, decisions must be prioritized based on their potential impact, focusing on those that yield significant outcomes in growth, efficiency, or innovation, while avoiding low-value decisions.
It is important to base the decisions on pertinent data and insights. This involves conducting research, analyzing past performances, and reviewing market trends or customer feedback. Consulting with experts or key stakeholders can provide valuable perspectives, especially for complex decisions. “While data is important, intuition should not be overlooked -particularly when information is scarce,” Ric says. “Experienced leaders often rely on their instincts to guide their choices.”
The next step is to evaluate the risks and benefits through a thorough risk-reward analysis, considering best-case, worst-case, and most-likely scenarios. “If the potential downsides are manageable, it is advisable to develop risk mitigation strategies, such as piloting projects or creating contingency plans,” Ric Smith says Finally, after gathering sufficient information, it is crucial to make and commit to a decision, as delaying can introduce additional risks.
Merging Innovation with Customer-Centric Stability
To effectively balance the need for innovation and risk-taking with the importance of maintaining stability and profitability, Ric believes it is critical for a company to align all its activities with the success of its customers. “The objective should be to ensure that customers are engaged with both current products and the future direction of the business.
When customers anticipate future innovations, they are more likely to increase their investment in the company,” he says. Ric Smith and his team at SentinelOne achieve this through co-development opportunities, such as design partnerships, or by establishing robust feedback mechanisms that allow customers to influence and improve new features or products. Ultimately, this collaborative approach enhances relationships and ensures that solutions continue to meet the changing needs of customers.
AI-Driven Approach to Threat Detection
SentinelOne’s success is attributed to its replacement of outdated, human-dependent systems with advanced artificial intelligence. Traditionally, security vendors have relied on frequent content updates—rules or signatures created by analysts to address new threats. Many people are aware of the infamous content update that occurred last summer, which led to the largest IT outage in history, affecting 8.5 million endpoints, disrupting major airlines, and resulting in estimated losses of $10 billion. Most vendors require daily updates, which are reactive measures to newly identified threats.
In contrast, SentinelOne’s technology removes the need for these delayed and risky updates by utilizing AI-driven models that are trained to identify the tactics and techniques used by threat actors. These models continuously adapt, requiring far fewer updates while delivering superior performance. This method leads to improved efficacy, as demonstrated by its leadership in third-party testing conducted by institutions like MITRE. Furthermore, it provides real-time protection, ensuring security without the ongoing risks associated with human error or delays, Ric Smith explains.
SentinelOne is a security and technology company at its core. Unlike its primary competitors, where security is one of many focus areas, it is singularly dedicated to cybersecurity. This focus, Ric Smith says, ensures no misalignment in its mission to drive superior customer outcomes through innovation and uncompromising engineering. “In cybersecurity, one needs a partner who is laser-focused on protecting the business reliably and consistently,” he says. “SentinelOne’s dedication to security as its primary objective allows us to deliver exactly that.”
The Holistic Approach to Talent Development
The battle for cyber talent is intense on a global scale. When it comes to identifying and developing the people it needs to achieve its mission, SentinelOne prioritizes potential over current performance. This approach involves actively seeking employees with high learning agility who are often the best candidates for future leadership positions. It also means looking beyond purely technical skills. Key traits of high-potential talent include leadership, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Ric says the company aims to recognize individuals who excel in their roles and show initiative, problem-solving skills, and the ability to inspire and uplift those around them. Once high-potential employees are identified, investing time and resources in their development through ongoing mentorship and learning opportunities is crucial.
“I’m particularly proud of a leadership development program that I helped establish in collaboration with SentinelOne’s Chief People Officer, Divya Ghatak, and the broader executive team.” Ric Smith says.
This program identifies emerging leaders and immerses them in a leadership development course, where they collaborate in teams and simulate managing different aspects of the business. This experience helps them gain a thorough understanding of SentinelOne operations and allows them to apply and refine the essential skills needed for its success.
Diversity is a key driver of innovation, enabling teams to tackle challenges from various viewpoints and develop creative solutions. SentinelOne aims to recruit the best and brightest talent while building a team that represents diverse perspectives.
“I’m proud to lead a leadership team that is 50% female, a testament to our commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace,” adds Ric Smith.
Authentic Leadership Style
The foundation of Ric’s leadership style is firmly based on authenticity and ethics. “Leading with authenticity, transparency, and integrity are essential,” he says. “Self-awareness and openness about personal values, along with honest leadership, providing trust and respect are a must. Teams can perform at their best only when they trust their leader and one another; trust is the key factor in determining how quickly an organization can progress.”
To ensure that SentinelOne embodies these principles, Ric Smith says the company focuses on three key areas. First, it hires individuals who align with its culture and values. Second, it leads by example, demonstrating the behaviors and standards expected from others. Finally, it engages in important conversations necessary to guide and develop team members who may struggle to uphold these values, supporting their growth in line with the company’s cultural expectations.
Advice For Young Leaders
What advice does Ric offer for aspiring leaders? Early career dedication is essential for gaining future options. “As life becomes more complex, establishing a strong foundation allows for more intentional choices,” he says. “By building wealth and career momentum, individuals achieve financial security and flexibility, enabling them to choose how and why they work rather than acting out of necessity.” This freedom also supports clearer, more thoughtful decision-making as leaders, free from financial stress.
Angela Duckworth’s idea of grit, a key factor in achieving success, has gained significant recognition. In Ric’s view, it is not the smartest person who achieves the most, but rather the one who demonstrates resilience and perseverance. “While intelligence may inspire ideas, it is grit that helps overcome obstacles and execute those ideas effectively,” he says.
Additionally, collaboration is vital. Many young professionals mistakenly believe individual achievements will set them apart. However, true success comes from recognizing and uplifting those around them. “Supporting colleagues provides stronger relationships, greater personal satisfaction, and career fulfillment,” Ric says. “In the end, collaboration creates a lasting impact that far exceeds the temporary gains of individual recognition.”
Wrapping up, Ric Smith shares Scott Galloway’s wisdom: “Forget passion, follow your talent. Figure out what you’re good at and get really good at it. You don’t have to love it, just don’t despise it. The better you get, the more you’ll enjoy it.”
