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Dean Drako
Serial entrepreneur and President CEO of Eagle Eye Networks, IC Manage, and Drako Motors
Dean Drako is a successful entrepreneur and business leader with extensive experience in founding and leading technology companies. He is currently the Founder, President, and CEO of Drako Motors, a position he has held since November 2013.1 However, Drako Motors is just one of several companies under his leadership.
Career Highlights
Multiple CEO Roles:: Dean Drako simultaneously serves as the President and CEO of three companies:
- Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. (Founded in 2013)
- IC Manage (Founded in 2002)
- Drako Motors (Founded in 2013)
Barracuda Networks:: Prior to his current roles, Drako was the founder and CEO of Barracuda Networks from 2003 to 2012. During his tenure, he grew the company from a concept to a major player in the security and networking industry, with over 140 products, 150,000 customers, and more than 1,000 employees.1
Other Ventures:: Drako has also founded and led several other technology companies, including Velosel, BoldFish, and Design Acceleration, Inc.1
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan (1984-1987)
- Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (1987-1988)1
Achievements and Recognition
- Named a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 for his region4
- Chosen as one of EY's Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 winners for his region2
- Included in Goldman Sachs 100 Most Interesting Entrepreneurs in 20141
- Received the Entrepreneur of the Year award for Northern California from Ernst and Young in 20071
- His company, Eagle Eye Networks, was recently ranked on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™ list3
Dean Drako's career spans over 25 years, during which he has consistently built profitable, high-growth technology companies with high recurring revenue. His expertise lies in strategic direction, planning, and execution across various technology sectors, including security, networking, and automotive industries.
Highlights
I’m honored to have been chosen as one of EY's Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 winners for my region. Huge thanks to the Eagle Eye Networks team, our amazing resellers, and our loyal customers -- let’s keep building extraordinary security solutions together.
I just acquired Cobalt AI -- an AI-based enterprise security automation company. I will serve as Cobalt’s chairman and their CEO Ken Wolff will continue leading the company.
I did an extensive search, with a goal to acquire the company with the most powerful AI-based enterprise security automation technology in our physical security industry. Cobalt's AI technologies, including their monitoring and command center solutions, are years ahead -- they will be one of the catalysts for a new era of security.
Importantly, Cobalt’s open platform strategy, which integrates with a wide range of video and access control systems, aligns with the open product strategy I strongly believe in.
I am working closely with Cobalt AI’s leadership team, as well as infusing significant capital, to quickly scale their “human verified AI” technology across enterprise security applications.
