Webroot Appoints Peter Watkins As CEO
VentureWire - January 11, 2007
Anti-spyware software provider Webroot Software Inc. has named Peter Watkins, former chief operating officer for McAfee Inc., as chief executive.
Watkins replaces C. David Moll, who will assume the position of vice chairman, according to a press statement issued by the company.
Watkins, with more than 20 years of both hardware and software experience, has served on the Webroot board since February 2005. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Watkins was CEO at Elemental Security Inc., a provider of enterprise security and compliance management technology. Prior to Elemental, he held executive level positions at Resonate Inc. and Network Associates, now McAfee Inc.
The company also announced that Chris Benham, a former vice president of worldwide marketing at Symantec Corp., has joined Webroot as vice president of corporate marketing.
Webroot's automated spyware research system is designed to root out and identify spyware anywhere on the Web.
Formed in 1997, Boulder, Colo.-based Webroot raised $108 million in its first institutional round in February 2005 from Technology Crossover Ventures, Accel Partners and the Mayfield Fund.