KnowBe4, a global leader in digital workforce security, has announced the appointment of Alex Callihan as its new chief technology officer, tasking him with spearheading innovation in AI agent and human security products.
Callihan has been with KnowBe4 for over nine years, previously serving as senior vice president of engineering. With more than 15 years of experience in software engineering and product innovation, he will now lead the development of new products and drive the company’s next-generation agentic research and development. In his new role, Callihan will report directly to KnowBe4 CEO Bryan Palma and collaborate with the product management, customer success, and marketing organizations to accelerate product innovation focused on securing both AI agents and humans.
Bryan Palma, CEO of KnowBe4, commented on the appointment, stating, “Alex has been an invaluable leader within our engineering organization for nearly a decade, instrumental in scaling our technical capabilities. As we navigate a new era of digital workforce security where securing both AI agents and humans is paramount, Alex’s expertise and vision make him the perfect choice to lead our next generation research and development. His leadership will be critical as we continue to pioneer innovative, AI-driven defense solutions for our customers worldwide.”This strategic leadership alignment, which also includes the new appointment of Fran Roberts as general manager of KnowBe4 Studios, underscores KnowBe4’s commitment to delivering advanced security solutions and maintaining its market leadership. The move follows the recent introduction of KnowBe4’s Agent Risk Manager and AI Defense Agents (AIDA) offerings, which include Deepfake Training Content, Content Creation, and Orchestration.
Callihan expressed his enthusiasm for the new position, remarking, “I am incredibly excited to step into the new role at such a pivotal moment for KnowBe4 and the broader cybersecurity industry. Over the past nine years, I’ve watched this team push the boundaries of innovation. I look forward to working closely with our product, marketing, and customer success teams to accelerate our platform and deliver the best defense solutions against advanced threats like prompt injection, shadow AI and social engineering to our customers.”As part of this organizational evolution, Mark Patton will transition into a new role as KnowBe4 chief scientist. He will work closely with CEO Palma and CTO Callihan on special projects aimed at advancing the company’s long-term vision.
KnowBe4 empowers modern workforces to make informed security decisions daily. Trusted by over 70,000 organizations globally, KnowBe4 pioneered digital workforce security by securing both AI agents and humans. The KnowBe4 Platform provides attack simulation and training, collaboration security, and agent security powered by AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Defense Agents) and a proprietary Risk Score. The platform utilizes 15 years of behavioral data to combat advanced threats such as social engineering, prompt injection, and shadow AI, positioning KnowBe4 as a leader in workforce trust and defense.
