Zscaler Appoints Two Tech Industry Experts to Accelerate AI Innovation

Zscaler, a global cloud security firm, has recently appointed Claudionor Coelho Jr. as Chief AI Officer and Mohamed Shabar as EVP, of Data & AI Platforms, two of the industry's experts. The aim is to further strengthen the Zero Trust Exchange cloud security platform and reinforce the company's commitment to driving rapid innovation in advanced applied Machine Learning (ML) and AI. This strategic move will help define the future of cloud-based security technologies.

"We are delighted that Mohamed and Claudionor are joining the Zscaler family to drive the vision and implementation of advanced AI technologies for the world’s largest cloud security platform," said Syam Nair, Chief Technology Officer for Zscaler. "The combination of Claudionor’s and Mohamed’s expertise and accomplishments in creating cutting-edge AI/ML and hyper-scale automation platforms technologies will help propel Zscaler’s innovation engine and enable our customers to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives."

Mohamed Shabar has over 25 years of IT experience and is an expert in driving automation, AI, and cloud platform development. He previously worked at Salesforce, where he led the Marketing Cloud Technology organization. Under his leadership, the organization achieved an impressive 30% CAGR over four years, along with a 3X reduction in customer attrition. He also scaled the automation platform 10X in volume and throughput, which enabled the delivery of trillions of hyper-personalized messages for enterprises, and accelerated B2C growth for Salesforce. Before joining Salesforce, Shabar worked for 18 years at Microsoft, where he focused on constructing robust platforms, developer tools, and ecosystems.

“I’m thrilled to join the visionary team at Zscaler,” said Mohamed Shabar, EVP, of Data & AI Platforms, at Zscaler. “In the era of zero trust, we’ll empower organizations to thrive against an evolving threat landscape with AI, data, and automation, and build a future where resilience is rooted in the power of Zscaler’s largest security cloud.”

Claudionor Coelho is a highly experienced professional who brings a wealth of expertise to Zscaler, making him a valuable asset to the company's pursuit of delivering a competitive technology advantage through the development of AI and ML innovations. Before joining Zscaler, Coelho held the position of Chief AI Officer and SVP of Engineering at Advantest, where he played a pivotal role in spearheading the development of a Zero Trust private cloud solution tailored specifically for the semiconductor manufacturing market.

His contributions were instrumental in Advantest's successful implementation of cutting-edge technology solutions. Furthermore, Coelho's distinguished career includes several significant positions in the field of AI and ML. He was the VP/Fellow of AI and the Head of AI Labs at Palo Alto Networks, where he led the charge in AI, AIOps, and Neuro-symbolic AI, an advanced form of AI that enables reasoning, learning, and cognitive modeling. During his tenure at Palo Alto Networks, he was able to revolutionize time series analysis tools on a massive scale, thereby leaving an indelible mark on the field of cybersecurity.

In addition to his work at Palo Alto Networks and Advantest, Coelho also made notable contributions to the field of ML and Deep Learning while working at Google. There, he developed a state-of-the-art Deep Learning technology designed for automatic quantization and model compression that played a crucial role in the search for subatomic particles at CERN. His work at Google further cemented his reputation as a highly skilled and innovative professional in the field of AI and ML.

“As Zscaler continues to empower organizations to realize the full potential of the cloud and mobility by securely connecting users to applications from any device, anywhere, I’m humbled to join this exceptional organization at the forefront of zero trust cybersecurity,” said Claudionor Coelho Jr., Chief AI Officer, Zscaler. “In our relentless pursuit of zero trust, at Zscaler, we’ll revolutionize the way we protect data, devices, and networks through state-of-the-art applied Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning, and Generative AI techniques.”
Zscaler is entering a new era of growth and innovation, and the appointments of Shabar and Coelho demonstrate the company's unyielding dedication to leading the way in the ever-changing AI landscape. Their expertise, leadership, and vision will play a crucial role in Zscaler's ongoing mission to safeguard businesses in the era of mobile and cloud computing.