Business Daily Business Daily meets: Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry
Jul 3, 2025
Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman, and founder of Zscaler, shares his inspiring journey from a small village in the Himalayas to leading a $47 billion cybersecurity powerhouse. He discusses the daily battles against cybercrime, particularly the rise of ransomware, and the importance of innovation. Chaudhry highlights Zscaler’s rapid growth and commitment to protecting clients, including Fortune 500 companies. He also addresses the impact of globalization on technology and the critical role of immigrant talent in driving innovation and success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Humble Himalayan Beginnings
- Jay Chaudhry grew up in a small village in the Himalayas without electricity until after eighth grade.
- He walked several kilometers daily to school and was a passionate student, later attending IIT in India and then the US for higher education.
From Developer to Sales Demo
- Jay's first sales experience came unexpectedly when his colleague was absent, and he had to demo software he helped develop.
- The thrill of customer interaction shifted his career interests from coding to sales and business.
Startup Spark from Netscape News
- Jay was inspired by Netscape's browser success and foresaw cybersecurity challenges as internet use expanded.
- This insight led him to found Secure IT in 1997, focusing on internet security early on.