Gil Shwed: "The team at Wiz is doing an amazing job. It's exciting to see new entrepreneurs succeed"
Gil Shwed: "The team at Wiz is doing an amazing job. It's exciting to see new entrepreneurs succeed"
The founder and CEO of Check Point added: "They've built a beautiful product and are selling to the biggest companies in the world."
"If in the past, workers who wanted to relocate would come once or twice a year to request it, today it happens once a month," said Gil Shwed in a conversation with Sophie Shulman of Calcalist at the conference. "The change is real," he added.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Google is on its way to acquiring Wiz. You've been around for 30 years and are worth a little less than Wiz—does that frustrate you?
"I have no idea, but if the rumors are true, kudos to them. It's amazing."
Is it frustrating to establish the cyber sector in Israel and then see someone else comes and reaps the rewards?
"For me, what's always been important is the long term. I'm very happy with all the parameters, and the new generation is always young and fast, producing new stars. The team at Wiz is doing an amazing job. They've built a beautiful product and are selling to the biggest companies in the world. It's exciting to see new entrepreneurs succeed."
Three years ago you could have bought them.
"I don't know if we could have taken them where they've gone. These companies do things that aren't so easy to do in a large company."
Whose technology is better, Orca's or Wiz's, given their legal dispute over the technology?
"I have no idea who's right and who's wrong. Sometimes, it's very frustrating in the high-tech world when such things happen. I know there are excellent people at both Wiz and Orca."
How have the past months and the war affected you?
"We've learned to function in an emergency. At the beginning of the war, a large percentage of our workers were in the reserves—it was worse than the start of the pandemic. There's a reality of war where people are displaced, but on the other hand, life continues somewhat normally. I think it affects perceptions of Israel; we're still selling and it's business as usual, but it does affect new companies. I hope peace will return to us."
Do you sense any spirit of anti-Semitism among customers?
"It's very negligible. I think most people around the world just want to do their jobs and buy the best products. It hardly affects our business decisions where they come from."
How do these events affect your employees?
"We've known for many years, especially during the pandemic, what it's like to function under emergency conditions, both as management and as employees. We have employees from all sectors of Israeli society, and we strive to accept them all. I think we're succeeding."
Is the approach to recruit workers abroad because they're more productive?
"Sales positions have always been abroad, while headquarters and development have been in Israel. When a manager decides to hire an employee from Israel, it's not always about cost anymore. I feel great pride that there are really talented people here."
What will happen if the apocalyptic vision comes true?
"Our focus should be on building the good things, the good country we deserve."
The Israeli economy heavily depends on high-tech. Are we too reliant on cybersecurity?
"Whenever something succeeds, people ask if it's too much. There are always risks. In Israel, it's not just cybersecurity; there's semiconductors, gaming, AI advancing rapidly, and all contribute to a strong ecosystem. There will be crises, most of which are influenced by the global economy."
What are your plans? Any cyber mergers on the horizon?
"We're looking. Mega acquisitions are very challenging to find—good companies that will help us grow, be profitable, and we can afford to acquire. We're acquiring quite a few small and medium-sized companies, and I hope we'll continue at this pace."
You announced six months ago that you'd retire from active management of Check Point. Will you go into politics?
"I'm not attracted to that field at all, and it's not the professional change I'm seeking. Hopefully, a capable successor will come to Check Point, and I'll have plenty of work with them. I'm focused on the next 10-15 years for Check Point and for Israel."
