The co-founder and former CEO of Aruba Wireless Networks , Pankaj Manglik, is leaving the enterprise wireless LAN startup to start his own venture.
"It's never an easy decision to leave -- especially for the founder," Manglik told Unstrung late Friday. "But I guess I realized -- after a lot of consideration -- that my sweet spot is starting new companies."
Manglik, who will still be VP of product management for Aruba for the next month or so, formed the firm with a number of former colleagues from Alteon WebSystems in February 2002. Alteon was bought by Nortel Networks Corp. (NYSE/Toronto: NT ) for $7.3 billion in stock in 2000 (see Nortel Buys Alteon for Big Bucks ).
Aruba makes centralized 802.11 security and management hardware and software that controls dedicated wireless LAN access points -- just don't call them a wireless LAN switch vendor any more! (See 'Switch' CEOs Sound Off .)
Aruba first let it be known that it was looking to replace Manglik with a "big name CEO" [ed. note: and one whose name doesn't sound like an anagram] back in February 2003 (see S.Lo No Go as Aruba CEO ). It wanted someone with more high-powered corporate clout than the "smart, technical" Manglik. The firm eventually found one in the form of ex-Cisco-er Don LeBeau in January this year (see LeBeau Dons Aruba Crown ).
"Don is a world-class CEO," says Manglik. "I feel confident that we have the best management team out of the three main startups in this area."
Manglik is not yet revealing what his new venture will be. "My main goal is to keep a promise I made to my wife seven years ago and visit Hawaii."
Manglik says he will "resurface... in a few months."
— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung
User Ranking
Tuesday April 20, 2004 11:46:24 AM
That's interesting - I haven't seen any founders of other startups leave. I also think it is interesting that you are choosing to put management on top of your management. What does that say about their competence? Then again "No one knew who they were anyway" might be a good enough reason. I'm not sure that I would want to work for a company where my value is driven by how well I am known by people in the industry.
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 7:46:00 PM
Morale is *great*, actually. Most startups lose one or two of the original people as they grow up. I'd worry if it didn't happen.
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 2:49:53 PM
If the knives have been drawn and heads are rolling, it is a very bad sign from a company, that was perceived, at least, to be the best of the Wi-Fi start-up class. I've seen it too many times, unfortunately...
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 11:15:00 AM
So you are guaranteeing that they are both still at the company Fecklish?
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 9:31:43 AM
put 'em back on the engineers built the box so they must matter no one knows who the rest of your team is either
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 2:19:21 AM
My understanding is one more VP may be leaving shortly. The new CEO is in the process of bringing in own his people. I doubt morale is good.
User Ranking
Monday April 19, 2004 1:16:17 AM
they aren't on the website cuz I took them off. the page was too big....and no one knew who they were anyway. nice try though. hey i've got an idea....let's spew more unfounded fiction. lebeau is the real deal, and no, he's NOT cleaning house....he's building one. dc
User Ranking
Saturday April 17, 2004 10:05:32 AM
I've heard that both the VP of software and the VP of hardware have left too - or been asked to leave. You can see that they aren't on the web site any more.
The blogs and comments are the opinions only of the writers and do not reflect the views of Light Reading. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
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