Former CEO (and apparent serial entrepreneur) Pankaj Manglik is leaving to start another new company

April 16, 2004

1 Min Read
Aruba Founder Switches Off

The co-founder and former CEO of Aruba Wireless Networks, Pankaj Manglik, is leaving the enterprise wireless LAN startup to start his own venture.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

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