Back in the mid 1990s–when Russ Keefe decided it was time for a career pivot–he got behind the wheel. With a Jeep packed full of his belongings, he drove from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, father riding shotgun, to explore fresh opportunities in Silicon Valley. He had just completed a stint at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he gained a deep respect for transparency and learned the importance of full disclosure.

Eager to drive business outcomes, Keefe immersed himself in tech, soon discovering a passion for FP&A and leadership. Early roles exposed him to sales operations, giving him a front-row seat to understand revenue streams and product strategies. “That was when I realized finance is so much more than keeping score—it’s about guiding strategic decisions,” Keefe tells us.

Today, as CFO of cybersecurity innovator Corelight, Keefe applies a forward-looking mindset to navigate hypergrowth markets. His background at the SEC informs his ethos of communicating frequently and candidly with stakeholders. Meanwhile, his operational experience shapes his focus on customer satisfaction, product differentiation, and consistent value delivery.

Keefe tells us Corelight’s Net Promoter Score sits in the mid-60s, underscoring the company’s commitment to serving high-stakes clients in government, finance, and critical infrastructure. He believes finance leaders should be business people first—professionals who leverage financial expertise to power innovation and adaptability. His journey—beginning with a cross-country leap of faith—demonstrates that calculated risks, paired with transparent leadership, can yield results.

Russ Keefe’s CFO PLaybook

Embrace full disclosure to cultivate trust and robust board relationships.
Leverage cross-functional expertise for holistic business insights and execution.
Balance strategic risk-taking with disciplined, data-driven decision-making.
Foster a human-centered culture where finance empowers rather than polices.

CFOTL: Tell us about this company—what does it do, and what are its offerings today?

Keefe: I’m happy to tell you a little bit about it. Corelight is the leading cybersecurity company that is driving AI and machine learning to power network detection and response to help protect the world’s most critical data. Our roots started in the National Lab system, where our founders created a powerful open-source tool to help protect not only the entire U.S. National Lab system but (also) the Department of Energy.

Over time, these tools have been recognized and adopted by elite defenders throughout the U.S. government, the Five Eyes, NATO, and other U.S. allies. That eventually led us into large financial (institutions), critical infrastructure, technology, (and) manufacturing, which really has given Corelight access to customers most startups could only dream of having.

These entities are protecting the world’s most critical data. I sort of say it this way: most of our customers aren’t worried about whether they’ll be attacked—they’re being attacked every single day. If it’s 9 a.m. Moscow time and they don’t see hackers hitting their network, they get worried, because every day at 9 a.m. Moscow time, the hackers start attacking them. And if they don’t see them, oh my gosh, where are they? Maybe they’re in (the network) and we don’t know. That’s the type of customer we have today, and we’re bringing that design pattern those elite defenders use to what I call the (mere mortals) of the Global 2000.

Corelight | www.corelight.com | San Francisco, CA

The post 1064: Cybersecurity, AI, and the Evolving Finance Frontier | Russ Keefe, CFO, Corelight appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.