- Galina Antova is a cybersecurity entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience in global cybersecurity leadership, digital transformation, and founding Claroty, a leading industrial cybersecurity company focused on protecting critical infrastructure.
- Antova’s career highlights include establishing Siemens’ first industrial cybersecurity offering, serving as a strategic advisor and board member for various organisations, and actively contributing to the cybersecurity industry’s growth and innovation through her roles and initiatives.
- Claroty has achieved significant growth, surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and experiencing a 300% customer growth, positioning it as a unicorn company with potential plans for a public listing in New York in 2025 at an estimated value of $3.5 billion.
In the early stages of her professional journey, Galina Antova aimed for the top position at a Fortune 500 firm. Following her MBA from IMD, she secured a coveted spot in an exclusive leadership initiative at Siemens, mentored by the CEO, aimed at grooming future C-suite executives—joining just six successful candidates.
However, within three years, she left her corporate executive position to establish her own startup. Through her career, she discovered that ambition and leadership are multifaceted. She believes that genuine career satisfaction comes from making a meaningful impact rather than pursuing prestige or status.
Introduction to Gelina Antova
Galina Antova is a cybersecurity entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years in the cybersecurity industry. For the last nine years, Galina has focused on advancing the state of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure: first, through her work of establishing and leading Industrial Security Services at Siemens and later, through co-founding Claroty and growing it into the global leader in this new market segment. Previously, Galina held a number of leadership roles in IBM’s Cloud Services business. She is the recipient of many notable accolades that recognise her leadership in the security industry and is frequently invited to speak at large security conferences such as RSA Conference. Galina is an advocate for diversity and a mentor and contributor to various organisations promoting and supporting female founders. She holds a BS in Computer Science from York University, Toronto, and an MBA from IMD, Switzerland.
Professional experience: a journey in global cybersecurity leadership and digital transformation
Galina Antova is a seasoned Global Cybersecurity Executive and Digital Transformation Advisor with a proven track record of leading growth strategies and large-scale digital transformations for Fortune 500 companies. She has held significant roles at IBM, Siemens, and Claroty, a company she co-founded to advance cyber defence software for Operational Technology (OT) networks in critical infrastructure. At Siemens, she established the first comprehensive industrial cybersecurity offering as the Global Head of Industrial Cybersecurity, addressing the strategic need to protect OT networks from cyberattacks. Her expertise in OT cybersecurity has made her a sought-after advisor and collaborator with Boards and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to shape strategic digital transformations and communicate risks effectively.
Also read: Claroty providing real-time cybersecurity solutions
As a Board member and advisor, Antova has provided strategic guidance during quarterly meetings at Claroty and has gained extensive Board exposure at Siemens, where she was mentored by CEO Peter Loescher. She has also built a global ecosystem of strategic partners and technology alliances to support business transformation. Her role at Claroty included creating a syndicate of strategic investors, including prominent firms and industrial automation vendors.
In addition to her executive roles, Antova is actively involved in various ventures as a limited partner, angel investor, and advisor. She serves on the boards of several organisations, including Elisity, Cloud Range, and Bulgaria Innovation Hub, and is a founding member of FirstBoard.io and Forte Group. She has been an advisor to SparkLabs and a member of C100, contributing her cybersecurity expertise to these initiatives.
Antova’s early career includes multiple positions at IBM, where she progressed from software developer to team leader and was selected for an exclusive SWAT team to lead cross-functional projects across North America and Europe. Her work at IBM laid the foundation for her extensive experience in cybersecurity and digital transformation. Throughout her career, Antova has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead, innovate, and drive strategic initiatives in the cybersecurity and digital transformation domains.
Also read: Why is cybersecurity awareness important?
Claroty: securing connected organisations’ cyber-physical systems
Claroty is an industrial cybersecurity company specialising in protecting Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Operational Technology (OT) environments, Internet of Things (IoT), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices from cyber threats. The company’s platform is designed to provide in-depth visibility and security monitoring, helping businesses detect, protect, and manage their critical infrastructure. Claroty’s products can identify assets and activities within the network, assess security risks, and offer tools for detecting and responding to cyber threats.
Claroty is an industrial cybersecurity firm with expertise in safeguarding Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Operational Technology (OT) environments, Internet of Things (IoT), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices against cyber threats. Their platform is tailored to deliver comprehensive visibility and security monitoring, enabling enterprises to detect, safeguard, and administer their vital infrastructure. Claroty’s solutions are adept at asset identification, activity monitoring, risk evaluation, and providing tools for detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats effectively.
Given the pressures of the rapidly changing threat landscape, geopolitics and digital transformation, Claroty’s technology is a great example of transforming cybersecurity from a cost centre to a competitive advantage.
Galina Antova
Claroty stands out as one of the fastest-growing unicorn companies, denoting private firms valued at over one billion dollars. Despite challenging market conditions, Claroty has successfully raised funds.
The company recently announced surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and a remarkable 300% increase in its customer base. Given its current growth trajectory and market pricing trends, Claroty aims to debut on the New York Stock Exchange in the first half of 2025 with an estimated value of around $3.5 billion. This projection is buoyed by Claroty’s focus on physical cybersecurity and IoT system protection, an area with relatively low market saturation in the cybersecurity industry.
Founded in 2015 as the inaugural venture of Israeli VC Team8, Claroty is chaired by Nadav Zafrir, who leads Team8. The founding members remain actively involved in Claroty’s leadership: Amir Zilberstein and Benny Porat serve on the board of directors, while Galina Antova holds the position of Chief Business Development Officer.
With a workforce exceeding 530 employees, including approximately 260 based in Israel, Claroty has raised a total of $735 million. In 2021, the company secured a substantial $400 million investment, primarily used for acquiring Medigate, an Israeli firm specialising in medical device security, expanding Claroty’s scope into a new sector. This significant investment round was spearheaded by SoftBank, with Yossi Cohen, formerly of Mossad and overseeing SoftBank’s Israeli ventures, joining Claroty’s board. Noteworthy shareholders in Claroty include Bessemer Venture Partners, NightDragon (led by Dave DeWalt, a longstanding member of Claroty’s board), Warburg Pincus, as well as major industry players like Siemens, Schneider Electric, Rockwell, LG, General Motors, and BMW‘s investment arms.
