Gardner joins the Tel Aviv-based firm following a stint as chief revenue officer at Blackfoot Communications. His background spans two decades of leadership in cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise networking, including key roles at Palo Alto Networks, where he served as vice president of global SASE sales. His resume also includes leadership positions at Netskope, SambaNova Systems, and Cisco Systems.

Shlomo Kramer, CEO and co-founder of Cato Networks, cited Gardner’s specific experience in SASE as a primary driver for the hire. The company aims to leverage his background to refine its go-to-market strategy and maintain a focus on customer experience. For his part, Gardner pointed to the company’s architecture as a decisive factor in his move, noting that its ability to simplify security while supporting AI adoption is critical for organizations navigating current digital threats.