Bolster, the leader in AI-powered brand security, is excited to announce the appointment of Rod Schultz as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With over 25 years of experience in business strategy, secure technology development, and SaaS innovation, Schultz brings a wealth of expertise and a strong vision for Bolster’s mission. Having previously held leadership positions at industry giants like Cisco, Adobe, Apple, and Zoom, Schultz’s background aligns perfectly with Bolster’s commitment to combatting phishing and impersonation threats through cutting-edge AI solutions.
As Rod Schultz steps into this new role, we also want to share our gratitude for Abhishek Dubey, co-founder and former CEO of Bolster. Since founding the company in 2017, Abhishek’s vision and leadership have been instrumental in establishing Bolster as a trusted brand security partner for organizations worldwide. His commitment to resilience, innovation, and a mission-driven culture has laid the groundwork for Bolster’s continued growth. We thank Abhishek for his remarkable contributions, which have been integral to Bolster’s mission of protecting people online.
A Leader with a Passion for Security
Schultz’s career began with a fascination for cryptography that turned into a lifelong commitment to cybersecurity. Inspired early on by the technology behind secure data and identity protection, Schultz became an expert in cryptography, authentication, and secure protocols. At Apple, he was instrumental in the development of FairPlay, iTunes’ digital rights management system, and at Dust Identity, he led engineering efforts to provide secure, trusted data for industries where authenticity is paramount.
“As CEO of Bolster, I am excited to foster an innovative culture where every employee feels empowered to contribute to our mission and is inspired to achieve extraordinary outcomes,” Schultz said. “With the growing threat of phishing, especially as generative AI makes it easier than ever to create sophisticated scams, Bolster has a unique opportunity to protect organizations and individuals at scale.”
Why Bolster? Leading the Fight Against Phishing and Impersonation Attacks
Phishing remains a dominant threat vector, with over 90% of cyberattacks beginning as phishing campaigns, according to the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency. Bolster’s proactive approach to detection and takedown services has saved customers countless hours and mitigated threats before they reach inboxes or social media accounts. With an average takedown time of just two minutes and no manual intervention needed in 95% of cases, Bolster has been able to dismantle malicious websites, mobile apps, and social media profiles at an unprecedented scale. In 2023 alone, Bolster successfully removed 684,686 websites, 53,146 applications, and 23,625 social media threats.
Bringing AI and Generative Technology to Brand Security
Under Schultz’s leadership, Bolster will expand its use of AI, including large language models (LLMs) and advanced transformers, to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated attacks. Bolster’s recent launch of AI Security for Email is a prime example of how the company is leveraging generative AI and crowd-sourced intelligence to detect and neutralize phishing and impersonation attacks in real time. The platform constantly updates its text and vision intent models, creating an ethical and resilient solution to fight phishing with unparalleled precision.
“Bolster has an extraordinary opportunity to make a real difference as AI-driven phishing attacks become more common and complex,” said Umesh Padval, Managing Director at Thomvest Ventures. “Rod’s extensive experience in security and engineering, along with his strategic vision, will allow Bolster to set new standards in AI-powered brand protection.”
Building an Innovative Future
As a frequent speaker at industry events like RSA and a holder of 10 patents, Schultz has a forward-thinking approach to the technology industry. He envisions a future where companies and individuals can operate securely online without the constant threat of phishing and impersonation. “I am thrilled to join Bolster at a time when its use of generative AI is revolutionizing brand security,” Schultz noted. “Together with the board, executive leadership, and our talented team, we’re ready to shape a future where online trust can flourish.”
Explore Bolster’s Resources for Safer Internet
Bolster’s mission to make the internet safer extends beyond its enterprise clients. The company offers a free phishing detection service, CheckPhish, which allows users to scan suspicious URLs and monitor for potential phishing threats like typosquatting or URL hijacking.
With Rod Schultz at the helm, Bolster is poised to lead the brand security industry into a new era of AI-powered innovation, combating phishing and impersonation threats across digital channels with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
