From co-op to CEO: Sanjay Beri on building companies that last

For software entrepreneurs like Sanjay Beri (BASc '99), data is a core driver of company value.

"If you have proprietary data, in many cases that's commensurate with your market cap," Beri said during an exclusive event for the University of Waterloo community in Santa Clara. The event featured a fireside chat between Beri and Jagdeep Singh Bachher (BASc '93, MASc '94, PhD '00), Chancellor of Waterloo. Together, they discussed Beri's career path and perspective as Co-founder and CEO of Netskope, a global cybersecurity company.

Beri has spent decades at the intersection of technology, leadership and risk. From early roles at Microsoft to senior leadership positions at large enterprise firms and multiple startups, he developed a clear-eyed view of how organizations succeed in an increasingly volatile digital world.

That perspective was shaped early at Waterloo, where Beri studied computer engineering during the program's first year. He credits the University's co-op system with helping him discover not just what he wanted to do, but what he didn't.

"Waterloo was really my definitive period," he said. "You get to experience different companies, different geographies, different leadership styles - almost a decade of experience in a short time."

Those experiences helped Beri realize that while he loved technology, his passion lay in building organizations around it.

"I realized I didn't just want to build great technology, I wanted to build the team, the culture, the whole thing," he says. "Technology is the foundation, but the company you build around it is what actually creates lasting impact."

A strategy that acknowledges the inevitable

That blend of technical fluency and business leadership became the foundation for Netskope. Launched as cloud computing was gaining momentum, the company was built on the assumption that breaches are inevitable and security strategies must be designed accordingly.

"You have to live with the notion that you have vulnerabilities," Beri said. "You have to design your security strategy with that in mind."

Rather than focusing solely on preventing attacks, Netskope emphasizes protecting what matters most: sensitive data, users and systems operating in real time across cloud platforms and AI-powered applications. As artificial intelligence accelerates both innovation and cybercrime, Beri believes the imbalance between attackers and defenders is only widening.

"Criminals can adopt technology way faster than organizations," he said. "They don't have regulation, bureaucracy or politics. They just move."

That reality has profound implications for leaders, particularly as AI becomes embedded in everyday work. According to Beri, insider risk (whether malicious or accidental) now accounts for the majority of security incidents. This trend is amplified by uncertainty about how AI will reshape jobs and industries.

Focus on culture and people

For Beri, technology alone isn't enough to meet those challenges. Culture matters just as much.

"Culture is kind of what we believe. It's how we want to work, how we want people to feel when they're at the company," he said. "It also has real business value."

At Netskope, that belief translates into transparency, open dialogue and minimizing hierarchy. Beri regularly hosts open forums where any employee can ask questions about strategy, leadership decisions or even office snacks. The goal, he says, is to create an environment where information flows freely and problems surface early.

That people-first approach also extends beyond the company. Beri views giving back as a responsibility that comes with success, particularly for entrepreneurs shaped by institutions like Waterloo.

For students and alumni navigating careers in an era defined by rapid technological change, Beri's advice is pragmatic: explore widely, learn quickly and stay grounded in what truly differentiates your work.

"Use this time to collect experiences, not just credentials. The things that make you different from everyone else in the room - that's what compounds over time."