10 Things You Didn’t Know About KnowBe4 CEO Stu Sjouwerman
Focusing on our technological advancements, it is no secret that we are living in a dynamic world. Especially In the field of telecommunications where the internet is the basic unit that marks the strides we are making. Through it, there are so many things that we can accomplish in various fields, from education to business, and many more. For effective use, one aspect of the internet that should never be overlooked is its security, as the online environment is prone to fraud. Stu Sjouwerman, through his company KnowBe4 Inc, saves the day by always ensuring that internet security is always in its best shape. Below are ten things you probably did not know about the man behind KnowBe4 Inc.
1. His Early Life
Stu Sjouwerman is a private man, and much of his details are in the dark. However, according to Latka, he is presently 61 years of age. This places his year of birth at either 1958 or 1959. He seems to be of Dutch heritage as he schooled from the Netherlands. There are no details about his family at the moment.
2. Schooling
An interaction with Stu will give you a picture of how knowledgeable he is, and he sounds like a well-schooled fellow. He attended Rijksscholen Gemeenschap Purmerend in Purmerend, North-Holland, for his high school Studies. As from his LinkedIn profile, he was a member of the debate team and majored in languages, geography, history, math, chemistry, and biology. Once done with his high school Studies, he proceeded to the University of Amsterdam where he pursued an undergraduate degree in educational sciences. That was in 1977, and he stayed in the school for two years until he dropped out.
3. Venture Into The Professional World
A look at his profile on his KnowBe4 Inc’s website, he prides himself on having over 30 years of experience in the data security sector. He found his calling after school when the information technology field was establishing its roots all over the world. In 1986, he worked for the Dutch Post Office Headquarters, where he was the network specialist, based in the information center office. The position was most likely his foundation to venture fully into the world of information technology.
4. His Entrepreneurial Bug
Still taking a peek from his bio on KnoBe4’s website, he gets the tag of a serial entrepreneur. After working for some time under the Dutch Post Office, he decided to take on another challenge – setting up his entity. That was in 1993 when together with his partner, he founded Sunbelt Software, an information technology company. He prides himself on creating the company from scratch. Among the achievements he made on the helm of Sunbelt Software is the creation of a Pan-European information technology distribution network.
5. Founding Knowbe4 Inc
One of his most significant achievements as an entrepreneur was the founding of KnowBe4, which he founded after he selling Sunbelt Software in 2010. He is currently the managing director of the company that oversees the internet security facet. The company has its headquarters in Tampa Bay, Florida. At the moment, the company serves over 2500 organizations and has a growth of roughly 300% yearly.
6. His Love For Books
Stu Sjouwerman is not ashamed to show off his passion for books. It is his gateway to getting as much knowledge as he needs to help him steer his company courtesy of the lessons that he derives from them. He is also an author and has four books to his name. These include: Microsoft Windows XP Power Pack, Windows 2000 System, Windows 2000Power Toolkit, and his latest Cyberheist: The Biggest Financial Threat Facing American Businesses. The books tackle various topics under information technology, and the latest one focuses on the threat of weak internet security measures.
7. Online Writing Stint
Aside from running his company, Stu is also an online writer and writes educative articles for sites such as Forbes. He tackles topics, mostly focusing on cybersecurity and trends in the IT sector. His writing duties show how much knowledgeable he is in the online security facet.
He has also been editor-in-chief of WServer News, an email newsletter service that went to over 100000 system administrators, to help in keeping their systems secure. He held this position for 15 years from 1996 to 2011. At the moment, he still performs editorial duties for Cyberheist News, an e-magazine that touches on IT security news.
8. Relationships And Marriage
As earlier mentioned, Stu likes keeping his personal life under wraps, and as such, his details are not for all to see. At the moment, it is not clear if he is married or not, but looking at his age, there is a probability that he is married and may have kids.
9. Social Media Presence
Social media is a great business tool, more so if you want to connect with potential clients. Stu is present on several social media platforms. He is active on Twitter, where he regularly tweets and has some followers less to the 7500-mark. He is also active on LinkedIn, where he has over 500 connections.
10. His View On Employees
As from his guest post on the Entrepreneur, he believes that employees are an essential cog in the growth of your company. He suggests that you need to treat them properly as ‘grown-ups’ for the best interest of your entity. He seems to take heed from his own advice, as evident from the development of his company and the growing number of employees.
Conclusion
Stu Sjouwerman is the figure behind KnowBe4 Inc, a company that makes clear its intention in ensuring a secure IT environment. He is quite a reserved person and does not let much of his personal life out of the radar. Above are ten lesser known details about him. For more, you can keep up with him on either his Twitter or LinkedIn handles.
