10 Things You Didn’t Know about Peter McKay

What do you know about Peter McKay, the CEO of cloud-based coding and security software company Snyk? Recently, he has been making the news as one of the more dynamic CEOs out there. He’s also a relatively private person, so people don’t tend to know a great deal about him outside of his business accomplishments. If you want to know more about him, here are 10 things that you might find interesting.

1. He knows how to use the newest technology to his advantage

The company that he is in charge of, Snyk, operates very differently from companies that existed 20 or 30 years ago. This company operates exclusively in the cloud. Its mission is to provide additional levels of security for people who are coding their own software and then storing information in the cloud using those codes. He uses technology to his advantage because he has an innate understanding of it, something that goes far beyond what most people could reasonably accomplish. As such, he has used that deep understanding of technology to help him excel in his career for a number of years.

2. He’s always on the precipice of change

Some people have a tendency to get stuck in their particular niche, especially in the world of software development and coding. However, he’s never been one of those individuals. In fact, he has always been the person leading the pack when it comes to figuring out how to do things differently. He knows that this type of technology is developing at an insanely rapid rate and he doesn’t want to get left behind. As such, he forces himself to learn everything he can about it and then do his best to anticipate those changes so that he’s ready for them when they occur.

3. He believes in pushing himself constantly

He has a strong belief that the only way that a person can accomplish a great deal in life is by intentionally pushing themselves to do better with each passing day. As such, he pushes himself on a daily basis because he always wants to stay ahead of the competition. This is enough to drive some people absolutely mad but for him, it’s almost fun. He has said in the past that it’s not unlike a game of chase that children play, only the stakes are higher. He says that if anything, that makes it even more fun.

4. He also believes in surrounding himself with talented people

Of course, he knows it is virtually impossible to succeed in any form of business, especially in this particular niche, without having talented people by his side. As a result, he surrounds himself with a number of talented individuals who know how to get the job done and have the passion to do it. That allows him to leave them to do their jobs so that he can do his own.

5. He’s one of the first people others think of when they need help

You might be interested to know that Snyk actually handpicked him to be their CEO when they decided to expand their business. That is largely because he’s one of the first people that others think of when they need help, whether that involves expanding their current business or simply getting a bit of advice about something that is tripping them up. Everyone in his circle knows that he’s one of the most knowledgeable people out there. As such, many people are anxious to get his opinion on things. In this particular case, Snyk was anxious to have him leading the charge as they expanded into areas that were previously unknown to them.

6. He saw the potential in Snyk from its earliest days

As it turns out, McKay saw potential in this company from the very first day it went into business. In fact, he even bought stock in the company long before he was ever approached to be their CEO. He always knew that they could succeed, to the point of investing quite a lot of money in their stock. Therefore, it only makes sense that he would eventually become the company’s CEO.

7. He cultivates solid relationships

Something that really makes him stand out from the crowd, especially among CEOs, is that he cultivates solid relationships with other people. He doesn’t have a tendency to use people in order to get ahead or to step on people when things don’t go the way he had hoped. Instead, he goes the extra mile to create relationships that last and then he brings those people along with him as he works his way up.

8. He has a disarming personality

When he became the CEO at Snyk, the company’s former CEO was moved to President of the company. That can create a lot of discord in a company and it was something that McKay wanted to avoid. As such, he went out of his way to speak with the former CEO in order to make sure that they agreed with how they should move forward and that there were no hard feelings involving what had happened previously. Today, they’re working seamlessly together because of his efforts to make sure that something that could have been very awkward did not have an adverse impact on their working relationship.

9. He’s an avid reader

He loves to read and he says that he does so every time he gets the chance. It’s one of the ways that he continues to learn about his chosen profession, but it’s also something that he uses to transport him to worlds that are completely different from his own as a means of getting away from it all from time to time.

10. He likes to stay active with his family

When he’s not working or reading, he loves to stay active with his family, primarily by cycling. The whole family enjoys spending time outdoors, especially riding bicycles. For him, it’s a way to stay fit and healthy while burning off stress and further enhancing the bonds that he already has with his loved ones.