Critical Start Appoints Francine Geist as Chief Executive Officer

Critical Start Appoints Francine Geist as Chief Executive Officer

CRITICAL START®, a leading AI-accelerated, human-validated MDR provider, today announced the appointment of Francine Geist as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Geist will succeed Scott White, who has led Critical Start for the past two years, as part of a planned leadership transition.

Geist is a veteran software executive with more than 25 years of experience leading high-performing organizations. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of LiveAction, where she led the company's transition to a market leader by accelerating ARR growth, improving profitability, and guiding the business through its successful acquisition by BlueCat Networks. LiveAction’s network intelligence platform empowered both NOC & SOC with comprehensive visibility and deep packet forensics to deliver fast, trusted and secure networks to the enterprise.

"I am incredibly excited to join Critical Start," said Geist. "With its differentiated platform, outstanding team, and unwavering commitment to its customers, Critical Start has established itself as a leader in AI-powered MDR. I look forward to working alongside our employees, customers, and partners to build on that momentum and continue delivering industry-leading cybersecurity products and services."