From AOL to Expel: Yanek Korff on Building Security Companies and Teams

Show Summary

In this episode of the Secure Access Podcast, sponsored by Sign in Solutions, host John Dillard is joined by Yanek Korff, Co-Founder and COO at Expel. Yanek shares his unique journey from a computer science major with introverted roots to becoming a cybersecurity expert and business leader. Initially attracted to the technical side of IT without much interest in security, Yanek's career path took unexpected turns, leading him to significant roles at AOL, Mandiant, and eventually co-founding Expel. The discussion covers Yanek's technical background, the evolution of cybersecurity, the importance of business acumen for security leaders, and the critical role of AI in modern cyber defense. Highlighting transparency, speed, and adaptability, Yanek explains how Expel sets itself apart in the managed security services market. Additionally, he offers insights into building trust with customers and aligning security investments with business risks.

Key takeaways

• Success in security leadership requires speaking the language of business—connecting technical capabilities to business outcomes.
• Building trust with customers and colleagues is about consistently setting and meeting expectations, and being transparent.
• The security industry is defined by "wicked problems"—the rules and threats are always changing.
• Speed and accuracy are critical in security operations; being fast is not enough if you’re not right.
• AI is both overhyped and underhyped: it’s transformative, but must be applied carefully, especially in high-stakes security decisions.
• Strong relationships between security and finance leaders are built on communication, understanding business risks, and aligning priorities.
• The most effective leaders are great communicators and relationship builders, not just technical experts.
• Embrace what you don’t know—curiosity and continuous learning are essential.

“If you’re not talking about risk in terms of preventing dollars from going out, then you’re not talking about risk.”

“Trust builds really slowly, but you can lose it really fast.”

“The security industry is nothing but wicked problems, wall to wall.”

“You have to be fast, and you have to be right, and you have to be consistently right and fast, which is actually shockingly hard.”

“You’re not going to lose your job to AI, but you will lose your job to somebody who knows AI better than you do.”

“Accept the things that you don’t know, and then go figure them out. It’s okay not to know.”

Connect and learn more about Yanek Korff

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