SAN MATEO, Calif.— Physical artificial intelligence provider Verkada recently announced the appointment of Chris Stori as chief information officer. In this role, Stori “will lead corporate IT strategy, business systems, and broader technology-driven initiatives to support the company’s rapid growth,” the company announcement says.
“Chris’ track record reflects the operational rigor and ambition that will define Verkada’s next chapter,” says Filip Kaliszan, co-founder and CEO of Verkada, in the announcement. “As we continue to invest in AI-powered capabilities and scale our global footprint, Chris’ leadership will be critical to helping us build the AI-powered operating system for the physical world.”
Why Did Verkada Hire Chris Stori as CIO?
Stori joins Verkada from Bright Machines, where he served as CEO. He brings deep expertise in enterprise networking and hardware-software integration, having spent 11 years at Cisco in various high-impact leadership roles.
He served as senior vice president and general manager of networking experiences, overseeing the multi-billion-dollar portfolio for enterprise networking, IOT and Meraki.
During his tenure, he was “instrumental in scaling Meraki from 18,000 to over 600,000 customers, demonstrating a proven track record of driving significant growth through high-value user experiences,” according to the Verkada announcement.
Prior to Cisco, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising on international market expansion.
What’s Ahead for Verkada
Stori’s appointment comes as Verkada closed a record-breaking fiscal year, with revenue up 30% year over year, and more than 31,000 customers globally, including more than 100 of the Fortune 500. Today, 78% of Verkada’s core customers use two or more Verkada product lines, 54% use three or more and the average customer nearly doubles their initial spend within the first 12 months of engagement.
Verkada’s record sales were driven by demand for proactive, AI-powered physical security that helps organizations deter threats, operate more efficiently and build safer communities at global scale. The company recently announced the availability of AI-powered deterrence, a proactive security solution that uses large vision, audio, and language models to autonomously detect and warn potential intruders before a crime occurs.
This capability reflects Verkada’s broader shift from passive recording to proactive, agentic security intelligence.
“Verkada is redefining what’s possible with physical AI and delivering real-world impact,” says Stori in the company announcement. “I am excited to join the team and focus on scaling our global business operations and internal infrastructure to further deepen our impact across industries and markets.”
