Cloudflare Appoints Three New Board Members

Rhea-AI Summary

Cloudflare (NYSE: NET) has announced three significant appointments to its board of directors. The new board members include Stacey Cunningham, former President of the New York Stock Exchange; John Graham-Cumming, Cloudflare's former CTO; and Dr. Karim Lakhani, Harvard Business School Professor.

Cunningham currently serves as operating partner at Advent International and brings financial and operational expertise. Graham-Cumming, who spent 13 years at Cloudflare, contributed to building technology that now powers approximately 20% of the web. Dr. Lakhani, an AI and innovation expert, is the co-author of 'Competing in the Age of AI' and advises Fortune 500 companies on AI transformation.

The appointments coincide with the departure of Maria Eitel, who served on the board for 7 years, including during Cloudflare's 2019 IPO.

Positive

• Addition of high-profile board members with diverse expertise in finance, technology, and AI
• Former CTO joining board brings deep technical knowledge and business understanding
• Company maintains significant market presence powering 20% of web traffic
• Strategic addition of AI expertise through Dr. Lakhani amid growing AI importance

Negative

• Departure of experienced board member Maria Eitel who guided company through IPO
• Potential transition period as new board members integrate into their roles

Stacey Cunningham, former President of the New York Stock Exchange, John Graham-Cumming, former Cloudflare CTO, and Dr. Karim Lakhani, Harvard Business School Professor, Join Cloudflare Board

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the leading connectivity cloud company, today announced three new appointments to its board of directors — Stacey Cunningham, the former President of the New York Stock Exchange, John Graham-Cumming, the former CTO at Cloudflare, and Dr. Karim Lakhani, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

“I am delighted to welcome Stacey, John, and Karim to our board of directors,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder, CEO, and co-chair of the board of directors at Cloudflare. “Stacey brings a wealth of financial and operational acumen; John brings deep technical knowledge and intimately knows our business; and Karim is one of the world’s leading authorities on AI-driven business transformation. I look forward to working closely with them, and the entire board, as we continue on our mission to help build a better Internet.”

Cunningham currently serves as operating partner at Advent International, sits on the New York Stock Exchange Board of Directors, and is an advisor for private companies and Georgetown University's Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy. Cunningham previously served as President of the NYSE Group, the first woman to lead the exchange group.

“Cloudflare is at a pivotal time in its history and I’m enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead,” said Cunningham.

Graham-Cumming’s tenure at Cloudflare spanned more than 13 years, most recently as Chief Technology Officer. He is a long-time advocate of open-source software; the original writer of POPFile, an open-source, cross-platform, machine learning email spam filtering program; the author of two books; and co-founder of Electric Cloud, a provider of DevOps release automation tools. Graham-Cumming has been at the forefront of machine learning technology long before it evolved into what we now recognize as AI. His deep technical expertise paired with his understanding of Cloudflare’s business, industry, and customer needs, will remain invaluable. Originally from the United Kingdom and now residing in Portugal, Graham-Cumming holds UK and French citizenship. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in Mathematics and Computation, followed by a D.Phil. in formal methods for secure computer systems from the University of Oxford.

“I joined Cloudflare when the company had 25 employees, and, with the team, I’ve helped build the underlying technology that enables us to power roughly 20 percent of the web today. As the world now relies on an always-on Internet, the opportunity ahead of us is massive. I’m honoured to continue supporting Cloudflare, in this new capacity, for its next stage of growth,” said Graham-Cumming.

Dr. Lakhani is the Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (HBS), the co-founder and founding Chair of the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard, and the founder and one of the principal investigators of the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. His deep experience in AI, innovation, and open-source collaboration brings a distinctive and valuable perspective to Cloudflare's governance as the company continues to shape the future of Internet security and performance. Lakhani is the co-author of the best-selling, award-winning book "Competing in the Age of AI" (2020, HBR Press) and is a trusted advisor on AI transformation to the C-Suite of several Fortune 500 companies. At Harvard Business School, he has designed and delivered pioneering executive education programs that have empowered thousands of leaders to develop AI strategies that drive competitive advantage.

“I’m eager to partner with the Cloudflare board to continue to drive impact through innovation and help build a better Internet,” said Dr. Lakhani.

As these new leaders join Cloudflare’s board, Maria Eitel has stepped down from the board of directors after 7 years of dedicated service. Eitel had been a member of Cloudflare's board of directors since 2018, ahead of the company’s initial public offering in September 2019. During her board tenure, Eitel played a key role in Cloudflare’s development as a public company, including serving as the first chair of the compensation committee. In her most recent role, as the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee, she led the board's efforts to identify this next cohort of directors, helping the company manage its next stage of growth as the leading connectivity cloud company.

“It has been an honor to serve on Cloudflare’s board with my fellow directors, and to support the company’s growth during some of its greatest milestones to date. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and will continue to celebrate the team’s success as they navigate the enormous potential of Cloudflare to help shape the future of the Internet," said Eitel.

“We are grateful to Maria for her leadership and guidance over the last seven years. She brought a wealth of knowledge to our board and she played a key role at a very important period in our history as we transitioned from private company, to public company, and beyond. I’m thankful for all that she has contributed to Cloudflare,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder, CEO, and co-chair of the board of directors.

About Cloudflare

Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET) is the leading connectivity cloud company on a mission to help build a better Internet. It empowers organizations to make their employees, applications and networks faster and more secure everywhere, while reducing complexity and cost. Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud delivers the most full-featured, unified platform of cloud-native products and developer tools, so any organization can gain the control they need to work, develop, and accelerate their business.

Powered by one of the world’s largest and most interconnected networks, Cloudflare blocks billions of threats online for its customers every day. It is trusted by millions of organizations – from the largest brands to entrepreneurs and small businesses to nonprofits, humanitarian groups, and governments across the globe.

Learn more about Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud at cloudflare.com/connectivity-cloud. Learn more about the latest Internet trends and insights at https://radar.cloudflare.com.

Follow us: Blog | X | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “explore,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions that concern Cloudflare’s expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Cloudflare’s products and technology, Cloudflare's technological development, future results of operations, financial condition, operations, growth, initiatives, strategies, and future market trends, Cloudflare's expectations about the addition of new members to its board of directors, and comments made by Cloudflare's CEO and the new and former members of its board of directors. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in Cloudflare’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Cloudflare’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2025, as well as other filings that Cloudflare may make from time to time with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. Cloudflare undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. Cloudflare may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in Cloudflare’s forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on Cloudflare’s forward-looking statements.

© 2025 Cloudflare, Inc. All rights reserved. Cloudflare, the Cloudflare logo, and other Cloudflare marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc. in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names referenced herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250327518782/en/

Cloudflare, Inc.

Daniella Vallurupalli

Vice President, Head of Global Communications

press@cloudflare.com

Source: Cloudflare, Inc.

FAQ

Who are the three new board members appointed to Cloudflare (NET)?

Cloudflare appointed Stacey Cunningham (former NYSE President), John Graham-Cumming (former Cloudflare CTO), and Dr. Karim Lakhani (Harvard Business School Professor) to its board of directors.

What percentage of the web does Cloudflare (NET) currently power?

According to the announcement, Cloudflare powers approximately 20% of the web today.

How long did John Graham-Cumming serve at Cloudflare (NET) before joining the board?

John Graham-Cumming served at Cloudflare for more than 13 years, most recently as Chief Technology Officer.

Who is leaving Cloudflare's (NET) board of directors?

Maria Eitel is stepping down from the board after 7 years of service, during which she helped guide Cloudflare through its 2019 IPO.