F5 Names Ryan Kearny as Chief Technology Officer

Software-focused company veteran to lead F5’s application delivery, security, and cloud technology teams

SEATTLE – F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) today announced that Ryan Kearny has been appointed to the company’s executive leadership team as Executive Vice President of Product Development and Chief Technology Officer, reporting to the CEO. In this role, Kearny will oversee the company’s product development and innovation strategy for all F5 solutions.

“Ryan’s experience, perspective, and technical acumen make him an ideal fit to take F5 further into emerging areas—particularly around software and cloud technologies,” said John McAdam, President and CEO of F5 Networks. “Building on the company’s market leadership position, we see opportunities to enhance F5’s application services offerings with sophisticated orchestration, analytics, and security capabilities in the cloud and on-premises. As Application Delivery Controllers become increasingly software-centric, Ryan and his teams will be instrumental in delivering programmable, scalable solutions that can support all types of data center, cloud, and app-focused environments.”

Kearny joined F5 in 1998, previously serving as Senior Vice President of Product Development, among other technology leadership positions. Kearny has been a key contributor to the success of the company’s flagship BIG-IP® product line, including its expansion into virtual editions, and the development of the TMOS® architecture. He now takes on an expanded role that includes the planning and execution of F5’s technology roadmap, along with the leadership of all product engineering personnel.

“In my career, I’ve had the chance to discuss the evolution of IT with many of our customers first-hand, in addition to countless hours spent with our architects, software developers, and platform engineers,” said Kearny. “I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned at the executive level, with a sincere nod of gratitude to the technology leaders that have made F5 the company it is today.”

Kearny is based in Seattle at F5’s corporate headquarters. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington.

About F5

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes apps go faster, smarter, and safer for the world’s largest businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brands. F5 delivers cloud and security solutions that enable organizations to embrace the application infrastructure they choose without sacrificing speed and control. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.

F5 is a trademark or service mark of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

# # #

This press release may contain forward looking statements relating to future events or future financial performance that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of such terms or comparable terms. These statements are only predictions and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements based upon a number of factors including those identified in the company's filings with the SEC.