At Proton, we have experienced incredible growth over the past seven years. Over 50 million people have signed up for Proton services to keep their personal information private. Proton Mail(new window), which we launched in 2014, is now the world’s largest encrypted email service, and Proton VPN(new window), launched in 2017, is one of the fastest-growing VPNs on the market. And our upcoming products, Proton Calendar(new window) and Proton Drive(new window), will grow our encrypted ecosystem, allowing people to protect even more of their information.
As we continue building an internet that serves the interests of everyone by expanding into new markets and developing new services and features, our organization must also grow and adapt accordingly to meet these evolving challenges and opportunities. We are therefore excited to announce that Alisée de Tonnac and Bill Kaiser are joining the Proton Board of Directors.
Alisée de Tonnac is the co-founder and co-CEO of Seedstars, a Swiss-based group whose mission is to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. Seedstars connects stakeholders, builds companies from scratch with public and private partners, and invests in high-growth ventures within these ecosystems.
Alisée sits on the board of several companies and foundations in Switzerland and abroad and is also a member of the Swiss Innovation Council. She has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 for Social Entrepreneurs, an Innovation Fellow by Wired UK, and is one of Europe’s most influential women in the start-up and venture capital space.
When asked why she wanted to join Proton’s board, Alisée said, “Proton is working to ensure the next generation lives in societies where privacy is still a meaningful word — and they are succeeding. Joining Andy and his brilliant team to uphold such a promise is a challenging and intense journey I am excited to embark on.”
Bill Kaiser is a partner emeritus at Greylock Partners and has served as a board member for dozens of other well-known tech companies, including Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open-source technologies. Bill has identified and guided many promising tech companies through the start-up and scale-up phases to their IPO and beyond.
Speaking on his appointment, Bill said, “The critical importance of online privacy and security has become undeniable in recent years. Individuals and organizations have come to realize that protecting personal information and communication requires attention and investment. I was attracted to Proton initially as a Proton Mail user. I loved the combination of open-source and end-to-end encryption, and as I learned more about its mission and philosophy, I wanted to try to help out in some way. I am excited to join the Proton board and offer my experience and guidance as it works towards achieving its vision.”
Alisée’s broad knowledge of technology trends and consumer behavior in global emerging markets and Bill’s experience leading an organization that produces open-source technology solutions will serve Proton well as we work to make it possible for everyone everywhere to choose privacy.
We are excited to welcome Alisée and Bill to our board and thrilled that such esteemed peers share our vision of an internet where privacy is the default. Their experience and insight will help Proton as we continue to grow and expand our privacy ecosystem. A better internet is possible, and we believe Alisée and Bill have the knowledge, experience, and counsel to help us build it.
