Nikesh Arora has joined Palo Alto Networks, as his former employer SoftBank begins making its own moves on succession to its founder, Masayoshi Son.

Nikesh Arora (pictured), who left Japan-based internet and telecoms group SoftBank where he spearheaded its corporate venturing strategy as company president and chief operating officer in 2016, has become CEO and chairman of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks.

Arora replaces longtime exec Mark McLaughlin, who will become vice chairman of Palo Alto Networks.

Arora joined SoftBank in late 2014 from Google where he had served as chief business officer, and directed SoftBank, a significant corporate venturing participant, to lean more…