The Plano-based cybersecurity firm Critical Start has appointed Francine Geist as chief executive officer. The appointment is part of a planned leadership transition and is effective immediately. Geist succeeds Scott White, who has led Critical Start for the past two years.
A veteran software executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience, Geist joins Critical Start after serving as CEO of LiveAction. During her tenure, she grew the company’s recurring revenue, improved profitability and guided it through a successful acquisition by BlueCat Networks.
“I am incredibly excited to join Critical Start,” Geist said. “With its differentiated platform, outstanding team and unwavering commitment to its customers, Critical Start has established itself as a leader in AI-powered MDR.”
New solution and the next stage of growth
Critical Start provides managed detection and response (MDR) services that are AI-accelerated and validated by humans. In June, it released SOC AI, the firm’s latest advancement in AI-led MDR. SOC AI uses a multi-agent framework that coordinates 10 specialized agents across the full investigation and response lifecycle. This spans detection, triage, response, threat hunting and continuous improvement.
SOC AI’s architecture is based on Critical Start’s Trusted Behavior Registry. The registry is built on more than a decade of confirmed real-world investigations where every rule is explicit, reviewable and auditable, rather than opaque AI decision-making. If AI is ever unavailable, the platform’s rule-based foundation lets the SOC to continue at full capacity without missing a beat, the company said.
“We are thrilled to welcome Francine Geist to Critical Start,” said Stephen Foster, Critical Start board member and managing director at Vista Equity Partners. “Francine is a veteran software CEO with a deep understanding of the evolving needs of enterprise security buyers and experience leading growth-focused, channel-driven businesses.”
Foster also expressed appreciation to White and excitement about the company’s future.
“We are grateful for Scott’s leadership over the past two years and the work he’s done to advance Critical Start’s product and customer focus,” he said. “We look forward to supporting Francine as she leads the company through its next stage of growth.”
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