Dragos Taps New CPO to Build Human Firewall for Critical Infrastructure

HANOVER, Md. – January 28, 2026 – Dragos, Inc., a global leader in cybersecurity for operational technology (OT), has appointed Dawn Mitchell as its new Chief People Officer in a move that signals a critical focus on human capital as the first line of defense for the world's industrial infrastructure. Mitchell will take the helm of the company's people strategy, tasked with scaling the organization to meet the accelerating global demand for OT security.

The appointment comes as Dragos, which recently achieved a $1.7 billion valuation, navigates a period of intense growth fueled by escalating cyber threats against essential services like power grids, water systems, and manufacturing plants. Mitchell's role will be pivotal in building the organizational capacity needed to expand into new markets and maintain the deep technical expertise that underpins the company's mission.

"Dragos is at an important stage in its growth, and our ability to scale with discipline while staying true to our mission depends on strong leadership across the business," said Robert M. Lee, CEO and co-founder of Dragos. "Dawn brings exceptional experience to attract, develop, and retain the right talent as we continue to innovate and deliver the most effective OT cybersecurity, all while preserving our mission-driven culture."

The Human Factor in a High-Stakes Market

Mitchell's appointment is not a routine executive shuffle; it is a strategic response to the dual pressures of a booming market and a severe talent crisis. The OT security market is projected to more than double in the coming years, with some estimates forecasting growth from roughly $22 billion in 2025 to over $47 billion by 2031. This surge is driven by the rapid digitalization of industrial environments, the convergence of IT and OT networks, and a dramatic increase in sophisticated cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure.

However, this growth is constrained by a significant bottleneck: a global shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals. The workforce gap numbers in the millions, but the deficit is acutely felt in the OT sector, which demands a rare blend of expertise in industrial engineering, system safety, and cybersecurity. Organizations are struggling to find and retain specialists who can navigate the unique complexities of industrial control systems (ICS), which are fundamentally different from traditional IT environments.

In this context, a robust people strategy becomes as critical as the technology itself. The concept of a 'human firewall'—a workforce so well-trained, engaged, and aligned with its mission that it becomes a core defensive asset—is paramount. Mitchell’s hiring underscores the understanding that protecting civilization requires not just advanced platforms, but also the right people to build, deploy, and operate them.

A Playbook for Scaling and Culture

Dawn Mitchell arrives at Dragos with a proven playbook for navigating the challenges of hyper-growth in the technology and cybersecurity sectors. With over 15 years of experience, her career is marked by a consistent ability to build people functions from the ground up and steer companies through periods of rapid expansion and transformation.

Previously, as Chief People Officer at the cybersecurity firm HackerOne, she led a global organization and was instrumental in fostering an inclusive, high-trust culture. Her initiatives there led to a measurable 14-point improvement in employee engagement after identifying and addressing a lack of trust in leadership. At Appian, she rose from Director of Talent Acquisition to Senior Vice President of Human Resources, guiding the enterprise software company through a successful IPO and the complex transition to remote work during the pandemic.

This background is directly applicable to Dragos's current trajectory. Having raised approximately $440 million in total funding and experiencing over 535% revenue growth in a three-year span, the company is in a critical scaling phase. Mitchell's expertise in aligning talent strategy with business priorities will be essential to manage this expansion without diluting the company's mission-driven culture, a cornerstone of its identity.

"Dragos operates in a market that impacts people’s daily lives, and has built a strong culture dedicated to the community that ensures safe water and powers our world, and makes the products we rely on," said Mitchell. "The company has a clearly important mission and I'm looking forward to supporting the team through our next phase of growth."

Fortifying the Front Lines of Civilization

The mission to "safeguard civilization" is not hyperbole; it is the daily business of Dragos. The firm's technology and intelligence services protect the industrial sectors that form the backbone of modern society. Its recent reports highlight the escalating danger, with a surge in ransomware attacks causing partial OT shutdowns in a majority of cases. To combat this, the firm continues to innovate, recently releasing its Dragos Platform 3.0, which provides enhanced visibility and threat detection capabilities specifically for OT environments.

Mitchell's role as CPO has evolved far beyond traditional human resources. In today's high-stakes tech landscape, the CPO is a strategic partner to the CEO, an architect of organizational design, and a guardian of the company's most valuable asset: its people. Her task will be to ensure that as Dragos expands its global footprint in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, it can effectively recruit, train, and empower the specialized teams needed on the front lines.

This involves creating clear career paths, fostering continuous learning to bridge the IT/OT knowledge gap, and building an environment that can attract top-tier talent away from fierce competition. Ultimately, the appointment of a seasoned people leader like Dawn Mitchell is an acknowledgment that the long-term success of protecting critical infrastructure depends on a deliberate and strategic investment in the human element.