Co-founder of Aruba Networks – which he sold for $3B
Keerti G. Melkote received a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1993. He then began his career by joining Intel Corporation as a network architect/engineer. After two years, he moved to Cisco Systems, Inc., where he served as a product line manager for workgroup switches. In 1998, Melkote assumed the role of senior director of product management at Shasta Networks. Following his tenure there, he co-founded Aruba Networks in 2002. Five years later, Melkote led Aruba Networks through its initial public offering, and in 2015, he orchestrated the company's acquisition by Hewlett-Packard for $3 billion. Post-acquisition, Melkote contributed to Hewlett-Packard as president of the Intelligent Edge division until his retirement in 2019. Purdue recognized Melkote with a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2017.