EqualLogic Inc. CEO Don Bulens isn't part of storage networking's old boys' club. In fact, this is his first storage gig.
When Jack Boyle decided to step down as CEO of the IP SAN startup, its board went outside the storage world for his replacement (see EqualLogic Names CEO). Turns out they went far outside: Before pursuing the EqualLogic job, Bulens admits, he didnt even know what iSCSI was. I heard the words but didn't understand what they meant, he says.
Still, Bulens was no stranger to technology startups. After a decade in sales and marketing at AT&T Corp. (NYSE: T), he joined Lotus in 1987, where he worked with software luminary Ray Ozzie. Bulens helped build up the sales channel for Lotus Notes before IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) acquired the company.
Bulens left IBM in August 1996 to start Radnet, a competitor to Lotus. He left after 16 months and joined Trellix, but not before IBM sued Radnet, claiming Bulens violated an agreement not to hire any Lotus employees for a year after his departure. Bulens said he was not personally involved with the hiring of the salesperson in question, and the suit was settled on undisclosed terms. Radnet folded in 2001.
Next he worked with Dan Bricklin at Trellix, and rose to CEO before the company was bought by Web hosting company Interland Inc.
