Evan L. Kaplan, President and Chief Executive Officer

Evan L. Kaplan is president and chief executive officer of iPass Inc. Kaplan was brought in by the board of directors in late 2008 to lead iPass through a turn-around. Kaplan has been tasked with transforming the company and reinventing its product lines to take advantage of the growth of Wi-Fi.

Kaplan and the company’s executive team are focused on delivering always-on, frictionless connectivity around the world – easily, simply, quickly, securely and cost effectively. The company’s vision is that anything is possible when you give people the ability to connect.

Kaplan is described as a dynamic, engaging, passionate and sincere visionary, and has infused iPass with his own results-oriented brand and energetic leadership.

With nearly two decades of executive leadership and entrepreneurial experience, Kaplan served as president and CEO of Aventail Corporation, a company he launched in his home in 1996. The Seattle-based network communications company was an SSL VPN pioneer. The company’s services business was acquired by Megapath in 2005 and its technology business was acquired by Sonicwall, Inc. in 2007.

Prior to Aventail, he held positions at WRQ, Inc., and Crane Aerospace.

Kaplan was voted one of Network World’s 50 Most Powerful People in the Networking Industry in 2003 and was recognized as Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Pacific Northwest in 2001. He has served as a board member for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington; the Washington Software Association (now WTIA); and the Networld + Interop industry trade show.

He also serves on the board of directors and advisory boards for several technology companies.

Kaplan holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Western Washington University, and a MBA from the University of Washington. He can be followed on Twitter at iPass_CEO.