Tarkan Maner joined Nexenta as Chairman and CEO in September of 2013.  An accomplished entrepreneur, executive leader, investor, advisor and philanthropist, Maner brings over 20 years of experience working with disruptive and revolutionary technology solutions that lead to better living in a better world.

Maner brings to Nexenta an impressive resume of experience with leading technology companies, as a global executive operator as well as an investor and advisor. His operational and investment areas of focus include infrastructure software, social media, mobility, virtualization, converged infrastructures, contextual intelligence and cloud computing. He had leading executive roles at Dell, Wyse, CA, IBM, Quest, and Sterling Software. He is the founding chairman of TechAmerica’s cloud computing commission. He has been serving on the boards of the Bay Area Council, World Economic Forum's Cyber-Security Alliance, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a coalition of senior executives to improve the quality of life for all citizens of the region and the world through its advocacy around public and private policy issues, from the mecca of innovation and progress; Silicon Valley. He is involved in leading, advising and fund-raising for several global not-for-profit organizations and programs around economic development, poverty elimination, entrepreneurship, education and social justice including: Ernst &Young Entrepreneurship, Strategic Growth and Innovation Programs, Americas Society/Council of Americas (AS/COA), MIT’s Collaborative Infrastructure Initiatives, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Project Skolkovo (Russia), and eLearning Africa.

Maner has been an advisor to several IT start-up companies and boards. He is the winner of the 2012 and the lead judge of the 2013 Ernst &Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Programs in California and a frequent speaker, commentator and author on current business, economic and social issues in the media and academic circles. He graduated from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey with a B.S. degree in Engineering Management. He received an MBA degree at Midwestern State University in Texas.