Michal Pechoucek joined Avast as CTO in September 2019. Mr. Pechoucek leads the core technology and R&D teams supporting the work of the Avast Threat Labs, Big Data and innovation teams. He is also responsible for the company’s scientific research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity.
Before joining Avast, Mr. Pechoucek spent over twenty years as a professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague, during which time he led the Department of Computer Science and founded the Artificial Intelligence Center in 2001. He also co-founded a research-oriented study programme, Open Informatics, which offers a choice of different subjects, combines different areas of informatics and approaches and continues to be taught today.
Mr. Pechoucek has authored more than 400 high impact publications and contributed numerous innovative AI applications to research in computer science. Before joining Avast, he was the prime mover behind the creation of the Avast Chair of Cybersecurity at CTU, and in 2019, he also helped to establish the Avast funded joint CTU/Avast AI and Cybersecurity Laboratory. Today, Mr. Pechoucek continues to lecture at CTU and lead the Artificial Intelligence Center.
While pursuing his academic career, Mr. Pechoucek co-founded several technology start-ups including cybersecurity firm Cognitive Security (in 2013 acquired by CISCO), AgentFly Technologies, which specializes in controlling autonomous aircraft traffic, and Blindspot Solutions, which develops AI for industrial applications (in 2017 acquired by Adastra Group). He directed the R&D Center for AI and Computer Security at CISCO Systems and worked as a strategist in the CISCO Security CTO office. He is also a venture partner with Evolution Equity Partners, a VC firm specialized in cybersecurity. Recently Mr. Pechoucek co-founded the prg.ai initiative aiming to transform Prague into world-class AI super hub.
Mr. Pechoucek graduated from University of Edinburgh and gained his PhD in Artificial Intelligence at CTU in Prague. He also worked at University of Southern California, University of Edinburgh, State University of New York at Binghamton and University of Calgary.