# Patrick Lo

> Patrick C.S. Lo co-founded NETGEAR with Mark G. Merrill in 1996 and served as chairman and CEO from March 2002 until January 2024. A Brown-trained electrical engineer and former Hewlett-Packard manager, he built a career around networking for homes and small businesses, from Ethernet hardware to Orbi mesh WiFi and connected-home products. He received the Ernst & Young National Technology Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2006.

- **Role:** Co-founder and former CEO and Chairman at NETGEAR (retired January 2024)
- **Organizations:** NETGEAR, Hewlett-Packard, Bay Networks
- **Education:** B.S. in electrical engineering, Brown University
- **Known for:** Co-founded NETGEAR and led it through its development into a public networking company., Ernst & Young National Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, 2006., Led NETGEAR during the launch of Orbi and the creation and separation of Arlo.

## Career timeline

- **1976** — Received a full scholarship to Brown University, according to his 2007 interview.
- **1983-1995** — Worked at Hewlett-Packard in management roles spanning sales, technical support, product management and marketing in the United States and Asia.
- **1995** — Joined Bay Networks.
- **1996** — Co-founded NETGEAR with Mark G. Merrill.
- **2002-03** — Became NETGEAR chairman and chief executive officer.
- **2003** — NETGEAR became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq.
- **2006** — Received the Ernst & Young National Technology Entrepreneur of the Year award.
- **2016** — NETGEAR launched its Orbi whole-home WiFi product line during his tenure.
- **2018** — NETGEAR completed the Arlo spin-off on December 31.
- **2024-01** — Retired as CEO and chairman; CJ Prober succeeded him as CEO.
- **2024-07** — The announced strategic advisory transition ran through July 2024.

## Achievements

- Co-founded NETGEAR and led it through its development into a public networking company.
- Ernst & Young National Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, 2006.
- Led NETGEAR during the launch of Orbi and the creation and separation of Arlo.

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — NETGEAR announced his retirement as CEO and chairman on January 31 and appointed Charles (CJ) Prober CEO effective immediately.
- **2025-03** — NETGEAR’s 2025 proxy statement retrospectively confirmed that Lo performed advisory services for the six-month transition following retirement.

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/patrick-lo
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14