July 2025 | Michael Fechter
Kyle Wu drove his 2006 Camry to work one day last December, ready to spend the day doing what he always does, searching for updates to critical software programs that ThreatLocker customers rely on. Without those updates, ThreatLocker protections might not work as effectively, or the customer might not be able to perform necessary tasks.
Wu, 32, is one of about 120 people on ThreatLocker’s application update team. But his colleagues believe he is among the most helpful and valuable. Their votes helped propel Wu to win ThreatLocker’s annual car giveaway, allowing him to ditch the Camry and drive home in a 2024 X3 limited Omega edition Hummer EV with an MSRP of about $140,000. ThreatLocker’s logo adorns the hood and the words “Cyber Hero” are on the driver side doors.
Not bad for someone who had only been with the company for about a year. Wu knew the giveaway was coming but had no expectation of even being a finalist so soon into his tenure.
A second car, a Mercedez Benz AMG GT 53, was awarded to one of ThreatLocker’s global employees.
It’s money well spent for co-founder and CEO Danny Jenkins. ThreatLocker’s rapid growth makes it more difficult to know all his employees and how they’re performing. The giveaway, determined by staff votes, generates “shitloads of data” on both rising stars like Wu and on possible under-performers. “If you aren’t getting a decent number of votes from your team saying you are the most helpful person on the team, you shouldn’t be a leader,” he says.
It also provides a set of “golden handcuffs.” The car is Wu’s to drive, with his auto insurance covered by the company and free charging at the office, but ThreatLocker holds the title for two years. If he decided to take another job before then, the car does not go with him. That’s fine by Wu, who is happy to defer any gift tax until the Hummer has had a couple of years to depreciate in value.
In addition, Jenkins took Wu and the 15 other finalists on a weekend trip to Manhattan in January, ice skating at Rockefeller Center and staying at the Plaza Hotel.
Wu says he understands that Jenkins is building a culture built on teamwork. “I think this kind of feeling can be infectious. If you approach every day with a smile and you’re happy to do the work that you’ve been given, good things will come.”