Allen joined Network Appliance in December 1996 as the company’s CFO and vice president of finance and operations, where he oversaw the company’s strong financial performance and rapid revenue growth. In 2002, Allen became the executive vice president of Business Operations where he was responsible for the company’s manufacturing operations, including the content delivery and NearStore business lines, as well as strategic initiatives for the SAN market. Before coming to NetApp, Allen served as senior vice president of Operations for Bay Networks, where he was responsible for manufacturing and distribution functions. From 1990 to 1995, he held the position of controller for SynOptics Communications and became vice president and controller for Bay Networks, the new company created via the merger of SynOptics and Wellfleet Communications. Previously, Allen had a 17-year career at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he served in a variety of financial, information systems, and financial management positions, including controller for the Information Networks Group. Allen holds a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University.