Melinda K Postle ’88 Thompson
General Counsel
Miro
ND Board Member Term:
July 2020 – June 2023
Board Committee: Committee on Governance

Melinda Thompson is an experienced legal executive with extensive domestic and international experience in the technology sector. As a woman who has risen through the ranks to become a strong role model to other women, she is active in promoting the education and advancement of women.

Melinda joined Palo Alto Networks in 2011 as the second attorney at this pre-IPO company, and is now the company’s Deputy General Counsel. She developed the legal team from two to 55+ members and manages a wide range of practice areas across the global legal team. Her practice focuses on go to market strategies, data security/privacy, commercial transactions and product counseling, with broad experience in intellectual property, M&A, board/corporate governance, employment, ethics, compliance, policy and risk management. She is also an advisory member to several technology start-ups in Silicon Valley. 

In addition to community work with organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank and Grey Bears of Santa Cruz, she is partnering with organizations outside of Palo Alto Networks focusing on educating the next generation of cybersecurity experts, specifically young girls, beginning as early as kindergarten. Melinda is also a Co-Founding member and Co-Chair of Palo Alto Networks Women’s Network Community (WNC), the first employee led network group started in 2015. Through personal and professional development, networking and community involvement, the WNC connects, inspires, educates, and encourages women to become their best selves. 

Melinda received her J.D. from Santa Clara University, LL.M. in International Business Law & Taxation from Universiteit Leiden, the Netherlands, and B.A. in Clinical Psychology from San Jose State University.