Surfshark announces Dovydas Godelis as its new CEO – changing its leadership for the first time

Surfshark has unveiled Dovydas Godelis as its new CEO. Godelis was the company's Chief Operating Officer (COO), and takes over from Surfshark founder, Vytautas Kaziukonis.

Despite only being founded in 2018, Surfshark has established itself one of the best VPNs. It's an affordable yet powerful VPN, which has grown considerably in recent years.

Godelis is stepping into his new position at a time when VPNs are under the microscope, and our online privacy is being threatened.

Surfshark's first ever CEO change

Surfshark has been led by its founder, Vytautas Kaziukonis, since its inception in 2018. This announcement marks the first time the VPN company will have someone else at the helm.

However, Dovydas Godelis brings a wealth of experience, having worked at Surfshark for seven years. He began his Surfshark career as a marketing specialist, and has been the VPN's COO for the last two years.

Godelis praised Surfshark's "outstanding growth" in its eight-year existence. He highlighted its "expanded product suite" and increased user base, as well as its appearance – for three consecutive years – in the Financial Times' ranking of the 1,000 fastest-growing companies in Europe.

The new CEO said these achievements confirm Surfshark is "on the right business track."

Discussing his goals, Godelis said: "My goal is to continue our company’s successful strategy, ensure Surfshark’s future growth, and create successful global products with talent nurtured in Lithuania."

Vytautas Kaziukonis to continue as Chairman

Despite stepping down from the position of CEO, Vytautas Kaziukonis will continue to play a major role in the leadership of Surfshark. He will continue his work as chairman of the board, where he will help form the long-term vision of the company.

"Over the past years, we’ve built a solid foundation on which our organization now stands. That is why I am handing over this leadership baton with great confidence and peace of mind," said Kaziukonis.

He continued by saying "Dovydas proved to be a leader through real, measurable results and his ability to unite the team and set a clear direction for them. I am confident that his strategic insights and ambition to innovate will not only maintain current growth but will also open up new and exciting opportunities."

Kaziukonis discussed his career, Surfshark, and the ever-changing world of cybersecurity in an interview with Tom's Guide back in September 2025.

Surfshark's major milestones

Under Kaziukonis' leadership, Surfshark has transitioned from a small, newly launched VPN, to one of the biggest names in the VPN industry. In that time, we have seen Surfshark achieve a number of key milestones:

• 2018 – Surfshark is founded in Lithuania by Vytautas Kaziukonis
• 2020 – The VPN moves to a RAM-only server network and adopts the WireGuard protocol
• 2021 – Surfshark Antivirus and Incogni Data Removal service is launched
• 2021 – Surfshark relocates its headquarters from the British Virgin Islands to the Netherlands
• 2022 – A merger takes place between Nord Security and Surfshark, with the company valued at $1.6 billion
• 2023 – Collaborations with NGOs sees the creation of Surfshark's Internet Shutdown Tracker
• 2023 – Alternative ID launched
• 2024 – All servers upgraded from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps
• 2024 – Alternative Number launched
• 2025 – Numerous new features, including FastTrack, Everlink, & 100 Gbps servers
• 2025 – Total worldwide server count exceeds 4,000
• 2025 – Surfshark passes its second no-logs audit
• 2026 – Post-quantum encryption support begins

Surfshark has had tremendous success since its beginnings in 2018. Under its new CEO, we expect this to continue, and will be watching on with great interest and expectation.