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Channel moves: Who’s gone where?
Personnel moves of note at Sophos, Commvault, Veeam Software, Clue Software, Genesys, Jitterbit, IRIS, WatchGuard and GuidePoint Security
A number of senior channel roles have been filled this week at a number of vendors, with the focus on bringing in the right talent to drive forward partner ecosystems.
Sophos: The security player has welcomed Naveed Malik as senior director of EMEA MSP channel sales, with a brief to lead the firm’s MSP partner strategy. “My focus is clear: build partner engines that convert cyber security innovation into monthly recurring revenue at scale,” said Malik. “Sophos has a strong EMEA MSP partner ecosystem. I look forward to working with our partners to expand managed services adoption, deepen customer trust and unlock new growth opportunities.”
Commvault: The resilience player has appointed Brian Lanigan as chief partner officer, with a brief to work with MSPs, distributors, SIs and resellers. He comes in with a CV that includes time at SentinelOne, Lacework, Splunk and HP Software.
“Partners are central to our growth strategy and to helping customers advance resilience readiness in an increasingly complex AI and cyber landscape,” said Haydon. “Brian brings significant cyber security expertise to Commvault, and has a proven track record of building world-class partner programmes and driving measurable business results. His leadership and experience make him the ideal person to lead the next chapter of Commvault’s partner ecosystem growth.”
Veeam Software: The firm has welcomed Michelle Graff as senior vice-president of global partners and channel, taking on responsibility for leading the firm’s global partner ecosystem. Her CV includes time at Commvault, and she has also held other channel roles across the industry.
“Partners are deeply rooted in the DNA of Veeam,” said John Jester, chief revenue officer at Veeam. “In a world where 95% of organisations believe data challenges have slowed AI progress, there’s an incredible opportunity for Veeam partners to deliver tangible value to their customers, helping them accelerate safe AI at scale.
“Michelle has a proven track record of putting partners first and building high-performance ecosystems that create durable advantage for partners and customers. With more than 35,000 partners across the world, her leadership will help us simplify engagement, increase co-sell velocity, and unlock new growth opportunities across the Veeam vast partner community.”
Building momentum
Clue Software: The enterprise intelligence platform player has appointed Mark Watson as chief operating officer. He comes in with three decades of experience at the likes of Sage, Lifeworks and IriusRisk.
Clare Elford, CEO at Clue, stated: “We’ve built strong momentum as a business, investing in our platform and domain expertise for a rapidly expanding customer base across increasingly complex threat environments. Bringing in experienced leadership is vital to delivering on that ambition, and Mark’s track record in scaling software businesses will be critical as we continue to extend our impact.”
Alongside Watson’s appointment, Ian Blackhurst will move from chief sales officer into a strategic advisor and non-executive director role.
Genesys: The orchestration player has made a double swoop for Daniel Bailey as senior vice-president of global strategic partnerships, and Alexandre Oddos as vice-president of global ecosystem activation. The appointments have been cast in the light of the firm’s ambition to improve life for its channel base.
“Customers are looking for trusted partners that can help them accelerate AI adoption and drive meaningful business impact,” said Larry Shurtz, chief sales officer of Genesys. “Daniel and Alexandre bring complementary strengths that will help Genesys deepen strategic relationships, accelerate joint go-to-market execution and create new opportunities for customers around the world. Their leadership will strengthen our ecosystem and help customers realise even greater value from their investment in Genesys Cloud AI.”
Jitterbit: The automation and AI specialist has welcomed Chris Stoddard as chief revenue officer, with a brief to lead the firm’s go-to-market operation. His career includes time at New Relic, Qlik, Pulse Secure and Juniper Networks. “Jitterbit is at a pivotal moment where AI accountability and secure integration have become top enterprise priorities globally,” said Jitterbit president and CEO Bill Conner.
“Chris joins Jitterbit during a period of massive expansion, bringing an exceptional track record in data migration, infrastructure and enterprise security that directly aligns with our core mission.”
AI experience
Iris Software Group: The accountancy and payroll specialist has appointed Surya Sagi as its first chief data and AI officer. He comes in with a CV that stretches over three decades and crucially includes AI experience in former roles.
“AI only matters if it makes a real difference to the people who rely on us,” said Jason Dies, CEO at Iris Software Group. “Our customers trust Iris with the work that must work, and that’s what this is about.
“Surya has spent his career building data and AI platforms that make that work faster, smarter and more reliable. His technical depth and proven track record will be instrumental as we accelerate our AI ambitions and continue to turn innovation into real outcomes for customers. His appointment as our first chief data and AI officer marks a defining moment in how we build and deliver for the businesses that count on us.”
WatchGuard Technologies: The security player has rolled out the red carpet for Vincent Hwang, who becomes chief product officer, joining WatchGuard from Fortinet. “Vince brings a rare combination of deep cyber security expertise and the ability to turn product strategy into real market momentum,” said Joe Smolarski, CEO at WatchGuard Technologies.
“He understands our partners, knows how to build platforms that align with how they operate, and has consistently delivered growth by connecting innovation with real-world outcomes. That’s exactly what WatchGuard needs in this next phase of growth.”
GuidePoint Security: The firm has appointed Scott Rachford as CEO, succeeding GuidePoint Security founder Michael Volk, who will transition into an executive chairman role. Rachford spent more than a decade at CradlePoint Security.
“Over the past 15 years, we have built a company grounded in trust, technical expertise and long-term relationships with our people, customers and partners,” said Volk. “Scott has played an important role in that growth, and brings the experience, market perspective and relationship-first leadership needed to accelerate what comes next.”
