Nebula has announced the appointment of Rob Kittler as partner acquisition manager, as the communications software specialist looks to expand its UK reseller and managed service provider (MSP) network.

Kittler will be responsible for growing the company’s existing community of more than 700 resellers and MSPs as it looks to build on recent growth.

He joins the business following seven years at Gamma, where he most recently served as head of connectivity practice. During his time there, he worked closely with the vendor’s network of channel partners across connectivity and mobile services.

In an announcement, Sam Giggle, managing director of channel at Nebula, said Kittler’s experience makes him well placed to support the company’s channel expansion ambitions.

"Partner acquisition isn't a numbers game for us, it's about finding MSPs who want a genuine growth partner, and giving them a platform and a programme they can build a business on,” he explained. “Rob has spent the best part of a decade at the heart of the UK channel, and he understands partners' businesses from the inside."

Headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, Nebula develops SaaS-based workplace communications software spanning voice, messaging, customer experience, AI, analytics, and collaboration services.

The firm’s proprietary CallSwitch One platform supports more than 200,000 daily active users and is delivered through its network of reseller and MSP partners.

Kittler’s appointment follows a year of strong growth for Nebula, which saw the company add 42,000 net new users to its CallSwitch One platform as well as complete the migration of almost 200,000 users onto its wholly owned IP network.

Commenting on his new role, Kittler described the channel as being at “an inflection point” as partners navigate a changing market landscape.

“M&A among partners is leaving resellers with sprawling product portfolios to rationalise, while at vendor level too much of the IP being sold is outsourced, owned and controlled by someone other than the vendor selling it,” he said.

“Nebula's position as an IP owner gives partners a level of influence over the roadmap they simply can't get elsewhere, and the pace of software development here made this an easy decision.”

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Cohesity has announced the appointment of Seb Fitzjohn as vice president of partner channel sales and go-to-market for Europe, as the data security specialist looks to strengthen its partner ecosystem across the region.

Fitzjohn will leverage two decades of international sales and channel experience to lead Cohesity’s partner and channel strategy across European markets.

The firm said he will work to drive growth through its Aspire Partner Program while expanding go-to-market partnerships and helping deliver data resilience and security solutions to customers.

He joins the business from ServiceNow, where he spent seven years serving in senior leadership positions – most recently as group vice president of sales for Europe North, and previously as head of the company’s EMEA partner organization.

The appointment follows a recently announced partnership between Cohesity and ServiceNow, which aims to deliver real-time recovery and resilience capabilities for enterprise AI agents.

In an announcement, Olivier Savornin, Cohesity’s group vice president of sales for Europe, said the appointment highlights the company’s continued investment in talent and its partner organization.

“Seb is a great example of the high calibre of leader we want driving our business forward,” he explained. “His experience and track record put him in a strong position to support our customers and accelerate mutual growth for Cohesity and our Partners across Europe, as well as provide new perspectives and leadership approaches for the benefit of the entire Cohesity team.”

California-headquartered Cohesity specializes in AI-powered data security and cyber resilience, offering a platform that helps organizations protect, secure, manage, and recover data across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

The vendor launched its Aspire Partner Program in August 2025, introducing a unified framework designed to simplify engagement across different partner types. The initiative offers tiered benefits, financial incentives, training, certifications, and go-to-market support to help partners expand recurring revenue opportunities.

In his new role, Fitzjohn will focus on expanding the program across Europe, while working with partners to strengthen the delivery of Cohesity’s data resilience and security offerings.

Fitzjohn said organizations require “absolute confidence” that they can protect, secure, and harness greater value from their data as AI adoption continues to reshape the IT landscape.

“Cohesity and our partners are uniquely positioned to help customers build true data resilience while also enabling AI-driven business insights,” he commented. “I look forward to working closely with our partners and the Cohesity team to expand our sales and delivery capacity across Europe in service to our joint customers.”

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Databricks has announced the appointment of Lee Stockwell as head of public sector for the UK and Ireland, as the data and AI specialist looks to accelerate adoption of AI and advanced analytics across government organizations.

Stockwell will lead the company’s public sector strategy across the region, working with government departments and public sector bodies to modernize data platforms, expand the use of advanced analytics, and scale AI to improve service delivery.

He brings more than 20 years’ experience across enterprise technology and the public sector, most recently serving as head of the National Security and Public Safety division at ServiceNow.

Prior to that, Stockwell spent more than eight years at the UK Home Office, where he led its Live Services and Shared Services division.

In an announcement, Databricks said the appointment highlights its continued investment in the region as public sector organizations increasingly look to AI to strengthen resilience, operational efficiency, and productivity.

“Lee’s experience at the intersection of technology and the public sector will be critical as we increase our support to meet the growing needs of organizations across the UK and Ireland,” explained Samuel Bonamigo, Databricks’ senior vice president and general manager for EMEA.

“Government agencies are under real pressure to deliver tangible outcomes from their data and AI investments, and Lee brings the expertise and experience to help organizations advance these priorities.”

Databricks provides a unified data and AI platform that enables customers to consolidate data, develop analytics workloads, as well as build and scale AI applications from a single environment. According to the vendor, the platform now serves more than 20,000 organizations worldwide.

In his new role, Stockwell will work to deepen partnerships with government agencies and public sector organizations in the UK and Ireland – including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Department for Education (DfE), and VisitBritain – to improve service delivery and increase productivity.

Commenting on his appointment, Stockwell said strong data foundations will be essential if government organizations are to scale AI successfully.

“I’m proud to join Databricks at such a pivotal moment for public sector organisations across the UK and Ireland,” he said. “Government departments can only accelerate their AI strategies if they have the right data foundations in place.

“Databricks enables public sector organizations to unify their data, govern AI, and build and deploy agents at scale.“

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Jitterbit has announced the appointment of Chris Stoddard as its new chief revenue officer (CRO), as the intelligent automation vendor looks to drive fresh growth and scale adoption of its AI-driven Harmony platform.

Stoddard will lead the company’s global go-to-market organization, with responsibility for international sales and revenue generation across the business.

A seasoned leadership veteran, he brings more than a decade’s experience across data analytics, enterprise IT infrastructure, and cyber security.

He joins Jitterbit from observability specialist New Relic, where he most recently served as senior vice president for the Americas, and has previously held senior sales leadership roles at Qlik, Pulse Secure, and Juniper Networks.

The appointment follows the recent launch of Jitterbit’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) gateway, which is designed to standardize how AI agents securely connect to enterprise applications, systems, and data sources.

In an announcement, Jitterbit CEO Bill Conner said the company is “at a pivotal moment” as organizations are increasingly prioritizing accountable AI and secure enterprise integration.

“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,” he explained.

“His leadership will be instrumental as we scale our unified Harmony platform to defeat shadow AI, bridge the enterprise data divide, and securely deliver automation, integration and agentic workflows organizations can trust."

California-based Jitterbit provides AI-driven automation that enables organizations to integrate applications, data, and business processes while building and managing AI-powered workflows.

Its Harmony platform is designed to simplify integration while providing centralized governance across increasingly complex modern IT environments.

Harmony combines integration platform as a service (IPaaS), API management, application development, electronic data interchange (EDI), and model context protocol capabilities into a single, unified platform.

According to the vendor, the offering provides organizations with greater visibility and control over AI-driven automation while reducing reliance on disconnected point solutions.

Commenting on his appointment, Stoddard said he believes Jitterbit is “perfectly positioned” as the growing adoption of autonomous AI agents drives demand for secure, enterprise-grade integration capabilities.

“Businesses are undergoing a massive paradigm shift, and the market is realizing that autonomous AI agents cannot succeed without robust, secure, and context-aware integration underpinning them,” he explained.

“I am thrilled to partner with our talented global teams to help organizations accelerate data transformation by unifying accountable AI agents, apps, and automation.”

Jitterbit also announced that Luca Taglioretti will focus on expanding its regional growth strategy in his role as vice president of sales for EMEA and APAC.

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One Identity has announced the appointments of Marianne Van Der Pluym and Tracey Mead as its new channel and alliances directors for EMEA and North America, respectively.

The pair bring extensive channel and cybersecurity experience and will lead the vendor’s regional channel strategy as it continues to strengthen its partner-first go-to-market model.

Van Der Pluym joins from Cryptomathic, where she served as global head of partnerships, having previously held senior channel leadership roles at OpenText Cybersecurity, Micro Focus, NetIQ, and IBM.

Meanwhile, Mead joins from Contrast Security, where she held the role of vice president of global alliances and channels. She also previously served in channel and alliances leadership positions at OpenText Cybersecurity, Micro Focus, NetIQ, Novell, and CA Technologies.

One Identity said the seasoned leaders add complementary experience across global alliances, managed services, and partner-led go-to-market programs as it continues to adapt its channel strategy to meet evolving customer and partner needs.

“Partners play an increasingly important role in helping organizations adopt and manage modern identity security solutions, and strong channel leadership is essential to supporting that success,” commented Ian Sutherland, One Identity’s chief revenue officer.

As the channel continues to move away from traditional resale models, Sutherland said One Identity’s new hires will help ensure its partner strategy reflects that shift.

“Marianne and Tracey both have a clear point of view about where partners are heading: away from resale, toward managed services and outcome-based engagement, and into depth around specific domains like identity,” he added. “That direction is where we are taking our partner program.”

One Identity wants to reshape identity governance

The double appointment follows shortly after One Identity announced plans to become an independent company headquartered in Cork, Ireland, in a bid to accelerate growth in the identity security market.

According to the company, the decision was designed to bring a faster, more focused approach as AI and non-human identities continue to reshape the unified identity governance space.

Commenting on her new role, Van Der Pluym said her immediate priority will be supporting partners across EMEA that are investing heavily in identity security expertise.

“Across EMEA, the partners growing fastest are the ones who have picked a lane,” she explained. “My focus is making sure we deliver a partner program and engagement that supports the partners who are going deep on delivering identity security outcomes.”

Mead added that One Identity’s partner-first culture and collaborative approach to the channel have made it well-positioned to support both customers and partners.

“I look forward to working closely with our partner ecosystem to build joint solutions that help customers secure their environments, address AI challenges, and achieve stronger security outcomes,” she said.

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Louise Newbury-Smith, head of UK&I at technology specialist Zoom, describes her role as busy and exciting. With a remit to help the firm’s customers make the most of its technology and a general management responsibility for the business across the UK and Ireland, Smith says the busyness in her role comes with a side order of variety.

“What's rewarding is when we're doing amazing things for customers, very real things for customers, and actually, that's where you know the power of the platform comes in,” she says.

“Technology for technology's sake is fine, but it only gets really interesting when it's delivering something for people.”

Newbury-Smith joined Zoom in May 2025, having previously held senior-level positions at BT Engage IT, Daisy Group, and RingCentral. She reports to Steve Rafferty, Zoom’s head of APAC and EMEA. On a day-to-day basis, she manages 40 people directly but also oversees the work of 400 employees across the UK and Ireland.

“I’m supporting the team to deliver what they need to do for their customers, representing the brand, and making sure that Zoom is front of mind for people and businesses,” she says.

“We're doing quite a lot with the UK government, as an example. We're on one or two task forces looking at how AI can support small businesses.”

Innovation at speed

Newbury-Smith says there’s a rapid pace of innovation at Zoom. While many people associate the technology company with its video-conferencing tools, the breadth of the platform, including its AI-powered capabilities, continues to extend. A pull factor for joining the firm was the chance to help shape this strategy across the UK and Ireland.

“What really attracted me was the opportunity to take our strong brand awareness and increase the perception,” she says.

“The platform takes all the data we're producing through our interactions with other human beings and turns that into actions to support the employee in an AI-centered workplace. It was exciting for me to be part of that process.”

While the broader business strategy is set at Zoom’s San Jose headquarters in California, Newbury-Smith says there’s a high degree of autonomy for executives in the UK and Ireland to make important decisions. To support this process, the company has built a dedicated UK data center that’s designed to align with the country’s data residency requirements.

“We've now got all the services live on the UK data center,” she says.

“Zoom has empowered its regions to deliver what they need for their own markets. Clearly, having control over where your data is stored is hugely important, not just for public sector organizations in the UK, but beyond that sector in areas like healthcare and financial services because of all sorts of global data sensitivities.”

The combination of rapid technological transformation and geopolitical challenges means data residency is a key consideration for digital leaders in the age of AI and cloud. Newbury-Smith says her team’s approach and the provision of the UK data centre mean CIO requirements can be considered effectively.

“Our customers have got that choice with us about how they want to operate and what level of AI they want to tap into, and whether that's delivered locally or part of the global infrastructure, so data sovereignty is very much top of mind,” she says.

“There's well-documented information that is available to customers, so that they can make the right choices in how we set up their accounts.”

What’s clear from the discussion with Newbury-Smith is the extent to which adaptability is a core element of the Zoom business strategy. Six years ago, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the technology specialist went from being an enterprise staple to a brand that everyone around the world not only recognized but relied upon.

Newbury-Smith says her colleagues at HQ delivered great results in challenging circumstances. Now, the company faces a different challenge. Zoom must continue to hone its brand perception and develop innovative services in the AI era. She recognizes that the company faces a fresh burning platform for change and is eager to deliver for its customers.

“In its simplest form, our approach is about taking information and creating automated workflows,” she says. “There's an expression that I’ve been quoted on before about automating the predictable and humanizing the unpredictable. I think that's a powerful way of looking at the challenge. It’s about how we can enable those workflows and AI.”

Making a difference

Since joining Zoom last May, Newbury-Smith has worked to develop a culture where people on her team feel valued, and their professional and personal goals are recognized. She describes her leadership style as servant leadership, which aims to remove barriers so people can be the best version of themselves.

“I'm passionate about seeing the difference that we can make,” she says.

“We need to hit our KPIs and all those things, but will we be remembered for that achievement? Probably not. We’ll be remembered for how we make people feel, which is the folks around us, our colleagues, my team, and our customers.”

To that end, Newbury-Smith also recognizes her standing as a high-profile woman in the UK and Ireland technology sector. She’s eager for more women to step forward into senior IT roles and supports broadening diversity across the industry.

“That’s an easy thing to say, but it's what you do that makes a difference,” she says.

“I quite often ask the question in an interview: ‘What have you done to support diversity in your role?’ And it's interesting because some people think diversity is the responsibility of people and HR teams. And it's not, because we're all advocates for our industry, and we can all be evangelizing to encourage more people to join.”

Zoom runs events to encourage diversity, according to Newbury-Smith. One recent session focused on AI prompting. The event was run close to International Women's Day to encourage people to feel confident using AI. Her key message for other women looking to develop an IT career is to be themselves.

“There's a huge amount of pressure to be something else. I think women – as have all people – must be their genuine selves at work, because otherwise it's too exhausting. People need to know they don't need to fit into another persona. Being yourself is good enough,” she says.

“Success for any IT professional is about having that level of confidence in themselves, which is very easy to say, but not always easy to tap into. And I think if people feel they can be authentic, then that helps.”

Westcon-Comstor has announced the appointment of Olya Scekaturova as VP of regional sales for the UK and Ireland, as the distribution giant continues to roll out its revamped European go-to-market strategy.

The seasoned channel executive brings more than 15 years’ experience in sales and technology services leadership, alongside expertise in leading large-scale transformation programs.

She joins the business from digital infrastructure provider Black Box, where she served as vice president for UK&I and Europe, and has previously held leadership roles at Computacenter and Insight Enterprises.

In her new role, Scekaturova will be responsible for driving growth across the UK and Ireland, strengthening partner and vendor relationships while driving sales execution across the region.

She will also take charge of the distributor’s newly integrated sales operation in the UK and Ireland, which brings together its Westcon and Comstor teams under a single structure.

As part of the company’s announcement, Scekaturova said she joins the business at a key stage in its European growth plans.

“The business has strong foundations and momentum in the UK and Ireland, with a clear strategy focused on helping partners grow through deeper engagement and consistent execution,” she commented.

According to Westcon-Comstor, its new unified operating model is designed to deliver a more consistent route to market across technologies, geographies, and sales engagements.

The firm said its network of partners can expect to benefit from clearer account ownership, coordinated engagement, and improved visibility of opportunities, while vendors gain a more streamlined sales approach across the region.

“My priority is to ensure we support partners in capturing high-margin, repeatable and lifecycle-led opportunities while enabling vendors to accelerate their channel-led growth, harnessing emerging technologies and simultaneously retaining the focus on human relationships that are central to success in the channel,” Scekaturova added.

Scekaturova will report to Stéphane Reboud, Westcon-Comstor’s senior vice president of sales for Europe, whose own appointment last year marked a key milestone in the firm’s European go-to-market transformation.

She will also be supported by a team that includes John Nolan, who has been named as the new senior director of vendor sales. Nolan previously led the distributor’s Westcon business in the UK and Ireland.

“This appointment reflects a broader shift in how we are reshaping our offering and go-to-market strategy across Europe to meet the changing needs of partners and vendors in an era defined by platforms, marketplaces and ecosystems,” Reboud said.

“UKI is one of our most important markets and, by building on our high-performance sales culture with ambition and accountability at the core, Olya and her team have the capability and mindset to drive the next phase of growth.”

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Monday.com has announced the appointment of Ben Barnett as general manager for EMEA, as the collaboration platform looks to build on its continued growth across the region.

Barnett, who first joined the business five years ago as part of its early London expansion, will now lead the firm's EMEA go-to-market strategy, key partnerships, and its regional growth initiatives.

The appointment comes amid a period of sustained momentum for Monday.com across the region, with EMEA revenue increasing 26% year-on-year in 2025, and the business also significantly expanding its regional headquarters in London.

The company now occupies an 80,000 square foot office in Fitzrovia, which houses more than 370 employees, alongside new offices in Paris and Munich. Across its wider EMEA operations, Monday.com now has more than 2,250 staff on its books.

Barnett brings more than a decade of B2B software sales experience to the role and has overseen Monday.com's UK and Ireland operations since 2021. According to the vendor, Barnett played a key role in scaling its presence from a small founding team in London to a regional operation that now serves more than 27,000 customers.

In an announcement, Barnett said EMEA has emerged as one of Monday.com's strongest growth markets as AI continues to reshape customer needs.

"EMEA has been one of monday.com's most exciting growth stories, and I've had the privilege of living it from the inside," he commented. "As we move now into an AI-powered age, I'm proud to step into this GM role and bring our customers the tools and advice they need to harness technology in a way, and at a speed, that works for them."

In his new role, Barnett will focus on supporting the company's next phase of expansion following its shift from a traditional workplace management solution to what it describes as a unified AI work platform.

The firm recently revamped its offering to combine workflows, people, and AI agents into a single environment designed to automate and execute tasks across customers' business operations.

Casey George, chief revenue officer at Monday.com, said Barnett's deep understanding of complex markets will play a key role as the vendor looks to build on its platform evolution and recent growth momentum.

"He was there at the inception of our London office, and the breadth of knowledge, relationships, and commercial instinct he has built across this region over five years is an extraordinary asset," he explained. "He understands our customers, our partners, and our people in a way that only comes from being in the room for every chapter of this growth story.

"With his leadership, we are strongly positioned to accelerate our annual plan and lead the next frontier of enterprise AI."

Leaseweb has unveiled a new UK channel partner program as the infrastructure provider looks to strengthen support for partners amid growing demand for hybrid cloud strategies.

The launch marks the latest phase of the firm’s investment into its channel ecosystem and coincides with the appointment of Jason Goody as UK channel sales manager, who will work to develop the program across the country.

According to Leaseweb, the revamped initiative has been designed to provide improved support to MSPs, cloud providers, and infrastructure partners working with organizations reassessing workload placement across dedicated, private, and public cloud environments.

The program introduces a three-tier structure covering reseller, referral, and solution partner models, enabling businesses to tailor engagements based on their individual requirements.

The initiative has been built with a focus on commercial flexibility and includes expanded technical and pre-sales support in a bid to help partners deliver infrastructure services to customers more efficiently.

Leaseweb said that partners also gain access to its AI-ready infrastructure portfolio and GPU-powered cloud services as enterprise demand for AI, machine learning, and data-intensive workloads shows no sign of slowing down.

In an announcement, Leaseweb UK managing director Terry Storrar said the channel represents a significant growth opportunity as businesses seek hybrid cloud strategies that offer greater flexibility, control, and cost efficiency.

“Our new channel partner program reflects Leaseweb’s long-term investment in the partner ecosystem, giving partners the flexibility, support and scalability they need to deliver tailored services to customers,” he commented.

Leaseweb targets UK growth with new hire

As part of its increased investment, channel veteran Jason Goody also joins the company as UK channel sales manager. He brings more than 20 years’ channel experience and joins the business from OVHcloud, where he led the company’s UK partner program.

In his new role, Leaseweb said Goody will focus on expanding its partner network and strengthening relationships across MSPs, systems integrators, and technology vendors.

According to Storrar, Goody’s extensive industry experience will play an important role in the vendor’s continued efforts to scale its UK operations.

“I am delighted that Jason has joined our UK team,” he added. “The UK channel represents a significant growth opportunity as more organisations look to adopt hybrid cloud strategies that offer greater flexibility, control and cost efficiency.

“Jason’s experience and leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow and strengthen our UK channel network.”

Founded in the Netherlands in 1997, Leaseweb operates across 28 data centers globally and provides a range of cloud, hosting, colocation, content delivery network (CDN), and managed infrastructure solutions and services.

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In recent years, the traditional IT buying cycle has transformed. What was once a decision made largely at the discretion of CIOs, procurement, and operations is now significantly influenced by the chief information security officer (CISO).

The CISO has historically been a technical role, focusing on data security, cybersecurity, and overall risk management from an IT perspective. The modern CISO, however, has become central to business strategy and operational resilience, amidst growing cyber risks and increasing regulatory scrutiny. 

These shifting priorities and demands have led to CISOs becoming the linchpin between IT departments and the C-suite. However, this new pressure to boost business resilience, mitigate risks, and hold a central seat in business strategy decisions has led to widespread industry burnout.

For channel partners, this is a watershed moment as they now have the opportunity to engage with CISOs as strategic advisors, as well as product suppliers.

The CISO is the new buyer 

The expansion of the CISO’s role can be largely attributed to the sharp rise in cyber attacks over recent years, compounded by the rapid evolution of AI capabilities.

The UK government recently reported that almost half of businesses suffered a cybersecurity breach or attack within the last 12 months. And while AI readiness sits at the top of the C-suite agenda, uncertainty around infrastructure readiness is slowing down adoption, with many organizations revealing they struggle with data lineage, security, and governance. 

In light of these findings, it comes as no surprise that 69 percent of IT leaders are kept up at night by data security concerns, according to our research. Data is at the heart of all of these concerns: how it’s accessed, governed, and optimized. As a result, CISOs have become indispensable for ensuring continuous and proactive resilience and operational continuity, overseeing the intersection of security, innovation, and compliance. 

As data governance, lineage, and compliance become board-level priorities for enterprises, the CISO’s expertise is increasingly needed at the C-suite table, with many now reporting directly to the CEO.

For channel partners, this presents an opportunity to a trusted partner of CISOs who are navigating the new demands of their changing roles by offering solutions that signpost long-term compliance, operational continuity, and risk mitigation. Those who position themselves to address these new sets of priorities will ultimately build stronger long-term relationships with CISOs through offering personalized, practical guidance that will move the needle and help protect their organizations.

Regulation as a sales driver

While always slightly behind the newest threats, compliance standards around the world have been making strides to keep pace. This manifested in shifting away from static, periodical security scans and audits, to mandating secure-by-design solutions and continuous monitoring under acts like the EU AI Act, DORA, and NIS2. In the UK in particular, the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act will require organizations to ensure stricter visibility across their IT environments, which is a foundational requirement for enterprises gearing up for AI implementation. 

However, these new regulatory demands have created a widening confidence gap. Indeed, our research suggests that less than one-third of IT leaders have confidence that they will pass their next regulatory audit. As security becomes a consideration from the outset instead of an added feature at the end, CISOs command a larger budgetary influence in IT modernization initiatives, in order to avoid penalties for non-compliance. 

The global compliance market is estimated to reach $92.1 billion by 2033, presenting a clear market potential for channel partners. With CISOs now playing a key role in safeguarding reputation through risk mitigation, the channel has the opportunity to engage with this role as a strategic stakeholder, offering best-in-class solutions and tailored implementation guidance.

The channel can take this further still by positioning itself to offer region-specific expertise to CISOs, playing a key part in ensuring that their organizations are prepared to stay ahead of changing regulatory requirements.

Modernization through a security lens 

In fact, concerns over security block IT modernization strategy success the most, according to 41 percent of respondents to a Forrester survey we commissioned. This highlights a diminished risk appetite among enterprises. Instead, organizations are actively prioritising addressing vulnerabilities and improving visibility and governance across their entire IT landscapes.

This is especially important because any organization looking to implement and scale AI needs a high level of visibility and solid data governance to ensure compliant, high-quality, and secure data pipelines across the entire ecosystem.

Consequently, the way channel partners present value to CISOs has shifted, too. Customers now look for partners that can support their long-term strategies and improve their organizations’ cyber resilience and regulatory readiness, rather than just specific products or features. Partners should evaluate and present modernization solutions through a security lens in order to guide the CISO through the increased scope and responsibility that their role now entails. 

What’s more, the transformation of the CISO into a key figure guiding boardroom conversations is not complete. In fact, Gartner predicts (as cited in an IBM article) that regulatory pressure and attack surface expansion will lead to 45 percent of CISOs expanding their remit beyond cybersecurity by 2027.  

As enterprises are being challenged to modernize faster, strengthen cyber defenses, and govern data more effectively, they will continue to turn to the CISO for strategic guidance.

Channel partners that position solutions around the CISO’s core priorities will thus be better positioned overall to support the CISO in buying decisions, while building long-term trust by alleviating pressures facing the modern security leader.

Starburst has moved to strengthen its security leadership team with the appointment of Paras Malhotra as its new chief information security officer (CISO).

A seasoned industry leader, Malhotra joins the enterprise intelligence vendor with more than 20 years’ experience spanning cybersecurity, compliance, privacy, and risk management across high-growth SaaS and cloud organizations.

In his new role as CISO, he will lead Starburst’s information security, governance, risk and compliance (GRC), and product security functions across both its SaaS and on-premises offerings.

The firm said he will work closely with engineering, product, and go-to-market teams to strengthen its security posture and support its growing focus on AI and data security.

In an announcement, Starburst’s senior vice president of engineering and security Jitender Aswani said Malhotra’s experience will be a key asset as the company looks to meet customers’ evolving AI and data security needs.

“As enterprises scale AI and modernise their data infrastructure, security and trust have never been more critical,” he commented. “Paras brings deep experience building and scaling security programs for some of the world’s leading cloud and SaaS companies.

“His leadership will help ensure Starburst continues to deliver the secure, enterprise-grade platform our customers need to power their most important data and AI initiatives.”

Malhotra joins Starburst from Datadog, where he served as senior director of information security. During his time in that role, he led the company’s information security organization, placing a particular focus on customer trust, proactive risk management, and continuous security monitoring to support growth across commercial and enterprise markets.

Prior to that, he spent almost a decade in senior security leadership roles at Amazon Web Services (AWS), including principal manager for AWS Security Assurance.

During his time at the cloud giant, he led engineering strategy and security assurance initiatives aimed at improving vulnerability detection, risk assessment, and compliance processes at enterprise scale.

According to Starburst, Malhotra’s experience in building scalable security programs and engineering teams will help the business balance innovation with customer trust and regulatory compliance.

Commenting on his new role, Malhotra said Starburst is well-positioned to help organizations navigate today’s increasingly sophisticated threats as they implement new AI technologies at speed.

“Starburst sits at the center of some of the most important enterprise data and AI initiatives in the world,” he explained. “I’m excited to join the company at this pivotal moment and help strengthen the security, privacy, and governance foundations that enable customers to innovate with confidence.”

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EfficiencyIT has announced the appointment of Giles Pattison as business transformation director, as the modular data center specialist looks to support growth across AI and digital infrastructure markets.

The UK-based firm – which focuses on prefabricated modular data centers, IT infrastructure, and critical communications environments – said the appointment will support its continued expansion across the UK and Europe as AI and high-density compute workloads drive demand for scalable infrastructure.

Pattison arrives with more than 20 years’ commercial leadership experience across the data center, channel, and digital infrastructure sectors, and has spent the majority of his career at Schneider Electric.

Most recently, he served as the vendor’s data center commercial operations and strategy director for Europe, where he led integrated commercial revenue and sales operations for its European channel business.

During his time in the role, he oversaw senior leadership teams across multiple markets and helped drive consistent growth and market share gains.

In his new position, Pattison will focus on helping EfficiencyIT scale its operations, refine internal processes, and support the development of its long-term strategy.

In an announcement, EfficiencyIT’s managing director Nick Ewing described Pattison’s appointment as “a significant moment” as the company continues to expand across the UK and Europe.

“His commercial acumen, leadership approach, and understanding of how complex organisations function will be instrumental in helping us release capacity, sharpen our long-term strategy, and ensure that we continue to deliver an exceptionally high-standard of service as we continue to grow,” he said.

The appointment comes as EfficiencyIT continues to invest in its leadership team to support a growing pipeline of modular and prefabricated data center projects, at a time when enterprises are increasingly seeking rapid deployment options for AI-ready infrastructure.

According to the company, Pattison’s newly created role has been designed to help the founders scale the business while maintaining the customer-focused approach that has underpinned its growth across enterprise, government, life sciences, and mission-critical sectors.

Commenting on his appointment, Pattison said EfficiencyIT has built “genuine credibility” in the data center market, with the firm earning its reputation through a high quality of service to its expanding client base.

“This is an exciting time for the modular data centre industry,” he added. “Speed to market, scalability, and best-in-class technology will unlock the potential of AI infrastructure, and EfficiencyIT is well-placed to support that growth.

“I am a firm believer in the power of the partner ecosystem, and I am looking forward to working with the team to help shape the next chapter.”

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Percona has announced the appointment of Louis Hood as its new director of global partnerships and channels, as the open source database software specialist looks to strengthen its partner ecosystem.

A seasoned industry veteran, Hood joins the business with more than 20 years’ experience building and scaling partner networks across the cloud, data, and enterprise technology markets.

In his new role, he will lead Percona’s global partner program, working to grow the firm’s relationships across cloud providers, global systems integrators (GSIs), independent software vendors (ISVs), and value-added resellers (VARs).

In an announcement, the vendor said Hood will focus on developing strategic partnerships that make its open source database solutions easier for customers to adopt, deploy, and scale across increasingly complex IT environments.

“Most organizations are operating across hybrid and multi-cloud environments while trying to manage rising costs and growing complexity,” Hood commented. “Percona’s open approach gives them a different path: more flexibility, better control over cost and infrastructure, and no lock-in.

“The way is open, and our partner program should reflect that — focused, strategic and built around outcomes that matter.”

Prior to joining Percona, Hood served as FinOps cloud lead at IT asset and expense management provider Tangoe, where he worked with organizations to optimize cloud spending and align technology investments with business priorities.

He has also previously held senior alliance and partner-focused positions at SoftServe and CDW, where he led go-to-market initiatives across cloud and emerging technologies.

Percona said Hood’s experience in building partner ecosystems will be a key asset for the company as customers continue to seek greater flexibility and control over their data infrastructure strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Percona CEO Peter Farkas said Hood’s expertise aligns closely with the vendor’s own focus on delivering customer value through open source technologies.

“Customers want more control over their data infrastructure, not more complexity or lock-in,” he explained.

“Louis understands how to build disciplined partner ecosystems that create measurable customer value. His leadership will help us make Percona’s open source solutions more accessible, easier to scale and harder for the market to ignore.”

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Terzo has announced the appointment of former Accenture executive Daniel Haitz as head of strategic partnerships and channel growth, as the finance and analytics vendor looks to scale its partner ecosystem.

Haitz arrives with nearly two decades of experience across enterprise software, procurement transformation, and large-scale operating strategy. He joins the business from Accenture, where he led enterprise platform growth initiatives that tripled revenue over a three-year period.

His appointment comes as Terzo continues building momentum around its AI-powered financial analytics platform, which is designed to help enterprises transform contracts, invoices, and purchase orders into real-time financial intelligence.

In his new role, Haitz will focus on expanding Terzo's partner ecosystem and accelerating enterprise adoption of its platform across procurement, finance, supply chain, and revenue operations.

In an announcement, Terzo CEO Brandon Card said the seasoned leader's deep channel expertise will help drive the company's ongoing growth ambitions.

"Billions of dollars leak out of enterprises every year because nobody is continuously connecting what was negotiated to what actually gets paid, billed, or delivered," he explained. "That's the problem Terzo was built to solve."

"Daniel knows how to turn that kind of platform story into commercial outcomes through partners. He brings the operating discipline and ecosystem credibility we need for the next phase of growth."

Terzo's platform works to continuously analyze enterprise contracts and procurement data to identify spend leakage, compliance, renewal risks, and commercial optimization opportunities across both buy-side and sell-side operations.

According to the company, the platform has already delivered more than $1 billion in measurable customer impact – including a Fortune 100 deployment that generated more than 50-times return on investment.

Commenting on his appointment, Haitz said he aims to build on this momentum by strengthening and scaling Terzo's partner network.

"Every contract is a promise, and most enterprises stop tracking them the day they're signed," he explained. "Terzo turns those promises back into EBITDA – money already owed, leakage recovered, and renewals reshaped before the next negotiation – on both sides of the contract. That's a story that scales through partners, and I'm here to build that motion."

Meta is expected to announce further layoffs this week, as part of continued efforts to restructure the company around AI.

An internal memo seen by Reuters suggests Meta will lay off 10% of its employees, with a further 10% set to be transferred to better focus on AI, with staff "drafted" to areas of the business focused on the technology, including Applied AI Engineering (AAI) and Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA), both of which are tasked with creating AI agents.

Beyond AI, the cuts are reportedly targeting managers in particular. This round of restructuring is expected to be announced on Wednesday, with staff told to work from home; further cuts are reportedly due at the tech giant later this year.

In the document, Meta's Chief People Officer Janelle Gale links the restructuring to improving AI workflows, in particular, the internal transfers of 7,000 staff. Reuters reported Gale saying such changes will become common across the industry as the AI rollout continues.

"As org leaders worked on the changes, many of them incorporated AI native design principles ⁠into their new org structures," she said, according to the report. "We're now at the stage where many orgs can operate with a flatter structure with smaller teams of ​pods/cohorts that can move faster and with more ownership."

ITPro has contacted Meta for comment.

Internal uproar

This week's restructuring efforts follow similar cuts by Meta last year of 3,600 roles, and in 2024, targeting its Reality Labs as well as WhatsApp and Instagram. Big rounds of cuts were seen in 2023 and 2022, making such restructuring an annual occurrence at Meta.

The latest cuts were first rumoured last month, and reports sparked internal protests at Meta, with staff criticising managers for refusing to acknowledge the plans by sending them photos of elephants to raise the issue of the "elephant in the room" going undiscussed, Reuters added.

Similar AI-driven cuts have been seen more widely across the tech industry – however, not all are convinced that redundancies are due to AI but the tech is being used to cover up for overhiring or struggles amid wider economic pressures.

Beyond protesting the cuts, staff have signed a petition against tracking tools used to monitor employee work, intended to help train Meta's models about how humans work. According to one report, flyers advertising the petition that have been distributed in Meta offices ask: "Don't want to work at the Employee Data Extraction Factory?"

The petition calls for a clear commitment from Meta that employee "computer use data" not be collected for training AI. That includes keystrokes, mouse movements, and screen content. "It should not be the norm that companies of any size are permitted to exploit their employees by nonconsensually extracting their data for the purposes of AI training," the petition adds.

Other changes at Meta

Alongside the restructuring, the memo seen by Reuters includes details of a new division dubbed Enterprise Solutions, with further information to be revealed Wednesday.

That comes as rival AI firms, notably OpenAI and Anthropic, battle for a piece of the enterprise market with business-focused AI tools.

OpenAI last week unveiled an AI consultancy for enterprises, while Anthropic has announced software and services tools targeted at specific industries, as well as setting up a new enterprise AI services company that includes Blackstone and Goldman Sachs.

HR and finance software specialist Sage has announced a double leadership appointment, with Krish Vitaldevara joining the business as chief product officer (CPO) and Anand Swaminathan as chief strategy officer (CSO).

As CPO, Vitaldevara will oversee the company’s global product and platform strategy, innovation roadmap, and delivery as it continues to develop and grow its range of intelligent AI solutions.

Meanwhile, Swaminathan will work closely with the rest of the executive leadership team to direct corporate strategy, growth priorities, as well as Sage’s long-term value creation agenda.

Vitaldevara will join the executive team on May 18, while Swaminathan will begin on June 15, with both based at the firm’s office in San Jose, California.

“Krish and Anand are proven leaders with deep experience building and scaling world-class products and businesses,” said Sage CEO Steve Hare in an announcement.

“Their appointments reflect our continued investment in innovation and growth, and I’m excited about the impact they’ll have for our customers, colleagues and partners”

A seasoned industry leader, Vitaldevara brings more than 25 years’ experience building and scaling AI-first platforms and products for large enterprises and holds more than 30 patents across distributed systems, trust and safety, as well as anomaly detection.

He joins the business from Salesforce, where he served as general manager and executive vice president following the company’s successful acquisition of Informatica, where he led the integration of products, people, and processes. He has also previously held general manager and senior leadership roles at NetApp, Google, and Microsoft.

Commenting on his new role, Vitaldevara said he joins Sage at an important moment for the business as it looks to further strengthen its market position.

“Sage has a unique purpose, a strong customer focus and culture, and a compelling opportunity to lead in intelligent, trusted solutions for small and medium-sized businesses,” he explained.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team to continue evolving the product portfolio and delivering meaningful impact for customers.”

Swaminathan joins Sage from McKinsey, where he served as a senior partner, advising management teams and boards across industries on AI transformation, technology-enabled growth, and enterprise transformation.

Prior to that, he held senior roles within Accenture Digital, where he helped scale the company’s global operations and supported growth across strategy, data, AI, cloud, and digital product development.

“Sage has a clear strategy and a powerful position in the market,” said Swaminathan.

“I’m thrilled to join the business and to help shape the next phase of growth, building on Sage’s strengths and ensuring we continue to create long-term value for customers, colleagues and shareholders.”

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SCC UK has announced the appointment of Alexandra Wilkinson as head of public sector for the UK, as the technology provider looks to strengthen its public sector presence and drive new growth in the region.

Wilkinson brings more than 15 years’ experience in the technology sector and joins the business from Microsoft, where she led digital transformation and AI adoption initiatives as sales leader for the UK and Ireland public sector.

Prior to her time at Microsoft, she held senior positions at Vodafone and has owned and operated multiple businesses alongside her corporate career. Wilkinson is also a qualified barrister.

In her new role, SCC said Wilkinson will lead its team of public sector experts to support local government modernization efforts, while contributing to central government initiatives around AI and secure data environments.

“I am delighted to join SCC UK and cannot wait to work with an incredible team at the forefront of Britain’s technology industry,” Wilkinson commented. “We have a unique opportunity to maximise the agility that comes with a privately owned UK business to drive AI integration quickly to solve real-world problems in the public sector.”

Headquartered in Birmingham, SCC provides end-to-end services across cyber security, cloud, data and AI, and infrastructure. The firm currently operates across major UK public sector frameworks, including the NHS, Home Office, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

SCC’s latest appointment follows the recent arrival of Russell Brown as UK chief executive officer and comes as the company eyes further AI-led innovation and growth.

Wilkinson said that Brown’s vision for a “customer-centric, sales-led UK organisation” was a key factor behind her decision to join the business.

“We are ready to challenge the status quo and deliver more for our public sector partners, from local and central government to defence and advanced manufacturing,” she added.

Supporting SCC’s next growth phase

SCC said its expanded leadership team will focus on accelerating growth, deepening customer engagement, and expanding higher-value, solution-led services as it continues to shift its operating model towards a European shared services approach for delivery and operations.

Commenting on Wilkinson’s appointment, Brown said her combination of legal, commercial, and technology expertise made her well-suited to navigate today’s complex regulatory and technological challenges.

“The blend of rigour, sales excellence, and deep expertise in technology makes her the ideal leader for our Public Sector function,” he explained.

“As we continue to strengthen our position in the UK market, her leadership will be vital in helping our customers navigate an increasingly complex technological landscape.”

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Edge data center provider nLighten has announced the appointments of Dame Dawn Childs as chief executive officer (CEO) and Matthew Harris as chief financial officer (CFO).

Childs and Harris will help lead the company’s next phase of growth as it looks to expand through organic growth, strategic acquisitions, as well as continued investment in sustainable infrastructure solutions.

The firm’s pan-European platform currently consists of 34 data centers across seven countries.

The double appointment comes as enterprises, hyperscalers, and AI providers increasingly invest in edge infrastructure to support high-bandwidth applications, cloud connectivity, and latency-sensitive workloads across Europe.

In an announcement, nLighten chairman Nick Read said the pair bring the operational and financial expertise needed to support the company’s continued growth ambitions.

“Dawn’s deep experience leading complex, mission-critical infrastructure businesses makes her exceptionally well suited to guide the company’s continued growth, while Matthew’s strong financial and strategic expertise will be invaluable as we scale the platform,” he commented.

“As AI drives unprecedented demand for digital infrastructure and edge capacity across Europe, nLighten is uniquely positioned to capture this opportunity.”

Childs joins nLighten from Pure Data Centres Group, where she spent nearly five years, initially as chief operating officer (COO) and most recently as CEO.

Prior to that, she led a multi-billion-pound transformation programme at National Grid and previously held senior engineering leadership roles at Merlin Entertainments and Gatwick Airport, following a 23-year career as an engineering officer in the Royal Air Force.

Commenting on her appointment, Childs said the company is entering a pivotal period for both the business and the wider digital infrastructure sector.

"The opportunity for nLighten to play a meaningful role in supporting Europe’s growing need for digital sovereignty is significant, particularly as demand for secure, high-performance and sustainable infrastructure continues to accelerate,” she added.

Meanwhile, Harris brings more than 15 years’ financial and strategic expertise across digital infrastructure, technology, and investment sectors.

He joins the business from Kao Data, where he served as CFO, alongside being a founding board member and investor director. He also previously held the CFO role at Goldacre Ventures, where he oversaw funding and growth initiatives across the investment firm’s portfolio companies.

"I am excited to join nLighten as it continues to build momentum across Europe,” he said.

“The company has a clear strategy and strong platform on which to build from. I look forward to working with the team to support its continued expansion and deliver long-term value for customers and stakeholders."

nLighten co-founder and outgoing CEO Harro Beusker will remain on the company’s board as a non-executive director to support the leadership transition, while also serving as a senior advisor to I Squared Capital.

Dame Dawn Childs will formally assume the position of CEO on June 1 and will also move into a non-executive position at Pure Data Centres Group. Matthew Harris will join the business as CFO on July 1.

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NetApp has announced the appointment of Jurgen Hofkens as chief technology officer (CTO) and vice president of sales engineering, as the firm looks to strengthen customer engagement and accelerate AI adoption.

Hofkens is tasked with leading the company’s technical strategy and customer engagement across the regions as enterprises are increasingly looking to operationalize AI and bolster data sovereignty and security.

Reporting to Willem Hendrickx, NetApp’s SVP and general manager for EMEA and LATAM, he will also play a key role in shaping how organizations design and deploy data infrastructure across on-premises, edge, and cloud environments.

In his new role, Hofkens said he plans to spend time engaging directly with customers and partners to better understand their challenges and co-develop solutions tailored to their needs.

"Every CIO and CISO I speak with is asking the same three questions: how do I turn my data into an AI advantage, how do I keep it sovereign, private, and secure, and how do I keep the flexibility to run it wherever the business needs it — on-premises, at the edge, or in any cloud?" he explained.

“I intend to spend the coming months on the ground with our customers and partners across EMEA and LATAM — listening, challenging, and co-designing what intelligent data infrastructure looks like for their business."

Hofkens joins NetApp from Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he led go-to-market strategy for AI infrastructure across EMEA, overseeing technical execution and customer outcomes as enterprises scaled AI initiatives from experimentation to production.

During his time at AWS, Hofkens led the EMEA technical teams covering core services and advanced computing portfolio.

NetApp said the appointment comes at a time when enterprises are navigating a major shift in how data is managed and leveraged as AI adoption continues to accelerate.

"Our customers and partners are navigating a once-in-a-generation shift: making their data ready for AI, hardening it against new cyber threats, and running it seamlessly across clouds and on-premises," commented Hendrickx, SVP and general manager for EMEA and LATAM at NetApp.

"Jurgen's appointment reflects our commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, backed by the deepest technical expertise in the industry.”

The company added that it is continuing to invest in its technical capabilities across the region, including expanding its sales engineering, AI, and cybersecurity teams to support growing customer demand.

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Node4 has announced the appointments of Neil Muller as chief executive officer (CEO) and Patrick De Smedt as non-executive chair, as the managed services provider gears up for its next phase of growth.

Muller joins the business with a remit to refine Node4’s strategic direction and expand its AI-led managed services platform, alongside its ERP, CRM, and data analytics offerings.

A seasoned industry veteran, he brings extensive experience in leading and transforming technology services organizations, with expertise in running complex, customer-focused businesses across both professional and managed services.

Prior to joining Node4, he served as CEO of Digital Space and Daisy Group, and has previously spent 20 years at Computacenter UK&I, including as managing director.

In his new role, Node4 said Muller will focus on driving further value for customers and partners by enhancing the firm’s platform capabilities, helping organizations to operate more efficiently and securely.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Node4,” Muller commented. “What stood out to me was the combination of deep technical capability across the team, and a genuine commitment to customers and people.

“Node4’s position within the top 1% of Microsoft Inner Circle partners gives us a powerful foundation to build from. There’s a real opportunity here to scale the business while staying agile, original and firmly customer-focused.”

Alongside Muller’s appointment as CEO, Patrick De Smedt has also been named as Node4’s new non-executive chair, succeeding Chris Woodhouse.

De Smedt brings significant experience in scaling technology businesses and a strong understanding of the Microsoft ecosystem, having previously held chair roles at Nasstar, KCOM Group, EMIS Group, and Microsoft EMEA. He currently serves as chair of Bytes Technology Group and The Rent Company B.V.

Node4 said he will provide strategic oversight and governance, working closely with the executive team to guide the company’s long-term direction and support its UK expansion.

Commenting on his new role, De Smedt described Node4 as a business with “a clear sense of purpose” and highlighted its strong track record of expansion since its founding in 2004.

The company now provides AI-powered cloud and managed services to more than 1,700 organizations across the UK, including public and private sector customers.

“From its origins in Derby to becoming a nationwide organisation supporting more than 1,700 customers, its growth has been built on meeting real customer needs and investing in talented people,” he said.

“I’m delighted to be joining at this point in the journey and to be working alongside Neil and the leadership team, as Node4 continues to evolve in a fast-moving and competitive market.”

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Claroty has announced the appointment of John Ryan as vice president of its global partner ecosystem, as the cyber-physical systems (CPS) security specialist looks to expand its channel reach.

In his new role, Ryan will lead the company’s xCelerate Partner Program, focusing on strengthening partner engagement, improving scalability, and driving long-term growth across its channel ecosystem.

He joins the business with more than a decade’s experience of developing and leading channel organizations across the cyber security sector.

Most recently, he served as vice president of EMEA and worldwide channel sales at Radiant Logic, where he was responsible for developing high-performing teams and driving record revenue growth.

Prior to that, he also held senior leadership roles at Orca Security, Illumio, Guardicore, and Mendix, as well as positions at Rapid7 and ForeScout Technologies.

In an announcement, Claroty said Ryan’s appointment will help support partners in delivering improved risk reduction and operational performance through its CPS protection programs.

“With his deep expertise in cybersecurity and proven success in scaling go-to-market strategies, John is an invaluable addition to Claroty,” commented James Love, Claroty’s chief revenue officer.

“We are incredibly excited for John to bring his background in team building, global leadership, and channel strategy, driving significant revenue growth and delivering even greater value to our partners and customers.”

Founded in 2015, Claroty’s AI-native platform provides visibility and protection across cyber-physical systems, combining asset inventory, exposure management, network protection, secure access, and threat detection capabilities to help organizations secure their critical infrastructure and reduce operational risk.

The firm’s xCelerate Partner Program is designed to support a broad range of partners – including resellers, VARs, MSSPs, and technology alliances – enabling them to sell and support the platform, as well as access a host of training and enablement tools.

Commenting on his appointment, Ryan said he will focus on further strengthening the company’s partner network and building on its growing market presence.

“Claroty’s rapid expansion and platform superiority in the CPS security market speak volumes about its commitment to the company’s vital mission,” he explained.

“I’m excited to help shape our go-to-market execution and leverage our partner ecosystem to bring Claroty’s industry-leading solutions to a broader global audience.”

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The UK Semiconductor Centre (UKSC) has announced the appointment of Brian Robertson as its new director of international partnerships, as the organization looks to strengthen the country’s position in the global semiconductor market.

Robertson will focus on building mutually beneficial relationships with international government bodies and businesses, placing an emphasis on attracting increased foreign direct investment into the UK.

The appointment comes at a time of rapid growth in the global semiconductor industry, with the market expected to double in size over the next decade due to growing demand for AI, quantum technologies, and advanced computing.

A seasoned industry leader, Robertson brings more than 25 years’ international experience across telecommunications, technology, and semiconductor ecosystems. He joins from GSMA, where he served as the organization’s head of industry strategy.

Prior to that, he held roles at Arm, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, and NXP Semiconductors, working across areas such as AI, quantum, mobile, and compute.

During his career, he has collaborated with operators, hyperscalers, and silicon vendors to build strategic partnerships, shape industry initiatives, and drive growth.

In an announcement, the UKSC said Robertson’s deep industry experience and expertise will be key to driving long-term expansion.

“We’re delighted to welcome Brian to the UKSC at a pivotal moment for the global semiconductor industry, which is rapidly evolving and creating enormous opportunities for the UK,” commented Raj Gawera, chief operating officer at the UKSC.

“Brian’s wealth of experience across the global semiconductor ecosystem will ensure that the UK is primed to capitalize on these opportunities, driving long term partnerships, investment and growth.”

Supporting UK semiconductor growth

The appointment marks the next phase of the UKSC’s efforts to position the UK as an internationally competitive center for semiconductor innovation and investment.

The organization was established to bring together and promote the UK’s semiconductor ecosystem on the global stage, with a focus on turning innovation into commercial growth.

It works to align support around key technologies where it views the country as having a competitive advantage – such as photonics, compound semiconductors, quantum technologies, and next-generation computing architectures.

In his new role, Robertson will play a key role in identifying new strategic international opportunities and helping the country navigate the increasingly complex global landscape – including supply chain challenges and geopolitical dynamics.

Commenting on his appointment, Robertson said the UK’s “strong and increasingly respected” semiconductor ecosystem has an opportunity to scale, attract investment, and strengthen its position in the global arena.

“International partnerships will play a critical role in unlocking that potential,” he added. “I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across industry, government and academia to build strategic relationships that drive collaboration, support innovation, and enable sustainable long-term growth.”

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Brother UK has announced the appointment of Mike Brown as business manager for its specialist print division, as the business technology vendor eyes fresh channel growth across the UK.

In his new role, Brown will focus on driving new business development, identifying and onboarding reseller and dealer partners, as well as building a pipeline of channel opportunities.

He will also work closely with partners to help unlock new revenue streams across Brother’s print and labelling portfolio, and managed print services (MPS).

A seasoned industry veteran, Brown brings more than 30 years’ experience in the print and document solutions space, having held roles across both vendor and reseller organizations. Previously, he served at Ikon Office Solutions, Altodigital, Konica Minolta, and Ricoh UK.

“Mike brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the channel to our team,” said Greig Millar, chief revenue officer at Brother UK.

“His ability to build relationships, understand partner needs and open new opportunities will be key as we continue to grow our partner network and support resellers in delivering value to their customers.”

Based in Tameside, Greater Manchester, Brother UK provides print, scan, and labelling technology to both organizations and home users through its partner-led go-to-market model.

Millar said Brown’s expert understanding of the channel and partner success reflects the company’s strategy of hiring industry talent to expand its partner ecosystem and strengthen regional engagement.

“Strengthening our team with strong industry talent is central to building on our position as a partner the channel can rely on,” he added.

Since joining the business, Brown has already begun supporting partner engagement initiatives – including ‘Meet the MD’ events designed to connect prospective resellers with the vendor’s leadership team and channel strategy.

Commenting on his appointment, Brown said he will focus on building stronger partner relationships and creating new growth opportunities across the channel.

“Having spent much of my career working closely with resellers, I’ve developed a strong understanding of what matters most to them – straightforward commercial models, reliable support and a vendor that’s easy to do business with,” he commented.

“That’s what attracted me to Brother UK – it’s a business that is genuinely focused on supporting its partners.”

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SailPoint has announced the appointment of Levent Besik as its new chief product officer (CPO), as the vendor looks to strengthen its position in the identity security market.

In his new role, he will lead SailPoint’s global product organization, working to drive product strategy, support expansion, and advance the company’s capabilities as enterprise security needs continue to evolve in the era of AI.

A seasoned industry leader, Besik brings extensive experience as a transformational product leader in the identity security space. He joins the business from Microsoft, where he most recently served as vice president of product management for its identity division, leading development for the Human and Agentic Identity platform.

Prior to his time at the Redmond giant, he also held executive product leadership roles at Okta, where he focused on customer identity, and at Google, where he led the firm’s Cloud AI platform and Solutions organization.

In an announcement, SailPoint said Besik’s appointment will help guide the business through its next expansion phase as organizations look to secure identities across complex, AI-driven environments.

“Levent’s deep expertise, coupled with his entrepreneurial mindset and passion for product innovation, make him the ideal leader to guide our product organisation through our next exciting phase of growth,” commented Chandra Gnanasambandam, SailPoint’s executive vice president of product and CTO.

“I’m excited to join forces with Levent as we continue to drive the future of identity security through innovation and strengthen SailPoint’s position as a leading trusted partner for enterprises navigating today’s complex security challenges.”

The appointment comes as enterprises face growing challenges around managing and securing both human and non-human identities as AI technologies continue to grow in prominence and complexity.

SailPoint’s platform is designed to unify identity, security, and data intelligence, enabling organizations to manage access and mitigate identity-based threats across increasingly distributed IT environments.

Commenting on his appointment, Besik said SailPoint is well-equipped to meet the growing enterprise demand for solutions that can secure, govern, and protect agents end-to-end.

“The world demands an identity solution that provides AI security and governance across all clouds and platforms,” he explained. “I believe SailPoint is uniquely positioned as the trusted partner to meet this critical need.

“As a recognised leader in securing and governing identities, we have the world-class talent, innovative technology, and deep understanding for enterprise complexity to empower our customers to safely and confidently innovate with AI through adaptive identity security.”

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AND Digital has announced the appointment of Chris Hardy as chief for strategy and operations, as the digital consultancy looks to continue its expansion in the US market.

Hardy will oversee operations, commercial growth, and client support services across the US business, while helping to shape the firm’s long-term strategy in the region.

The move comes as AND Digital continues to build its presence across key verticals including financial services, fintech, travel, and retail, alongside a growing enterprise customer base.

Hardy steps into his new role having previously served as vice president for AND Digital US, where he played a key role in shaping the company’s market vision and delivery across areas such as AI, data, cloud, and digital platforms.

As part of the appointment, he will also join the global Pioneer Group, where he will act as a steward for AND’s culture and its future success, the firm revealed.

In an announcement, Hardy said his appointment comes at an uncertain but exciting time for businesses, with technology set to play a critical role in attracting and retaining customers.

“We’ve spent several years building the foundations for growth in the US, and our clients and partners have been instrumental to our success, so I’m looking forward to continuing the great work across AI, data, cloud platforms, and digital transformation to solve their greatest challenges and allow them to focus on what they do best,” he commented.

Building on US market momentum

Hardy’s appointment follows a period of rapid expansion for AND Digital, with the company reporting 400% growth in 2025, fueled by rising demand for data-driven digital transformation.

The firm has also bolstered its partner ecosystem through collaborations with Dynamic Yield by Mastercard, a global premier partnership with Snowflake, and a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with AWS.

Additionally, Hardy’s appointment is the latest in a series of US hires for AND, with Catherine Rousseau named as technical solutions director back in March, and John Bintu joining the business as head of Databricks & Fabric.

According to the company, this momentum is helping to position the company for continued expansion, with ambitions to build a $100 million-plus Americas operation in the coming years.

AND Digital’s US president Mike Lee described Hardy’s market strategy and operations leadership as “invaluable” to the company’s regional success.

“Our continued growth reflects the wider demand for data-driven digital transformation across sectors, turning to tools such as AI, data, and cloud platforms to deliver value,” he said. “Working with Chris and the AND Digital team, we are equipping businesses with the tech and expertise to realise measurable outcomes and drive growth.”

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Alteryx has announced the appointment of Julie Irish as chief information officer (CIO), as the data and analytics specialist looks to the next phase of its digital transformation.

Irish will head up the firm’s global IT organization, focusing on optimizing systems and processes to support scalability, innovation, and operational efficiency.

The appointment comes as Alteryx continues to expand its AI-powered analytics capabilities and place an increasing focus on enabling data-driven decision-making across the enterprise.

A seasoned industry veteran, Irish brings extensive experience in enterprise technology and transformation. Most recently, she served as CIO at Couchbase, where she led IT, data, business technology, and security.

During her tenure, she modernized the company’s enterprise systems, scaled its data engineering capabilities, as well as embedded AI across core business processes.

She also adds expertise across the end-to-end revenue lifecycle, alongside a track record of leading successful pricing model transformations. Prior to her spell at Crouchbase, she held senior technology leadership roles at New Relic and Harvard Business Publishing.

In an announcement, Alteryx CEO Andy MacMillan said Irish combines strategic vision with strong execution capabilities and will play a key role in the company’s growth journey.

“She is a thoughtful, results-oriented leader who builds strong partnerships and delivers meaningful impact,” he commented. “I’m eager to see the impact she will have across the Alteryx organization and for our global community.”

Alteryx provides an AI-ready data and analytics platform designed to help organizations automate analytics workflows and generate actionable insights at scale.

The firm says its offering is now used by more than 8,000 customers globally to improve decision-making, manage costs, and mitigate risk across business operations.

Commenting on her appointment, Irish highlighted the opportunity to further connect data, analytics, and AI across the organization’s internal operations as it continues its digital transformation.

“We’re at a moment where AI is fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate,” she explained. “What energizes me about Alteryx is not just the pace of innovation, but its unique approach to enabling AI through governed, analyst-driven workflows—equipping lines of business to own their logic while scaling across the enterprise.”

Irish added that, internally, Alteryx has the opportunity to apply that same philosophy to how it advances its technology capabilities to support the business and its scaling ambitions.

“By strengthening how we connect data, analytics, and AI across our operations, we can move faster, operate more intelligently, and continue delivering impact for our customers,” she continued.

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Advania UK has announced a brace of senior leadership appointments, with Sabrina Harris joining the business as chief financial officer (CFO) and Tara Allison taking the role of chief marketing officer (CMO).

The company – part of the Northern European IT services provider, Advania Group – said the move strengthens its leadership bench as it continues to expand its position in the UK market.

Sabrina Harris joins the business from telecoms giant BT, where she served in several senior finance roles, most recently heading up commercial finance across global teams and complex customer contracts.

Advania said she will add deep experience in driving profitability, strengthening financial governance, as well as expertise in supporting large-scale transformation in technology-led environments.

"Advania has clear momentum and a strong platform to build on,” Harris commented. “I look forward to working closely with the business to strengthen performance and support the next phase of development."

Tara Allison arrives with more than 25 years’ experience in B2B technology marketing, adding expertise in building brands and delivering commercial impact. Previously, she led Trend Micro’s marketing activities across the UK and Ireland, aligning brand, demand generation, and sales to deliver sustained growth across the region.

"Advania has a compelling proposition and a clear role to play for customers navigating complex technology decisions,” Allison said of her appointment.

“I’m excited to help bring that to life in the market and build greater visibility and engagement."

Building on strong UK momentum

Since its entry into the UK back in 2021, Advania has grown to become one of the prominent IT service providers in the country, expanding its portfolio of services through the acquisitions of Servium and CCS Media.

The firm said its latest leadership appointments reflect its commitment to maintaining momentum across the region, with a key focus on performance, visibility, and long-term customer relationships.

"We have built a strong position in the UK in a short period of time,” explained Advania CEO Hege Støre, in an announcement. “These appointments are about building on that foundation.

“Sabrina brings the financial leadership needed to support disciplined growth and performance, while Tara will play a key role in strengthening how we show up in the market and how we connect with customers."

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Brother UK has announced the appointment of company veteran Julie Harrison as its new chief commercial officer (CCO).

The business technology solutions provider said the move reinforces its leadership capacity as it continues to strengthen its print and labelling portfolio, as well as expand its channel presence.

Harrison steps into the role following more than 30 years with the business, adding key experience across commercial operations – including promotions, rebates and bid management, as well as sales forecasting and budget planning. Most recently, she served as head of commercial and business planning.

She will sit on the leadership team alongside Brother UK’s managing director Phil Jones MBE and senior executives across finance, marketing, revenue, and operations.

In an announcement, Jones said Harrison’s extensive expertise will be a key asset to the company as it continues to expand its footprint.

“Julie and I have worked together for over three decades and she is a great example of someone that has risen through the ranks of the company due to her rock-solid reliability, ability to handle complex problems and attention to detail,” he commented.

“I am delighted she will join our senior leadership team as we continue to pursue growth and expand into new vertical markets.”

Brother UK’s targets channel growth

Based in Tameside, Greater Manchester, Brother UK provides print, scan, and labelling technology to both home users and organizations of all sizes through its partner-led go-to-market model.

As CCO, Brother said Harrison will now play an instrumental role in shaping pricing programs that enable sustainable, mutually beneficial growth across the channel.

Commenting on her appointment, Harrison said her 30-year career at the company has given her a strong understanding of the importance of building strong, consistent foundations for growth – from how the business supports partners commercially, to how it plans and delivers for the long term.

“Joining the leadership team reflects the importance we place on getting those fundamentals right,” she explained.

“Whether it’s bid management, forecasting or partner programmes, these are the areas that ensure we deliver on our commitments and build lasting relationships across our channel partners.”

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Everest Group has announced the appointment of Ross Tisnovsky as partner to lead the expansion of its CIO Research and Advisory Practice.

The move forms part of the company’s broader strategy to support CIOs navigating the increasingly complex digital and AI landscape, as well as evolving demands around digital transformation, AI adoption, and operational performance.

Tisnovsky rejoins Everest Group after a 12-year spell at McKinsey & Company, where he co-founded and led McKinsey Solution Ignite, a technology-enabled service line focused on IT performance improvement.

He also brings extensive experience across technology strategy, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making.

Tisnovsky originally joined the business in 2006, during which time he founded and led the company’s IT Outsourcing research service line to help enterprises optimize their outsourcing strategies.

In an announcement, Everest Group CEO Jimit Arora said Tisnovsky’s appointment comes at a time when the role of CIO is undergoing significant change.

“The role of the CIO has never been more critical or more complex,” he explained. “Organizations are increasingly relying on technology leaders to navigate the AI journey. This is not only to drive efficiency, but to unlock growth, accelerate value from digital investments, and shape enterprise-wide transformation across markets.”

Arora described the scale of interdependence and pace of change as "unprecedented" – creating demand for more data-driven insight and advisory support.

“CIOs need trusted partners who can provide rigorous, data-driven insights and contextual intelligence to support high-stakes decisions”, he added. “Ross brings exactly that combination of experience, vision, and leadership to this role.”

Expanded support for CIOs

Under Tisnovsky’s leadership, Everest’s expanded CIO practice will combine the organization's global research capabilities with a strong focus on IT performance improvement and actionable insight.

The firm said the initiative will help CIOs make faster, more informed decisions as businesses increasingly look to balance innovation with operational resilience and cost efficiency.

The enhanced offering will combine deep research, practitioner engagement, and contextual intelligence with a differentiated model designed to transform peer benchmarking into actionable decision support.

Commenting on his appointment, Tisnovsky said the role of CIO is being reshaped by the pace of change across technology and business environments.

“This is an incredibly exciting time to rejoin Everest Group. The CIO role is being redefined in real time, and traditional research approaches are no longer sufficient,” he explained. “I look forward to building a practice that helps CIOs lead with clarity, confidence, and at speed.”

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CirrusHQ has announced the appointment of Matt Smith as its new head of sales, in a move the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud specialist said will help customers strengthen cloud resilience and drive growth.

A seasoned sales veteran, Smith arrives with more than 20 years’ industry experience and most recently served as regional sales director at secure endpoint operating system organization, IGEL. Prior to that, he held senior sales leadership roles at CrowdStrike, Citrix, and Computacenter.

Reporting to CirrusHQ’s chief revenue officer, Stephen Croke, he is now tasked with extending the firm’s new and existing relationships with organizations looking to benefit from the cloud across the UK.

In an announcement, CirrusHQ CEO James Lucas said the move comes as companies are increasingly experiencing how weak links in their cyber defenses can impact their operations and reputation.

“At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, organisations are crying out for more resilience in their IT infrastructure and operations, not to mention a partner who will bring sound technical advice on how to bolster their ecosystems,” he explained.

“Bringing together Matt’s deep security experience alongside our extensive AWS knowledge, our customers will be able to better understand how the cloud can strengthen their security posture so that they can refocus on innovation and driving growth.”

Headquartered in Livingston, Scotland, CirrusHQ is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner that provides security and compliance for IT estates. The firm says its mission is to help businesses innovate and grow in the AWS Cloud, ensuring maximum performance, security, and cost-effectiveness of their workloads.

Smith’s appointment as head of sales follows a year of strong momentum for the company, during which time it deepened its AWS expertise by achieving both the AWS Managed Services Provider Program and AWS Small and Medium Business Competency.

Commenting on his new role, Smith said CirrusHQ is well-positioned to help organizations navigate the increasing macroeconomic pressures and growing cyber threats that are stretching IT teams more than ever.

“In joining CirrusHQ, boosting the resilience of our customers is top of my agenda and I believe that the cloud is central to that, providing a solid foundation upon which organisations can build and innovate,” he explained.

In a LinkedIn post, the sales veteran said he was attracted to the role by CirrusHQ’s deep AWS expertise combined with a strong customer-first culture and a “clear opportunity to scale.”

“I’m looking forward to working with our customers and AWS to build meaningful, outcome-driven partnerships,” he added.

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Usually, talk of stress in the office is focused around employees being overloaded and overwhelmed – even more so as AI adoption accelerates. The wellbeing of those in leadership positions tends to go under the radar.

It’s a quiet crisis that is becoming more prevalent. According to DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2025, 71% of 10,796 leaders have reported their stress levels rising since taking up their current role. This is an uptick from 63% in 2022, the consulting firm’s research found.

The leaders surveyed cited attracting and retaining talent as the main reason for their stress (54%). Successfully leveraging AI (29%), ensuring their workforce remains engaged (28%) and digital transformation (25%) were other major challenges keeping them up at night.

Stress levels across IT and security teams were high enough before AI adoption accelerated, but now tech leaders are under sustained pressure, says David Bennett, CEO of backup storage specialist Object First.

AI has increased the surface area of cyber risk – and the fear of being targeted and being blamed for an attack has led to an-always on operating model. On top of this, leaders are finding themselves squeezed for time. The DDI data shows that only 30% of respondents felt they had sufficient time to perform their role to a satisfactory level. This combination is leading to exhaustion and impacting performance.

Building resilience into leadership

When leaders underperform or show signs that they’re struggling, this can have a knock-on effect on employees. Only 29% of those surveyed by DDI trust their managers, a sharp decline from 46% in 2022. If employees don’t trust their leaders, then they’re less likely to place trust in the AI systems that leaders have introduced into tech stacks. The onus is on leaders to be more resilient.

Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO and founder of insurance technology firm Tapoly, argues that, to build resilience, leaders need to start by reframing their role.

AI has moved from experimental sandboxes to a key driver of growth that is subject to regulatory scrutiny and board-level accountability, says Kaenprakhamroy. Getting AI right, or wrong, can have an impact on the top and bottom lines, so leaders feel obligated to get it right from the start. This is where exhaustion begins to creep in.

As Kaenprakhamroy puts it: “burnout often happens when leaders feel they must be both a visionary and hands-on operator at all times”. In reality, “leaders don’t need to personally solve every AI problem. Their job is to set out clear strategic intent, define guardrails and empower teams to execute”.

By reframing their role this way, leaders are less likely to be short on time and can put more effort and energy into self-development. More specifically, honing their critical thinking and emotional intelligence skills, which are vital for being able to make clear-headed decisions and operate successfully in high-pressure work environments, i.e. during the initial rollout or deployment of AI.

Bennett adds that “leadership resilience starts with recognizing that this pressure [from AI] is structural, not personal, and that unmanaged stress creates operational risk for their organization”.

Leaders also need to remember not to roll out AI too quickly. The technology isn’t going to have an immediate impact on the top and bottom lines.

“AI transformation is not a single delivery milestone – it’s an ongoing capability shift,” says Kaenprakhamroy. “Leaders who treat AI as a continuous programme with phased goals, clear success metrics and realistic timelines are far less likely to burn out than those trying to force rapid, all-at-once change.”

Leadership resilience strengthens cybersecurity

Leaders who focus on themselves and building resilience can send a signal to their employees that their wellbeing is just as important, especially those in IT and security teams.

“High stress, alert fatigue and the pressure of managing AI-driven systems are contributing to [employee] burnout,” says Bennett. “Protecting people in these roles is inseparable from the responsibility of protecting the business.”

AI systems are designed to reduce constant human oversight, but leaders need to set out clear expectations around accountability and remove blame from incident response. This can help to strengthen employee resilience.

Greg Hanson, group vice president and head of EMEA North at Informatica from Salesforce, adds that leaders need to put up a “strong ‘human firewall’”. This means investing in employees so that they have the knowledge to question AI outputs and the awareness of how data issues impact outcomes. They should also be able to recognize data quality and flag potential issues without needing to refer them to technical specialists.

According to Informatica’s annual CDO Insights study, released at the end of January, the majority of 600 data leaders surveyed globally are concerned about workforce AI and data knowledge. Three-quarters believe their employees need upskilling in data literacy (75%) and AI literacy (74%) in order to use AI responsibly or generate responsible AI outputs.

“Those leaders who invest in workforce literacy and give their people the ability to question and understand AI outcomes will be far better placed to scale it safely and responsibly,” Hanson stresses.

Employees who display confidence in AI can give leaders peace of mind. Those leaders who feel under less pressure are more likely to boost morale and engagement across their workforce. This in turn can bolster employees’ confidence in their own work and use of AI on a daily basis. It’s a virtuous circle that makes leaders and AI systems resilient – and should prevent AI burnout in the long run.

SOCRadar has launched a redesigned value-added reseller (VAR) program as the threat intelligence vendor looks to strengthen its channel strategy and drive new partner growth.

The partner-first initiative has been designed to help resellers improve profitability and gain a greater competitive edge through expanded incentives, enhanced sales enablement, and deeper technical engagement.

Alongside the launch, SOCRadar has also appointed Brian Costello as vice president of global partnerships, who will lead efforts to scale the vendor’s partner ecosystem and drive go-to-market alignment.

In an announcement, the company said its new program builds on its existing momentum in the MSSP space, placing a renewed focus on VARs as part of its broader channel strategy.

“SOCRadar is experiencing dramatic growth, and we see this new VAR program as an additional channel focus to accelerate and support the channel and continue the success we’ve already achieved on the MSSP side,” commented Huzeyfe Onal, CEO of SOCRadar.

Driving partner profitability

SOCRadar’s security platform combines AI-driven threat intelligence with external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and monitoring tools to help organizations identify, monitor, and respond to threats.

With its new VAR program, the vendor is now introducing more aggressive discounts and performance-based rewards geared towards improving partner margins and creating stronger financial incentives for generating new business with the platform.

The vendor has also expanded deal protection measures, including enhanced deal registration and incumbency benefits, to ensure partners are recognized and rewarded for the opportunities they develop.

To support sales engagement, partners will have access to simplified enablement materials such as use cases, problem statements, buyer personas, and qualifying questions.

The firm said these resources will help partners identify opportunities and initiate customer conversations without requiring deep technical expertise.

Elsewhere, SOCRadar is also increasing investment in technical support, offering scoping assistance, proof-of-value (POV) access, and integration guidance. The vendor is also expanding joint go-to-market efforts.

Strengthening the partner ecosystem

New global partnerships chief Brian Costello brings extensive experience in building and scaling channel programs across both enterprise and emerging technology companies, and will play a key role in driving the next phase of SOCRadar’s partner strategy.

“Brian has successfully developed and led many partner programs for top companies and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him bolster our VAR program and help our partners to significantly grow their businesses and achieve consistent success,” Onal added.

Throughout his career, the seasoned channel veteran has led high-performing security and cloud teams, delivering innovative technology solutions and driving consistent year-on-year growth.

“I’m excited to lead SOCRadar’s partner programs as the company takes the next critical step in strengthening its partner ecosystem with a renewed commitment to growth, profitability, and collaboration,” Costello said.

“This new SOCRadar VAR program is packed with many partner benefits, along with the tools and support they need to get the job done to help them exceed their goals.”

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Digital employee experience (DEX) specialist Lakeside Software has announced the appointment of Oli Giordimaina as its new lead for EMEA product strategy.

A seasoned industry leader, he brings extensive experience across service desk operations, infrastructure deployment, and executive product leadership. Most recently, he helped shape the DEX strategy at 1E prior to its acquisition by TeamViewer.

Earlier in his career, Giordimaina supported critical systems for organizations such as British Aerospace before moving into product roles at Appsense and Ivanti, where he led a £100 million portfolio through periods of integration and change.

Based in Cheshire, UK, he will leverage his technical and commercial leadership experience to help the company meet increasing market demand for greater value, insight, and predictability through its DEX platform.

“Employees expect the same seamless experience at work that they get from personal technology - and when IT can’t deliver that, frustration builds,” Giordimaina explained. “Lakeside Software has the data, the platform, and the mindset to close that gap.

“This isn’t about visibility for the sake of it, it’s about enabling IT to deliver consistent, measurable outcomes that improve productivity and experience.”

Opportunity beckons in EMEA

With its latest appointment, Lakeside is looking to tap into fresh opportunities across EMEA with the help of its partner ecosystem.

The firm said regions such as the UK – where channel delivery and service desk efficiency are top priorities – are seeing growing demand for solutions capable of reducing costs and improving the employee experience.

As enterprise AI adoption continues to gather pace, Giordimaina said vendors must deliver “thoughtful, trust-led implementation” in order to deliver tangible value.

“The organizations that will succeed with AI are the ones that start with outcomes, not algorithms,” he continued. “The same applies to DEX, which is no longer a nice-to-have, but is now a critical performance metric across IT and company leadership.”

Driving the next phase of intelligent IT

Giordimaina joins Lakeside in the midst of its transformation journey, with the firm bolstering its leadership team and placing a heightened focus on telemetry and execution.

Commenting on his reasons for joining the business, Giordimaina highlighted Lakeside’s innovation-led culture, as well as its readiness to challenge conventional thinking and move at pace.

“This is a company with the right people, the right data, and the right intent,” he added.

“There’s a clear opportunity for Lakeside Software to lead the next phase of intelligent IT. I’m here to help make that happen.”

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Sectigo has announced the appointment of Clint Maddox as president of global field operations, as the certificate lifecycle management vendor looks to build on recent growth momentum.

Maddox will lead Sectigo's global revenue and go-to-market organization, overseeing sales, marketing, and channel operations.

A seasoned industry leader, he brings nearly 30 years of experience in driving growth and transformation at leading global enterprise software organizations – most recently as chief revenue officer (CRO) at KX, where he led global sales, go-to-market strategy, customer success, and consulting.

Maddox has also served as CRO at ConnectWise, where he scaled the firm's worldwide sales and partner ecosystems and launched new cybersecurity initiatives, following prior senior leadership roles at Broadcom and CA Technologies.

In his new role, he is tasked with expanding Sectigo's presence in priority markets, scaling its partner ecosystem, and unifying go-to-market activity to meet increasing enterprise automation and compliance demand.

In an announcement, Sectigo CEO Kevin Weiss said the appointment comes as automation and post-quantum cryptography increasingly define the nature of digital trust, with organizations needing partners who can execute at scale.

"Sectigo is building for that future. We've delivered the strongest year in our history, expanded globally, and advanced automated CLM in ways that are fundamentally reshaping how enterprises manage certificates, identity, and cryptography," he explained.

"Clint's experience transforming and scaling global revenue organizations will help us move even faster – unlocking new opportunities for our customers and strengthening the digital trust foundation the next decade will depend on."

Building on record momentum

Over the last twelve months, Sectigo achieved organic annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth of more than 20% year-over-year and completed the acquisition of the Entrust public certificate business – which it said included the largest certificate migration in industry history.

The vendor also bolstered its channel presence, doubling its enterprise and partner business over the same period, and introduced a Certificates as a Service (CaaS) offering to help partners manage and monetize digital certificates more effectively.

Elsewhere, the company became the first CLM provider available via the Pax8 Marketplace and launched Sectigo PQC Labs, a sandbox environment built on NIST's full post-quantum cryptography standards.

In his role as president of global field operations, Sectigo said Maddox will apply a "disciplined, purpose-driven approach" to help the company further expand its footprint.

"As organizations navigate shorter certificate lifespans, automation at scale, and post-quantum readiness, Sectigo is uniquely positioned to lead," commented Maddox. "I'm excited to build on this momentum, strengthen our global partnerships, and accelerate growth in the years ahead."

Darktrace has announced the appointment of Ed Jennings as its new president and chief executive officer, effective March 23.

A seasoned industry leader, Jennings arrives with more than 25 years’ industry experience, most recently serving as CEO of cloud-based work management platform provider, Quickbase. Under his leadership, the company successfully doubled its annual revenue.

Prior to that, Jennings held the role of chief operating officer at London-based cyber security vendor Mimecast, where he played an instrumental role in the firm’s IPO and significant international expansion.

Jennings has also served in go-to-market leadership roles at Veracode, ADP, Copanion, and PTC.

In an announcement, Charles Goodman, chairman and interim CEO of Darktrace, said Jennings’ extensive experience will strengthen the firm’s strategic focus as it continues on its expansion journey.

“Ed is a veteran technology leader who has successfully scaled other cybersecurity and software category leaders,” he commented.

“He will bring strong strategic focus to Darktrace as it brings more of its AI-native cybersecurity capabilities to organizations around the world.

“Ed is a people-focused leader with a skill for building high-trust, high-performance teams. I am delighted that he has chosen to join Darktrace.”

Jennings replaces former CEO Jill Popelka who stepped down from the role at the end of January, having joined the business in January 2024. He will now work to build on the growth of Darktrace’s ActiveAI Security Platform and expand the firm’s 10,000-strong customer base.

Commenting on his new role, Jennings said Darktrace has “incredible first-mover advantage” as AI technology adoption continues to rise globally.

“As an AI-native cybersecurity company, its behavioral AI platform is uniquely positioned to detect and respond to attacks, even if they’ve never been seen before,” he explained.

“As society grapples with a fast-moving geopolitical landscape and unprecedented technology adoption, the market for Darktrace’s products and services is immense.”

In a post on LinkedIn, Jennings said he will work to refine the company’s voice in a crowded market and drive growth.

“We have the technology, the talent, and the market opportunity to be the defining cybersecurity company of the Agentic AI era,” he added.

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Virgin Media O2 has announced the appointment of David Melcon as its new chief financial officer (CFO), effective from April 2.

A seasoned telecoms leader, he arrives with more than 25 years’ industry experience and most recently served as CFO of Vivo, a Brazilian subsidiary of Telefónica.

During a decade-long tenure at Vivo, Melcon helped steer the company’s shift toward a customer-first business strategy.

The approach helped Vivo double its market value, deliver the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the sector, as well as position the telecoms operator as Brazil’s most sustainable business, ranking within the top five global telcos for ESG.

Commenting on his new role, Melcon said he joins Virgin Media O2 at an important time for the business as it looks to build on strong momentum and capture new market opportunities.

“With more than 25 years in telecoms, I’ve seen how performance and purpose together drive lasting success,” he said. “At Vivo, our transformation more than doubled market value, strengthened our leadership, and built one of Brazil’s most trusted brands - powered by customer focus, sustainability, and an exceptional team.”

Since the beginning of his Telefónica career in 2001, Melcon has overseen multi-billion investment programs and led major digital and operational transformation initiatives, while working to ensure disciplined capital allocation, cost control, and strong commercial acumen.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said Melcon’s depth of experience, market knowledge, and strategic mindset will help position the company for long-term success.

“What stands out for me is not just the scale of what David has delivered, but how he’s done it, with a strong focus on customers, AI driven transformation and building high-performing diverse teams,” he explained. “This is exactly the talent we need to accelerate our own transformation and build for long-term growth.”

Schüler went on to thank Mark Hardman and Nick Taylor, who jointly led Virgin Media O2’s finance and strategy operations in an interim capacity.

“Their calm leadership, sound judgement and professionalism have kept us moving forward and they will continue to be exceptional members of our senior team,” he added.

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AND Digital has announced the appointment of Catherine Rousseau as technical solutions director, as the digital consultancy looks to build on strong recent US growth.

The appointment aims to support the company’s ongoing expansion and scaling of its digital transformation, engineering, and AI capabilities across North America.

Rousseau joins the business from Valsoft Corporation, where she served as AI business unit leader, and has previously held leadership roles at ampliphi RMS and Alithya.

In her new role, AND said Rousseau will define and execute its technical strategy and act as a senior advisor to executive stakeholders. She will oversee solution design, technical delivery, and architectural quality across complex digital transformation programs.

In an announcement, Mike Lee, AND’s US president, described Rousseau’s appointment as a “key step” in the execution of the firm’s ongoing growth ambitions.

“As demand accelerates for enterprise-scale digital transformation and AI-enabled platforms, her ability to lead complex delivery, advise senior stakeholders, and develop technical capability will be instrumental in supporting our clients and scaling AND Digital’s impact across North America,” he said.

Founded in 2014, AND Digital helps organizations close digital skills gaps through engineering, talent development, and collaborative delivery models designed to build long-term in-house capabilities and drive digital transformation.

Its latest leadership hire follows a period of strong momentum, with the company reporting growth of more than 400% year-on-year, driven by increased demand for modern engineering and AI-enabled delivery across North America.

Rousseau will play a key role in building on this growth through new and expanded partnerships, while shaping and leading the delivery of enterprise technology solutions for AND’s US clients, which include the likes of Mastercard and Dynamic Yield.

Her focus will include cloud strategy, application modernization, platform engineering, as well as the adoption of modern engineering and AI-enabled delivery practices.

“AND Digital sits at the forefront of digital transformation across North America, helping organisations unlock measurable value through modern engineering, cloud, and AI-enabled delivery,” commented Rousseau.

“Its collaborative culture and strong focus on outcomes make AND a unique partner for clients and I’m excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment.”

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KnowBe4 has announced the appointment of Kelly Morgan as its new chief customer officer (CCO), as the security vendor looks to expand its human and AI risk management footprint.

The seasoned industry executive brings 20 years’ experience of leading global customer success and post sales teams, most recently as the CCO of agreement management specialist DocuSign. He has also previously served as CCO and general manager at Sykes and founded Seven Two Seven, a boutique consultancy for SaaS and technology companies.

As CCO, Morgan will head up the firm’s end-to-end global lifecycle, as well as lead its customer success, managed services, and professional services businesses.

“I am excited to join KnowBe4 at such a critical time in cybersecurity,” Morgan said in an announcement.

“The organization has already established itself as a leader in Human Risk Management, and I am eager to partner with this talented team to help customers realize measurable outcomes - reducing human and AI-driven risk while maximizing the value they derive from the platform.”

The appointment comes at a pivotal time for KnowBe4, as the company continues its expansion in the human and AI risk management market.

The firm’s agentic platform now serves 70,000 organizations globally, equipping them with an adaptive defense layer to tackle evolving cyber threats.

With its latest leadership hire, the company is now hoping to strengthen its value-driven customer experience strategy while expanding training for both human users and AI agents.

KnowBe4 said it will be better-equipped to deliver long-term value and help customers better navigate today’s complex cyber threat landscape.

Reporting directly to CEO Bryan Palma, Morgan will focus on delivering a seamless outcomes-driven customer experience across the full lifecycle, aiming for measurable risk reduction, retention, and long-term customer value.

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and welcoming Kelly to our leadership team reinforces our commitment,” explained Bryan Palma, CEO of KnowBe4.

“Kelly’s extensive expertise in building high-performing global teams and his proven track record of driving durable retention, improving profitability, and scaling customer value will be instrumental as we enter our next phase.”

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Digital trust provider DigiCert has announced the appointment of Christian Stanford as regional vice president of partners in EMEA.

The industry veteran arrives with more than 20 years’ experience in enterprise cyber security and technology, most recently serving as managing director at channel development specialist Ghost Layered.

He has also previously held leadership positions at Illusive, Bitdefender, RSA, Citrix, and McAfee.

Stanford’s addition is the latest in a series of leadership hires for DigiCert as it looks to capitalize on global growth opportunities. In January 2025, the vendor named Paul Holt as EMEA group vice president and James Cook as his counterpart for the APAC region.

With its latest appointment, DigiCert said it is doubling down on its commitment to a strong, partner-led growth strategy across the EMEA region.

“Partners play a key role in helping organizations establish trust at scale,” said Paul Holt, DigiCert’s group vice president of EMEA.

“Christian’s experience, combined with his deep understanding of the EMEA partner community, will be invaluable as we continue to support customers facing rising security, resilience, and compliance expectations.”

In his new role, Stanford will be responsible for DigiCert’s partner strategy across EMEA and will work closely with the firm’s network of partners to drive further growth through its DigiCert ONE platform.

The AI-powered digital trust platform combines public key infrastructure (PKI), domain name system (DNS), and certificate lifecycle management into a single solution to offer protection and privacy across all interactions.

Commenting on his new role, Stanford said his deep channel experience combined with DigiCert’s partner-first focus will help more customers leverage the offering to address evolving trust, identity, and security requirements across increasingly regulated markets.

“Digital trust is becoming foundational for organisations operating in complex and regulated environments,” he explained.

“DigiCert’s vision for partner first culture and market leadership strongly align with my passion for building high performing channel organisations, and I look forward to leading the EMEA channel business to drive growth and deepen customer trust across the region”.

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HPE has announced the appointment of Neil Dover as its new Country Sales Leader for Ireland, effective immediately.

Dover arrives with more than 18 years of commercial and channel experience and joins the business from HP, where he spent 15 years in various leadership roles. Most recently, he served as country manager for the firm’s go-to-market business in Ireland.

In his new role, he will lead HPE’s sales teams in Ireland, overseeing strategic planning, business development, and customer engagement as the company continues its AI and hybrid cloud solutions push.

In an announcement, HPE highlighted Dover’s expertise in building high-performing teams and transitioning businesses to a solutions-led approach.

“We are delighted to welcome Neil to HPE,” said Pauline Yau, senior director of Global & Strategic Sales and Ireland Country Sales at HPE. “His proven track record across commercial, channel and solutions-led transformation will be invaluable as we accelerate customer adoption of AI, cloud and networking solutions in Ireland.

“Under his leadership the Ireland team will deepen partner engagement, scale our digital sales capability, and realise meaningful outcomes for our customers.”

Go-to-market leadership

Dover will also lead HPE’s newly unified Ireland Go-To-Market organisation, which now includes a national Ireland Channel Sales team, a recently established Digital Sales hub in Leixlip, as well as dedicated in-country presales sources.

His team will focus on driving solution adoption and business growth across Ireland, HPE said.

“I am excited to join HPE at this crucial time and look forward to helping customers realize new opportunities and achieve outcomes that matter most to their businesses,” Dover commented.

“I’m inspired by the enthusiasm and deep knowhow of the team and by HPE’s AI proposition for the Irish market.”

Galway expansion

Alongside the appointment, HPE has also strengthened its presence in Ireland through a fresh investment into its Galway office. A new Galway Experience Center (GEC) will act as a collaborative hub to help customers and partners tackle challenges, co-create solutions, and collaborate with HPE engineers.

The center’s aim is to drive two-way communications to improve problem-solving, boost confidence in HPE solutions, and shorten solution development cycles.

Ray McGann, HPE managing director for Ireland, said both Dover’s appointment and the new Galway hub reinforce the company’s long-term commitment to Irish customers in the era of AI.

“By bringing engineering and business teams together for in-depth strategic discussions, we’re making it simpler for Irish organisations and partners to realise the opportunities AI presents,” he explained.

These investments deepen our local presence and allow us to better support Ireland’s digital and economic growth.”

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Lenovo has announced the appointment of Andy Rhodes as its new general manager for the UK and Ireland (UK&I).

The seasoned industry executive joins the business from HP, where he served in various leadership roles, including division president and general manager of the company’s video conferencing and accessories division, as well as global leadership of the HP commercial PC business.

Prior to his time at HP, Rhodes also spent more than a decade at Dell, serving in various executive roles across its data center, workstation, and industrial IoT business.

In his new role, Rhodes will lead Lenovo’s UK&I business as it navigates the industry-wide changes brought on by the increasing presence of AI technologies.

“I’m genuinely excited to be joining Lenovo at a time of such rapid growth and opportunity, particularly as Hybrid AI reshapes our industry and how we serve customers,” Rhodes said. “Lenovo has a clear strategy, strong momentum and incredible people; a combination that matters.”

Rhodes said he will work closely with the company’s customers, partners, and teams to build on its existing strong foundations in the region and target new opportunities.

Matt Dobrodziej, Lenovo’s SVP and Europe president, said Rhodes’ leadership expertise will be a key asset in achieving the company’s growth ambitions.

“I’m excited to welcome Andy to Lenovo. He’s a highly experienced technology industry leader and a great fit for our UK & Ireland business,” he commented.

“I’m confident he will further strengthen our business across the UK and Ireland while bringing a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm to the role.”

Rhodes replaces Adrian Criddle, who will now transition out of the role of general manager in pursuit of new opportunities. He led Lenovo’s UK&I business for two years and is credited with leading the organization through a period of significant transformation and progress.

Lenovo said Criddle will remain with the company for an interim period to help onboard Rhodes into his new role.

“I’d also like to thank Adrian for the key role he’s played in deepening our relationships with customers and partners, and his commitment, professionalism and care for the team,” Dobrodziej added. “We wish him well for the future.”

The appointment is the latest addition to Lenovo’s leadership ranks as the company continues to expand its presence across regional markets.

In January, the vendor named experienced tech and digital leader Tareq Alangari as senior vice president and president of its Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa (META) organization.

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PayPal has announced the appointment of HP chief Enrique Lores as its new CEO, in a move the payments giant said will help it maintain its industry standing in the era of AI.

Lores – who has served on PayPal’s board for nearly five years and as board chair since July 2024 – will succeed Alex Chriss from March 1.

Chief financial and operating officer Jamie Miller will act as Interim CEO until Lores formally assumes the role. The leadership reshuffle also sees David W Dorman appointed as independent board chair, effective immediately.

The move follows what PayPal described as a detailed evaluation conducted by its board of directors on the company’s competitive position set against the wider industry landscape.

While the firm acknowledged that “some progress had been made” over the last two years, it added that the pace of change and execution was not in line with expectations.

In an announcement, David W Dorman said Lores’ wealth of experience and customer-centric focus will now provide the leadership required to lead PayPal into its next chapter.

"Enrique is widely recognized as a visionary leader who prioritizes customer-centric innovation with demonstrable impact,” he commented.

“His strong track record leading complex transformations and disciplined execution on a global basis will ensure PayPal maintains its leadership of the dynamic payments industry now and into the future."

‘Culture of innovation’

Lores arrives following six years as president and CEO at HP, where he led the company’s transition beyond traditional PCs and into services, subscriptions, and AI-enabled future-of-work solutions.

During his time in the role, the Lores played a pivotal role in the separation of HP and HPE, credited with strengthening operating discipline, simplifying cost structure, and positioning the business for long-term innovation.

Commenting on his new role as CEO, Lores highlighted the importance of balancing long-term transformation with short-term goals.

"We will further strengthen the culture of innovation necessary to deliver long-term transformation and balance this with near-term delivery, executing with greater speed and precision, and holding ourselves accountable for consistent delivery quarter on quarter, to further assert PayPal's industry leadership position," he said.

Lores also noted the rapid changes sweeping the commerce industry, driven by a combination of new technologies, evolving regulations, increasing competition, and the ever-increasing presence of AI.

"PayPal sits at the center of this change, and I look forward to leading the team to accelerate the delivery of new innovations and to shape the future of digital payments and commerce," he added.

Long-term success

In the announcement, PayPal reiterated its belief that its long-term success is grounded in global scale, data, and the strength of its consumer, merchant, and partner relationships.

The company also thanked the outbound Alex Chriss for his two and a half year tenure as CEO, citing his role in monetizing Venmo and expanding the BNPL business.

"I am proud to have had the opportunity to lead such a great company and work with such a talented team,” Chriss commented. “Now is the right time to make a transition to a seasoned leader who can take the company through its next phase of transformation.

“I have enjoyed a great working relationship with Enrique, and I am certain he is the right person to meet that challenge."

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Veeam has announced three new appointments to its senior leadership team in a move the firm says will help deepen partner engagement and fast-track its growth ambitions.

The reshuffle sees Brandt Urban promoted to chief business development officer (CBDO), while Tony Colon and Michael Rau join the business as chief customer officer (CCO) and vice president of Worldwide Partners, respectively.

By recognizing internal talent while also bringing fresh expertise into its senior management ranks, Veeam said it is doubling down on its commitment to delivering the first trusted data platform for accelerating safe AI at scale.

“Brandt, Tony, and Michael bring essential experience and vision that will ensure Veeam is ready for the next phase of our transformative growth and innovation, always keeping our customers and partners at the heart of everything we do,” explained Veeam CEO, Anand Eswaran.

Reporting directly to Eswaran, Brandt Urban has been promoted to the role of CBDO and will oversee corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and corporate strategy. He steps into the role having previously served as the firm’s senior vice president of worldwide cloud, following senior roles at Microsoft, Genesys, RingCentral, and HPE.

Brandt will work closely with Veeam’s product and go-to-market teams to expand its value proposition and accelerate growth through targeted ventures, alliances, and acquisitions.

Tony Colon also joins the business as its first CCO, bringing more than 20 years’ experience of leading global customer-facing organizations such as ServiceNow, Cisco, and Salesforce.

Reporting to Veeam CRO John Jester, he is tasked with leading the entire customer journey – including renewals, customer success, professional services, and technical support teams – while advancing the company’s expertise in data resilience, ransomware recovery, and cyber resilience.

Lastly, Michael Rau also joins Veeam as vice president of Worldwide Partners, also reporting to Jester. He will spearhead the global partner business, focusing on program, incentives, and solutions development, overseeing the firm’s critical partnerships with the likes of HPE, Lenovo, Pure Storage, CrowdStrike, and Palo Alto.

The company said Rau’s deep technical and partnership expertise from previous roles at F5 and Cisco will help it to further differentiate its offerings and boost value for partners.

Commenting on the move, CRO John Jester said the appointments reinforce Veeam’s “unwavering commitment” to innovation and industry leadership.

“With this strengthened team, we’re not just keeping pace with change; we’re setting a new benchmark for data resilience and customer success worldwide,” he said.

“I have absolute confidence that together, we will drive even greater value for our customers and partners at every step of their journey toward robust data resilience and business continuity.”

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TP-Link has announced the appointment of Kieran Vineer as its new distribution channel director for the UK and Ireland.

The appointment marks the next phase of the company’s efforts to drive channel growth through its business networking and surveillance solutions.

Vineer brings almost 20 years’ experience to his new role and has served at TP-Link since 2013, starting as distribution account manager before taking on the role of distribution channel manager.

During his time at TP-Link, he is credited with playing an instrumental role in the success of the firm’s distribution channel in the UK and Ireland, building key partner relationships and driving performance of its Omada cloud solutions.

In his new role, Vineer will head up distribution activity for TP-Link’s networking and surveillance channels in the region, covering day-to-day operations, customer engagement, and sales development.

In an announcement, Ben Allcock, TP-Link’s vice president of B2B for UK&I, said Vineer’s promotion underlines the company’s commitment to driving further channel growth.

“Kieran brings a wealth of experience in channel management, customer development and a clear commitment to driving the business forward,” he explained. “This expertise will be invaluable as TP-Link continues to strengthen its position across both distribution and surveillance markets.”

Vineer’s expanded remit now includes TP-Link’s VIGI surveillance solutions to help drive closer collaboration between distributors, resellers, and installers.

According to the company, this integrated structure will support a “more cohesive route to market” while reinforcing its commitment to surveillance solution growth.

As distribution channel director, Vineer’s priorities will include close collaboration with partners, maintaining high standards, and instilling operational discipline. He will also work to create a “culture of continuous improvement” to support TP-Link’s continued growth, the firm added.

“I’m grateful for the trust placed in me at a time of considerable channel growth in UK&I for TP-Link,” Vineer commented.

“With expanded responsibilities for surveillance across our VIGI and Omada solutions, I’m excited to continue the strong momentum built in the market, working even closer with our incredibly talented team and deepening relationships with partners.”

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AI, transformation and sustainability are driving changes to roles within the C-suite, according to a report by recruitment firm Robert Half. The study, entitled Towards the C-Suite 2035, found that the majority of leaders questioned believe that new specialist executive roles, such as chief AI officer (CAIO), chief technology transformation (CTTO) and chief sustainability officer (CSO), will become increasingly important over the next decade.

These emerging roles are designed to help organizations remain competitive, notes Nimmi Patel, associate director for policy at techUK. “Eighty-three percent of UK businesses expect the CAIO to become a critical leadership position within the next decade, reflecting the growing need for governance, risk management and ethical frameworks around AI deployment.

“Similarly, 78% of organizations anticipate increased demand for CTTOs, underscoring the strategic importance of large-scale digital change programs, while 73% believe the CSO plays a greater role as ESG pressures intensify,” she says. The survey also revealed that traditional leadership positions – such as HR – are expected to gain importance to deliver workforce transformation.

Mark Moccia, VP, research director for technology executives at Forrester Research, notes that with this focus on AI, transformation and sustainability comes a change in power dynamics within the C-suite. Traditional positions, such as CTO and CIO, will gain prominence alongside emerging roles, he believes.

“There are organizations where CIOs are expected to take on more of the leadership, because technology is becoming ever more central to the business, making a CIO more of a strategic advisor to the CEO that they’ve ever been.

“Then there are organizations choosing to have CAIO and/or chief data officers (CDO) who are responsible for AI deployment and integrating it into core systems. These roles are shifting the power dynamic away from the CIO. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out over time.”

Critical C-suite skills

Whether an existing role is evolving or a new one is created, Robert Half identified a range of skills the C-suite leaders of today, and tomorrow, will need. Survey respondents cited resilience and critical thinking as the most important, followed closely by creativity, innovative capacity and emotional intelligence. Workforce transformation experience was also noted as essential for the next generation of executives.

“The skills aren't fundamentally different; there are some that will remain in demand for the foreseeable future and may never be replaced or eradicated. For example, the vast majority of leadership positions require an ability to inspire and motivate others,” notes Chris Lawton, Robert Half’s group managing director executive search.

“The more technical elements of these roles are where we see nuances evolving as the world of work changes. If we focus on CAIO and other data leadership roles specifically, the focus for these positions is to bring AI governance, model risks and regulatory fluency into the company. These goals will constantly move in alignment with global trends in AI development and regulation. However, the best CAIO professionals will also need to translate often complex systems into clear business narratives, layered on top of strategic thinking and transformational leadership. These specific attributes will likely never change for the role.”

Development pathway gaps

Even so, many businesses are concerned about their ability to secure the right talent for their C-suite. This is because leaders take time to develop and the pace of change in relation to AI and digital transformation far outstrips the speed at which senior executives are able to learn, says Lawton. Furthermore, current succession plans are also often too rigid to be able to adapt to fast-emerging or evolving roles, he notes.

“Our research revealed a number of capabilities that are difficult to source, though these are very sector and role agnostic. What does, however, appear to be more difficult to find are the right hybrids.

“For example, a combination of digital and people transformation experience, or data-driven and transformational type leadership styles are hard to come by as they haven’t historically been required in tandem from one role. Our study also revealed that 84% of businesses highlight AI knowledge as a key skill, but pairing that with communication, emotional intelligence and agile leadership is scarce.”

Succession planning

Patel adds that many companies report difficulties hiring for AI, data and automation roles and internal pipelines can remain thin because of limited training and inconsistent digital skills development across sectors. Succession planning needs to be addressed, but Lawton is seeing a number of different ways companies are attempting to create more effective development pathways.

“Some are implementing reverse-mentoring and continuous development schemes in order to best upskill the workforce and current or future leaders in conjunction with one another. Others are channeling investment into AI and digital specific training to prepare leaders for any eventuality.”

There are those, however, who question whether the new roles will become a permanent fixture in the C-suite, or merely interim roles to help businesses navigate the early stages of AI adoption.

Moccia believes that CTTO has staying power, because “whether it’s AI, quantum, or 6G, as there’s always going to be a need for some sort of transformation management,” but that AI will at some point become part of normal operations and the responsibility of the CIO, making the position of CAIO superfluous.

Either way, by 2035 we can expect to more commonly see a data-centric, AI-powered C-suite with deeper cross-disciplinary collaboration. A crucial component in developing successful leaders is to tailor development to the business, while allowing for the required flexibility needed in the current climate, Lawton notes.

The most important thing is remembering that the key part of any leader’s job is human-centric, says Moccia, as a great leader inspires, motivates, coaches and cultivates. In addition, the biggest mistake organizations make when modernizing their C-suite is treating digital transformation in isolation, adds Lawton.

“Technological change fails without parallel workforce transformation and upskilling, cultural shifts, and new operating models are essential for success. Equally, underinvesting in structured succession planning leaves boards exposed. Relying on ad-hoc development without a formal framework, data-driven readiness checks or a dedicated owner creates critical gaps as roles evolve rapidly,” he concludes.

Nasuni has announced a brace of senior leadership appointments as the data management specialist looks to drive international growth.

The move sees seasoned executives Jerry Carter and Ross Grainger join the business as chief technology officer (CTO) and chief financial officer (CFO) respectively.

In an announcement, Nasuni said the hires underline its commitment to customer success, operational excellence, product innovation, and driving sustainable global growth in the era of AI.

“As the data landscape rapidly evolves with new opportunities, especially in helping enterprises unlock the value of their unstructured data for AI, we’re expanding our leadership team to better support our customers’ evolving data needs through bold innovation and unwavering excellence,” said Nasuni CEO, Sam King.

An accomplished engineering leader, Jerry Carter arrives with a successful track record of driving enterprise software transformation. Most recently, he spent 13 years at Dell Technologies, which included more than five years as vice president of engineering.

Earlier in his career, he served in engineering roles at VA Linux and Hewlett-Packard, before rising to CTO at Likewise Software.

In addition to his deep transformation experience, Carter also brings expertise in building scalable data management systems, as well as applying AI to enhance product intelligence and engineering efficiency.

In his new role, he will work to build high-performing teams, advance Nasuni’s technology vision, and help scale the firm’s platform to meet evolving AI and data challenges.

New CFO to lead Nasuni’s global scaling efforts

Alongside Carter, seasoned financial executive Grainger adds key experience in scaling B2B SaaS companies globally.

Most recently, he served as CFO of Paradox, where he helped guide the company’s revenue scaling, global team expansion, five acquisitions, as well its eventual sale to Workday. He has also previously served at RSM and WebPT.

At Nasuni, Grainger will serve as a strategic partner to the leadership team to ensure capital is invested in the right high-growth opportunities as it continues to scale its platform and support AI and data intelligence initiatives.

“Both Jerry and Ross bring exceptional leadership experience and deep industry expertise that will help our customers achieve their data and AI goals with greater confidence and speed,” King added.

“As we continue to scale and innovate, these new perspectives will be instrumental in advancing our technology strategy and delivering even greater value to the customers we serve.”

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Cybersecurity vendor Darktrace has expanded its executive committee with the appointment of Terry Doyle as its first ever chief information officer (CIO).

A veteran industry leader, Doyle brings nearly 30 years’ experience in leading large-scale technology transformations at global organizations.

Reporting to chief financial officer, Suman Raju, he is tasked with consolidating Darktrace’s enterprise IT and data functions into a unified platform, bringing its technology services together into a cohesive operating model.

From the firm’s London office, Doyle will lead the building of enterprise-scale technology systems and data capabilities to boost business consistency and confidence as the company continues to scale.

In an announcement, Darktrace CEO, Jill Popelka, said Doyle’s extensive experience working in complex, high-growth environments will play a key role in the company’s next phase of growth.

“Over the past year, we’ve moved fast to strengthen the systems and processes that underpin our business,” she explained. “The next phase of our journey will provide data and insights to operate with greater speed, consistency, and discipline as we scale.

“Terry brings the right mix of strategic leadership and hands-on execution to help us do exactly that.”

Most recently, Doyle served as Group CIO at Team Internet Group, where he led the domain monetization and digital advertising company’s global technology function across twelve countries.

He has also held senior CIO roles at RWS, a technology-enabled language, content management, and intellectual property services provider, as well as WPP’s global media investment arm, GroupM.

In his new role as Darktrace CIO, Doyle will leverage his expertise in leading complex and regional transformation programs to help drive further global growth.

“Darktrace has built extraordinary momentum and has a huge opportunity ahead as the cybersecurity landscape evolves and the emergence of enterprise AI dramatically expands attack surfaces,” Doyle commented.

“My focus will be on strengthening our enterprise technology foundations, data governance and visibility to help the business scale with consistency and confidence, and seize that opportunity.”

Doyle’s arrival follows a string of senior executive hires at Darktrace over the past year. Back in November 2025, the vendor announced a brace of C-suite appointments, with Suman Raju joining as chief financial officer and Hein Hellemons as chief revenue officer. Bryce Cote also joined the business as chief customer officer earlier in the year.

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Virtus Data Centres has announced the appointment of industry veteran Adam Eaton as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately.

The move paves the way for the pure play data center owner-operator – part of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) – to continue expanding its portfolio of data centers across the UK and Europe.

A seasoned industry leader, Eaton brings a combination of commercial and operational expertise from more than 20 years across the data center, cloud, and managed services sectors.

Most recently, he served as executive group director for Europe at Global Switch, where he led the data center operator’s activity across the Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid (FLAPM) markets and led transformation plans.

Eaton replaces Thomas Ee, group COO at parent company STT GDC, who has held the role in an interim capacity for the past nine months.

Virtus chairman Bruno Lopez said Eaton’s industry knowledge, expertise, and stakeholder management skills will provide a strong springboard for further growth across the business.

“We are delighted to welcome Adam to Virtus at an exciting time,” he said in an announcement.

“His insight and proven ability to scale complex operations make him the ideal leader for the business as Virtus continues to grow its footprint and strengthen its position as one of Europe’s leading data centre operators.”

Founded in 2008, Virtus Data Centres designs, builds and operates data centers, with an established presence in London, Berlin, and Milan. Since 2017, the firm has belonged to the wider ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Group, a network of companies which operate across multiple countries in Europe and Asia.

Under the stewardship of new CEO Adam Eaton, Virtus plans to build on a decade of rapid growth across both the UK and Europe. The firm said it remains committed to delivering world-class, energy-efficient infrastructure that supports growth of the digital economy.

“I first met the Virtus team over 15 years ago,” Eaton commented. “Since then, I’ve watched the company evolve into one of Europe’s leading data centre operators.

“Helping VIRTUS scale and support its next phase of growth is an exciting opportunity. I’m privileged to build on the foundations laid by the existing team, embracing one of the most exciting leadership roles in the industry today.”

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Software supply chain specialist JFrog has announced the appointment of Genefa Murphy as its new chief marketing officer (CMO), effective immediately.

The appointment marks the next stage of the company’s plan to drive further growth and bolster its standing in the AI-driven software supply chain space.

A seasoned CMO and go-to-market (GTM) leader, Murphy arrives with a strong track record of driving global enterprise software growth and strategic business expansion.

Most recently, she held the role of chief marketing and content officer at Udemy, a prominent provider of AI-powered skills development software.

Murphy has also previously served as CMO of Five9, senior vice president and CMO of Micro Focus, as well as global vice president of corporate marketing and communications at HPE.

As CMO, she will lead JFrog’s global marketing organization from its California headquarters, targeting new growth through its Software Supply Chain Platform.

JFrog CEO and co-founder, Shlomi Ben Haim, said the appointment comes at a “defining moment” for the company, as AI advancements continue to drive innovation across software supply chain management, security, and governance.

“Software creation and usage in the era of AI is converging faster than ever, creating enormous opportunities for enterprises to build and deliver software with speed and trust at scale,” he explained.

“JFrog sets the standard for responsible AI adoption and plays a mission-critical role as the system of record for all software packages. Genefa’s proven ability to accelerate growth will be instrumental as we leap forward."

Leveraged by more than 7,000 customers globally, JFrog’s Software Supply Chain Platform unifies DevOps, DevSecOps, and MLOps to provide a single system of record that helps organizations build, manage, and distribute software quickly and securely.

Commenting on her new role, Murphy highlighted AI’s impact on software change and the increasing need for trust, control, and discipline across the software supply chain.

“JFrog has been architected for this reality from the start, and already helps teams around the world ship reliable software at scale,” she said.

“I’m excited to join a company that focuses on solving hard, foundational problems so developers and organisations can adopt AI with confidence and take advantage of the surge of new possibilities ahead - and win.”

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Keeper Security has announced two new additions to its federal leadership team, as the privileged access management (PAM) specialist moves to strengthen its government security and modernization efforts.

Shannon Vaughn has been appointed senior vice president of federal, while Benjamin Parrish will serve as vice president of federal operations.

Vaughn will lead federal business growth and strategy, with Parrish overseeing delivery and operational readiness as Keeper strengthens identity security support for civilian, defence, and intelligence agencies.

In an announcement, Keeper Security CEO and co-founder, Darren Guccione, said the pair will add a unique combination of operational military experience, federal tech leadership, as well as a deep understanding of zero-trust security.

“They know how agencies operate, how threats evolve and how to translate modern security architecture into real mission outcomes,” he explained.

“These exceptional additions to our team will be instrumental as we expand Keeper’s role in securing the federal government’s most critical systems, personnel and warfighters.”

Deep expertise

With more than two decades’ experience across the private sector, government and military service, Vaughn brings deep expertise in securing sensitive data, modernizing federal technology environments, and supporting mission-critical cyber security operations.

Prior to taking his new role, he served as general manager of Virtru Federal and has previously held various senior leadership roles at high-growth tech companies.

His career has seen him work closely with US government customers to deploy secure solutions and is also a career member of the US Army with more than 20 years of service.

Benjamin Parrish also brings extensive US Army experience, with the now-retired officer having spent more than 20 years across field artillery, aviation, and cyber operations. His military experience combines combat deployment with operational support to national cyber mission forces.

He also adds extensive experience in leading federal operations, software engineering, and secure deployments across highly regulated environments during his time in previous senior leadership roles, Keeper said.

In his new role at Keeper, Parrish will oversee the delivery and operational readiness of the company’s federal initiatives, working closely with government stakeholders to ensure secure deployments in line with strict compliance and operational requirements.

Modernization

Keeper’s latest appointments come as federal agencies continue to adopt zero-trust architectures and modern privileged access controls to defend against credential-based threats.

Keeper’s Security Government Cloud platform – which is both FedRAMP authorized and FIPS 140-3 validated – is designed to help federal, state, and local government agencies apply secure privileged access across hybrid and cloud environments.

According to the firm’s new federal chief Shannon Vaughn, agencies find themselves being asked to modernize faster while facing increasingly sophisticated, identity-driven attacks.

“I joined Keeper because we are focused on what actually produces tangible cyber benefits: controlling who has access to what, with full auditing and reporting – whether for credentials, endpoint or access management,” he said.

“We are going to win by being obsessive about access control that is easy to deploy and hard to break.”

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