The busiest month for leadership appointments since January yielded a Part 1 and Part 2 of Channel Insider monthly recaps. July saw a significant amount of movement from channel organizations, including Veeam, QuSecure, and Flexera.
Check out Part 1 of the July 2026 leadership recap and look out for Part 2 to stay updated on who has moved where.
Partner-facing leaders join security and AI vendors
Veeam adds Michelle Graff as SVP of Global Partners and Channel
Veeam Software has named Michelle Graff as senior vice president of global partners and channel sales.
The former Commvault channel executive will be tasked with leading the worldwide ecosystem of over 35,000 partners. She will work on enhancing the partner advantage through a unified ecosystem approach, helping partners expand service and solution opportunities.
“Michelle has a proven track record of putting partners first and building high-performance ecosystems that create durable advantages for partners and customers. With more than 35,000 partners across the world, her leadership will help us simplify engagement, increase co-sell velocity, and unlock new growth opportunities across the vast Veeam partner community,” said John Jester, CRO at Veeam.
Graff brings over 25 years of experience to the role, building and scaling global partners, channels, and alliance organizations across data protection, cloud, and cybersecurity.
Before serving as SVP of global partners and channel sales at Commvault, Graff worked at Securiti AI.
Otter.ai taps Mike Barnes to lead its global channel program
Otter.ai, the Conversational Knowledge Engine for modern enterprises, has named Mike Barnes as head of partnerships and alliances to lead its global partnerships and alliances strategy.
Barnes will be tasked with building and scaling a structured partner ecosystem initially spanning the US, UK, and Europe.
“Mike’s appointment is an important step in Otter’s enterprise growth strategy,” said Sam Liang, CEO and co-founder of Otter.ai. “Mike has spent his career building successful partner ecosystems and understands what it takes to create value for both partners and customers. His experience will be instrumental as we expand our enterprise reach through the channel.”
Barnes brings over two decades of experience leading partnerships and channel organizations across enterprise SaaS and marketing technology. Most recently, he led partnerships at Gainsight, where he helped drive strategic alliances and ecosystem growth.
Cyware names Alvaro Warden as global head of channel sales and marketplace ecosystems
Alvaro Warden has been named Cyware’s new global head of channel sales and marketplace ecosystems.
Warden will lead Cyware’s global partner, alliance, and marketplace strategy to expand its ecosystem footprint across North America, APAC, and EMEA.
“Warden brings a proven track record of building high-performing channel organizations, making him the ideal leader for our next phase of growth,” said Anuj Goel, CEO and co-founder of Cyware.
“As we expand into new markets, our partners and marketplace ecosystem will play an integral role, and Warden’s deep expertise positions him to drive our partner-first strategy forward. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Cyware team as we build out our global go-to-market framework,” added Goel.
Warden recently served as the vice president of worldwide channels at NetSPI, where he led global channel strategy, partner enablement, and go-to-market (GTM) execution.
Quiq appoints Jim Tennant as global channel chief
Agentic AI platform Quiq has tapped channel veteran Jim Tennant as global channel chief.
Tennant will be tasked with:
- Accelerating partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline growth.
- Expanding strategic alliances, advisory firms, global systems integrators, distributors, and technology partnerships.
- Delivering predictable revenue opportunities through joint GTM execution.
- Providing enablement, support, and ecosystem collaboration.
- Helping customers transform customer experience with agentic AI at enterprise scale.
“We are seeing a groundswell of interest from channel partners, especially for Voice AI,” said Mike Myer, CEO of Quiq. “Jim’s addition to Quiq’s team elevates an already strong team to world-class.”
Tennant most recently served as VP of channels at Observe AI. Before that, he led channel programs at Replicant.
Liquibase names Phil Robinson as VP of global channels and alliances
Liquibase, a database change governance organization, has named Phil Robinson as vice president of global Channels and alliances.
Robinson will lead Liquibase’s global partner strategy across partner recruitment, enablement, joint marketing, and partner-led services around database change governance.
“Liquibase sits at the intersection of developer velocity, enterprise governance, and AI readiness. That is exactly where partners can create value,” said Robinson.
“If you are helping customers modernize application development processes, manage large database estates, prepare for compliance audits, adopt AI in coding, or reduce production risk, then database change belongs in that conversation. Liquibase gives partners the ideal platform to build high-value services around a problem every complex enterprise has,” Robinson added.
Robinson most recently served as VP of global channels at DigitaLai and worked at Atlassian, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and Capgemini.
Cohesity names Seb Fitzjohn to lead partner sales and GTM
Cohesity, a data security and data management company, has named Seb Fitzjohn as vice president of partner channel sales and GTM, Europe.
Fitzjohn most recently spent seven years at ServiceNow as VP of the EMEA partner organization, and as group vice president of sales for enterprise AI agents.
“Organizations deploying AI agents can’t afford to treat resilience as an afterthought,” said Sanjay Poonen, CEO and president of Cohesity. “Cohesity brings the same immutable, point-in-time recovery that enterprises rely on for critical data, now applied to the AI agents driving their operations. Together with ServiceNow, we’re making AI agents trustworthy by design.”
Zachary Kilpatrick joins 7AI as SVP of global alliances
Zachary Kilpatrick has joined 7AI as senior vice president of global alliances to lead the program worldwide.
Kilpatrick previously led global GTM Partners at Cribl, where he guided partner-led growth across data and security markets.
He will lead a unified alliances organization at 7AI, spanning resale, services, technology integrations, and cloud relationships.
“Organizations in today’s AI economy demand more from their partners. Gone are the days when traditional channel programs could deliver the value our customers now require. A modern ecosystem must account for the convergence of value across resale, distribution, systems integrators, services providers, technology alliances, and cloud service providers,” said Kilpatrick.
When that ecosystem works in concert, it drives outsized value for our customers and partners while generating market awareness through a powerful network effect and the scale to match. That combination is what yields the results that matter: larger deals, higher close rates, stronger retention, faster time to close, and a lower cost of customer acquisition,” Kilpatrick added.
The announcement went hand-in-hand with 7AI announcing its Alliance Partner Program, a new ecosystem model.
Cellhire makes four new channel team appointments
Cellhire, a provider of managed mobile connectivity, IoT connectivity, eSIM services, and temporary connectivity solutions, has expanded its channel and business development teams with the following new hires:
- Julia Paterson as channel development manager
- Danielle Morris as channel development manager
- Eleanor Langan as campaign manager
- Ellie Whytock as channel business development executive
“Our new hires will help Cellhire work more closely with partners to address opportunities and help them win new business,” said Sophie Lockwood, head of marketing at Cellhire. “That’s key because mobile and IoT connectivity is now central to how businesses operate, whether that’s IoT at scale, mobile workforce, mission-critical events, or remote environments.”
The announcement comes at the same time as Cellhire refreshes its channel program to focus on people, platform, and profitability.
N-able names Russell Rosa as CRO
N-able, a global cybersecurity company, has named Russell Rosa as chief revenue officer (CRO). He succeeded Frank Colletti, who has left his role as executive vice president and CRO.
Rosa will be responsible for N-able’s global sales organization, channel and partner ecosystem, support, and sales operations.
He brings over 25 years of experience in channel sales strategies and partner-driven GTM motions across global markets. He most recently served as CRO at Sumo Logic. Before that, he served as Sumo Logic’s senior vice president of Americas sales.
“Businesses around the world are navigating unprecedented complexity and risk, and the partners who serve them — whether MSPs, VARs, or distributors — need a trusted cybersecurity vendor that understands their business and the threat landscape firsthand,” said John Pagliuca, CEO at N-able.
“Russell has spent his career building exactly that kind of channel organization. His track record at scale in cybersecurity, combined with a genuine commitment to partner success, is precisely what N-able needs to accelerate our next phase of growth. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team,” he added.
Before joining Sumo Logic, Rosa held leadership roles at Cisco, Actifio, and VCE (a joint venture of VMware, Cisco, and EMC).
C-suite appointments across the channel
GuidePoint Security names Scott Rachford as CEO
Scott Rachford has been appointed CEO of GuidePoint Security, a cybersecurity advisor and services partner.
Rachford will succeed Michael Volk, the organization’s founder, who will transition from CEO to executive chairman.
“I’m honored to lead GuidePoint Security at such an exciting time in the company’s evolution,” said Rachford. “We have something truly special — a company customers and partners trust not just because of what we do, but because of how we do it. My focus is on continuing that trajectory: growing the business, listening to customers, investing in our people, and finding new ways to help organizations reduce risk and protect what matters most.”
Rachford has been with GuidePoint for over a decade, and he recently served as the regional partner for its North Central region.
As CEO, Rachford will be tasked with leading GuidePoint’s “next phase of growth with a focus on continued scale, operational excellence, and the people-first, relationship-driven culture that has defined the company since its founding.”
Flexera names Mike Jerich as CEO
Flexera has named Mike Jerich as CEO to succeed Jim Ryan, who is transitioning to the role of vice chairman of Flexera’s board of directors.
Currently serving as president, Jerich will maintain both roles.
“My priorities are simple: help customers control costs, strengthen the Flexera One platform, and continue building the market’s most complete view of technology spend and risk,” Jerich said in a Q&A with Channel Insider.
“Over the past year as president, I’ve spent a lot of time with customers and partners. The messaging has been remarkably consistent. Technology environments are becoming more complex, AI is accelerating that complexity, and organizations are losing sight of where money is going. Flexera’s job is to help customers regain that control,” Jerich added.
Jerich brings over 25 years of experience in the enterprise technology sector. He previously served as the CEO of HungerRush and held senior leadership positions at ServiceMax (now PTC), FinancialForce, IPC Systems, IntelePeer, and Level 3 Communications.
WatchGuard names Vincent Hwang as Chief Product Officer
WatchGuard Technologies, a unified cybersecurity provider for MSPs, has appointed Vincent Hwang as chief product officer (CPO).
Hwang has over two decades of experience as a cybersecurity product executive at Fortinet, where he led its cloud security business.
“Vince brings a rare combination of deep cybersecurity expertise and the ability to turn product strategy into real market momentum,” said Joe Smolarski, CEO at WatchGuard Technologies. “He understands our partners, knows how to build platforms that align with how they operate, and has consistently delivered growth by connecting innovation with real-world outcomes. That’s exactly what WatchGuard needs in this next phase of growth.”
Before joining WatchGuard, Hwang held roles at Sourcefire and Cisco and served as the CPO of Bitdefender, where he led its global product organization.
TD SYNNEX names Chris Fabes as president of its Canadian market
TD SYNNEX has appointed Chris Fabes as president of its Canadian market, where he will lead the organization’s distribution strategy, strengthen vendor partnerships, and accelerate customer growth across the Canadian market.
“Chris is a proven channel leader with a strong track record of building high-performing teams, deepening strategic partnerships and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers,” said Reyna Thompson, president of TD SYNNEX North America. “His end-to-end understanding of the Canadian technology market, combined with his focus on execution, make him well positioned to lead our Canada business into its next chapter.”
Fabes has over two decades of IT channel leadership. Most recently, he worked at SHI, where he led a multi-year strategic growth initiative across Canada. He also managed a national team focused on the country’s largest enterprise and public sector clients and developed a national vendor strategy aligned with leading and emerging OEM partners.
“TD SYNNEX plays a central role in helping the Canadian channel bring technology solutions to market with scale, expertise, and trust,” said Fabes. “I am excited to join the team and build on the company’s strong foundation in Canada by working closely with our partners, vendors, and customers to create new opportunities for growth.”
Hack the Box appoints new CTO, promotes new CMO
AI cybersecurity readiness organization, Hack The Box (HTB), has appointed Konstantinos Dolkas as chief technology officer (CTO) and promoted Christine Bartlett to chief marketing officer (CMO).
Dolkas will lead HTB’s engineering organization and technology strategy, including platform architecture, engineering operations, and product delivery.
He brings nearly 20 years of executive technology leadership experience across cybersecurity, SaaS, mobility, and insurance. He most recently served as CTO at OWNR Deutschland GmbH.
“As the threat landscape evolves alongside rapid advancements in AI, organizations recognize that true cyber resilience depends on continuous, hands-on workforce capability,” said Haris Pylarinos, founder and CEO of HTB.
“Konstantinos brings technical experiences building and scaling world-class engineering organizations, while Christine has played a critical role in expanding our global brand and strengthening how we connect with customers around the world. Their leadership will be vital as we advance our platform to prepare the global cybersecurity workforce for the most complex security challenges,” Pylarinos added.
Bartlett will be charged with leading HTB’s global marketing organization and overseeing brand, communications, product marketing, demand generation, and GTM strategy. She joined HTB in 2025 as VP of marketing. Before that, she served as CMO at SonicWall and held senior marketing leadership roles at Cisco.
Trustifi names Jeff Spridgeon as CEO
Trustifi, an AI-driven, next-generation email cybersecurity solutions provider, has named Jeff Spridgeon as its new CEO.
Spridgeon brings extensive channel experience and expertise. Before joining Trustifi, he worked at Aware, an AI-powered collaboration security platform.
“As cybercriminals adopt new tactics and automation to escalate attacks on businesses, especially the highly vulnerable SMB customers, Trustifi has to innovate and respond even faster to help partners protect their IT ecosystems,” said Jason Hable, Trustifi board member and partner at Camber Partners.
“Jeff brings the insight and leadership skills required to carry out that mission, including a strong focus on the technological, support, and business needs of our partners and robust growth of our AI-powered cybersecurity portfolio,” Hable added.
ArgusEye names Beth Linker as head of product
ArgusEye, an autonomous AI workforce for product security companies, has announced that Beth Linker has joined the organization as head of product.
Linker will be responsible for scaling ArgusEye’s digital product security workforce to meet growing customer demand and take on broader areas of security work for product development teams.
“Beth brings the rare combination of enterprise product leadership, embedded systems security expertise, and customer-first execution that ArgusEye needs as we rapidly grow,” said Jackson Schultz, CEO and co-founder of ArgusEye.
“Our customers are building increasingly complex connected products under heightening regulatory and security pressure. Beth’s experience will help us ensure our digital security workforce keeps pace with that urgency and delivers meaningful impact across every stage of product development,” Schultz added.
Linker previously served as CPO at Finite State, where she focused on software supply chain security solutions for connected device manufacturers.
Other sales, marketing, and advising leadership changes
Doug Small joins QuSecure Federal Advisory Board
US Navy Rear Admiral Doug Small has joined QuSecure’s federal advisory board (FAB).
QuSecure’s FAB is a group of former senior military, intelligence, and government officials appointed to guide QuSecure’s work with US government agencies.
Small most recently served as the Commander of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR). Before NAVWAR, Small served as the program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS).
“Doug is an executive leader with a proven track record of driving large-scale innovation and disruptive acquisition strategies within the Department of Defense,” said Brian Cunningham, EVP of strategy and growth at QuSecure.
“He has deep expertise in high-tech systems development and production, cybersecurity leadership, and helping federal agencies navigate the national security landscape. He will be a tremendous resource as we meet growing demand from agencies looking to meet post-quantum requirements and cryptographic agility with operational continuity,” added Cunningham.
Qualtrics names five new senior leaders across sales, marketing, and product
Experience management company Qualtrics announced five new senior leadership appointments across sales, marketing, and product:
- Adam Block as chief sales officer (CSO): He will lead Qualtrics’ sales organization, including sales, sales development, solutions engineering, revenue operations, partnership and alliances, and sales enablement.
- Ken Coleman as senior vice president of marketing: He will lead Qualtrics’ global marketing organization to further establish the XM category in the AI era.
- Ken Hoang as senior vice president of product: He will lead Qualtrics’ product management and design organization to enhance next-gen AI-driven capabilities that Qualtrics is building for XM.
- Khoi Hoang as the leader for Qualtrics’ global sales engineering: He will oversee the company’s solution strategy and engineering team.
- Aaron Ellis as the leader of corporate sales: He will lead the organization’s corporate sales teams to provide customers with support and expertise from purchase through investment in XM.
“As AI redefines what people expect from every experience in their lives, Qualtrics is raising the standard for what experience management can do across every industry we serve,” said Jason Maynard, CEO of Qualtrics. “We are adding proven, world-class talent to our team to give our customers the experience, technology, and support they need to move faster and deliver trusted, outcome-driven experiences in every moment that matters.”
AWS announces Rudra Mitra as VP of security services
Rudra “Rudy” Mitra has joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as vice president of security services after spending 27 years with Microsoft, where he led its Purview data-security business.
Mitra will oversee an AWS portfolio that includes tools like GuardDuty and Security Hub.
“Excited to welcome Rudra Mitra to AWS as the new Vice President of Security Services,” wrote Chet Kapoor, vice president of search, security, and observability at AWS, in a LinkedIn post. “Rudy brings decades of security experience, a passion for building, and a deep understanding of what customers need as the security landscape continues to evolve. Looking forward to building and shaping the next generation of security services together.”
Coro makes 3 leadership appointments across sales, product, and research and development
Coro, a cybersecurity vendor, has named three new executives to lead EMEA sales, product strategy, and research and development.
Ingo Schaefer has been named vice president of sales, EMEA, where he will lead Coro’s strategic channel expansion across EMEA. He most recently served as Coro’s regional director DACH.
Dor Avrahami will be the company’s new vice president of Product and will lead Coro’s product strategy and execution across the organization’s cybersecurity platform.
Itzik Schacher has been appointed as vice president of research and development and will lead the team building Coro’s cybersecurity platform and setting its technology and innovation strategy.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ingo, Dor, and Itzik to the Coro leadership team during this period of explosive growth,” said Joe Sykora, CEO at Coro.
“Their combined expertise in international sales, product strategy, and engineering leadership will be instrumental as we scale our global presence and continue innovating on behalf of our customers and partners. These additions to our executive team further position us to continue delivering the automated, comprehensive cybersecurity that Lean IT teams need to protect their organizations efficiently,” added Sykora.