Lightbeam Hires Former CrowdStrike Exec as New Channel Leader

Lightbeam.ai today announced the appointment of Matthew Kelly as its director of channel and alliances. We spoke with Kelly about his appointment and early goals for the Lightbeam partner ecosystem.

Why Kelley chose to join Lightbeam at this stage in the company’s growth

Kelly is new to Lightbeam but far from new to what security-focused channel partners need from vendors to drive customer success.

During his tenure at CrowdStrike, Kelly built a channel organization that delivered more than $280 million in partner-sourced ARR and earned multiple industry-wide recognitions for his leadership and proven success.

“Lightbeam’s future growth depends on the strength of our partnerships,” said Mike Gesnaldo, CRO at Lightbeam. “As we continue to define the DSPM category and secure access to sensitive data, our partners are paramount to how customers adopt and scale identity-centric data security. Matthew’s experience and leadership will play a key role in building a world-class partner ecosystem and driving mutual success.”

Kelly and Gesnaldo both worked at CrowdStrike, and while they didn’t interact directly there, Kelly says Gesnaldo’s leadership and approach to work were among the factors that drew him to join Lightbeam this year.

“I worked around [Gesnaldo]’s organization at CrowdStrike and when he left for Lightbeam, it definitely made me think about the company a bit because of what I knew about his leadership and approach to the channel,” Kelly said.

Kelly also highlights the channel-first strategy Lightbeam has already committed to as a key facet in his decision to lead that channel strategy moving forward.

“As a partner leader, it’s extremely important for me to know the company fully supports that model,” said Kelly. “There’s a tremendous amount of really positive momentum already taking place here.”

How Lightbeam’s DSPM and data governance platform supports partner growth

As partners look for ways to simplify customer security operations and address growing data exposure risks, Lightbeam’s identity-aware DSPM and AI data governance platform is becoming increasingly relevant.

“Lightbeam is gaining impressive traction in the DSPM market, and their investment in the partner ecosystem shows they’re serious about scale,” said Jim Finn, vice president of the cyber practice at Presidio, in a statement. “Every conversation we’re having with our clients revolves around identity. Identity-aware data security is now a table stake for Presidio, and Lightbeam is delivering it.”

To Kelly, the value proposition of Lightbeam’s AI-powered platform is one he must clearly and effectively communicate to partners as the company continues to scale its channel ecosystem.

“My top priority really is on enablement for our partners,” said Kelly. “We need to ensure that when we update collateral, or we’re ready to roll out new features and capabilities in the tech, that whatever we provide our internal sellers with, our partners also have access to.”

Part of the value proposition Kelly sees is enabling partners to expand beyond what they already sell to customers and provide solutions to data-related problems they likely struggle with but cannot fully address.

“Partners are looking for ways to simplify the day-to-day operations of their customers, and we want to find the partners who act as trusted advisors and can bring those businesses an answer to their concerns,” Kelly said. “We can be a new revenue stream for those partners who weren’t offering a solution like ours to their customers before.”

Kelly’s 2026 channel strategy: enablement, trust, and expanded partner paths

According to the company, Kelly will help Lightbeam enhance its existing partner program by adding new enablement paths for MSSPs, GSIs, and technology alliances. 

Other benefits the company plans to bring to its partners include:

• Unified identity-aware DSPM and data governance capabilities
• Co-marketing and co-branded campaign opportunities
• Simplified deal registration
• New MSSP, GSI, and technology alliance enablement paths
• Access to updated collateral and AI-driven data security features

Kelly’s focus, he says, is on building the programmatic and relationship-based trust needed to make partners and Lightbeam’s internal teams comfortable working together to drive the business forward.

“First and foremost for me, it’s about being clear, collaborative, and protective,” Kelly said, noting that partners are often bringing Lightbeam “into their house” with existing customers, and they need to trust that doing so will not harm the relationships they have built with those customers.

He told Channel Insider the company wants to see large national providers join the program throughout next year and scale Lightbeam’s adoption in their customer bases. Ultimately, his goal is to see Lightbeam scale through the channel models he built to great success at other companies.

“We want our partners to feel like an extension of our own teams,” Kelly said. “They need to say, ‘I feel confident that I’m protected and the teams have my interests in mind.’”

What Kelly’s appointment signals for DSPM and data governance adoption in 2026

Kelly’s arrival coincides with a broader industry shift toward identity-centric security, data governance, and DSPM as a foundational control for enterprise AI adoption. As organizations seek clarity around where sensitive data lives and how to secure it across hybrid environments, channel partners are expected to play a bigger role in guiding customers.

For Lightbeam, Kelly’s leadership signals a deeper long-term commitment to scaling through the channel. By expanding enablement, simplifying partner engagement, and aligning incentives, the company aims to accelerate the adoption of DSPM and AI data governance solutions next year and beyond.