The start of summer is off to a hot start with leadership moves around the channel. Executive leadership benches are making adjustments across the ecosystem to foster evolution.
Organizations in the channel are staying ahead of innovation and channel growth by ensuring they have the right talent in place to take their business to the next level.
Here are a few of the big moves from May:
HPE lands Jeremiah Jenson as VP, North American channel and partner
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) has named Jeremiah Jenson as vice president, North America channel and partner.
Jenson was brought back from AWS, where he led the organization’s efforts with reseller partners. He steps into the role after Phil Soper left the organization.
“With extensive experience from AWS and a strong history with HP/HPE, Jeremiah has a proven track record driving results, building high-performing teams, and pioneering new revenue streams and routes to market,” said Paul Hunter, HPE’s North America managing director, in a LinkedIn post.
Flexera hires Mike Jerich as President
Technology spend and risk management solutions vendor, Flexera, recently announced the appointment of Mike Jerich as president of the organization.
“I’m honored to join Flexera at such a pivotal moment,” said Jerich. “With a powerful platform for FinOps, ITAM, and SaaS management, we are uniquely positioned to help organizations gain visibility and insight over their technology spend and risk, regardless of the type of technology, where it lives or who owns it. I look forward to working with our talented team to accelerate innovation, strengthen our partner relationships, and drive customer value.”
Jerich brings over 25 years of experience to the role and most recently served as CEO at HungerRush. Jim Ryan will remain CEO of Flexera.
Deepwatch appoints new CRO and CFO
Deepwatch, an AI+Human cyber resilience platform, recently announced two executive-level appointments to help drive the company forward.
Alex Page will be taking over as Deepwatch CRO, and Warren Dewar will serve as CFO.
“Bringing Alex and Warren on board is a strategic step forward for Deepwatch as we continue to improve the depth and talent of our leadership team,” said John DiLullo, CEO at Deepwatch. “Alex’s strong history of building and leading high-growth sales organizations along with Warren’s extensive experience in financial and operational excellence are critical skills that will be much needed as we continue to scale our business and implement the next phase of our global growth plans. Together, their expertise strengthens our ability to deliver exceptional value to customers and partners, while advancing our position as the leading cyber resilience platform.”
Page brings over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity sales and a track record in building scalable sales engines.
Dewar is a veteran financial executive with over 15 years of expertise in strategic finance and mergers and acquisitions.
Barracuda taps Michelle Hodges as channel leader
Cybersecurity leader, Barracuda Networks, recently announced that Michelle Hodges will take over as Senior Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances.
Hodges will lead Barracuda’s worldwide channel strategy, drive growth, and deepen engagement across Barracuda’s partner ecosystem.
“Michelle’s appointment reflects Barracuda’s deep commitment to empowering our partners with innovative solutions and managed security services that are easy to buy, deploy, and use,” said Geoff Waters, CRO at Barracuda Networks. “Her experience and leadership will be instrumental in advancing the Barracuda Partner Success Program, enhancing our go-to-market execution and accelerating growth.”
Hodges brings over two decades of experience in transforming partner programs for technology vendors, having previously served as SVP of global channels and alliances at Ivanti.
“I’m taking every opportunity I can to meet with, talk to, and– most importantly– listen to our partners,” Hodges said in an interview with Channel Insider. “As I build these relationships, it’s wonderful to see the level of engagement and trust between Barracuda and its partners.”
WatchGuard makes CEO transition
Unified cybersecurity provider WatchGuard has announced a new leadership transition plan, which will see CEO Prakash Panjwani step out of his operational role and continue to serve on the Board of Directors and as a strategic advisor to the company.
Vats Srivatsan, a cybersecurity veteran and operating partner at Vector Capital, WatchGuard’s majority owner, will step in as interim CEO and join the company’s board of directors.
“Prakash’s leadership over the past decade has been instrumental in transforming WatchGuard into a leading cybersecurity platform company. Few leaders leave the kind of legacy he has– shaping not only the company’s strategy, but also producing consistent strong performance and operational excellence,” said Alex Slusky, founding partner and managing director of Vector Capital. “We are pleased to have him continue as a board member and are deeply grateful for his vision, discipline, and unwavering commitment to WatchGuard’s partners, customers, and employees.”
OneTrust appoint Digvijay Lamba as Chief Technology Officer
Cloud platform, OneTrust, announced that it was appointing Digvijay (DV) Lamba as chief technology officer (CTO) to lead the organization’s global engineering organization.
“OneTrust is uniquely positioned at the intersection of AI, governance, and risk, with a clear vision for the future of data,” Lamba said. “OneTrust continues to stand out as a company accelerating innovation to create real-world impact for customers. As the need for AI-ready data skyrockets, we are delivering the foundation of data governance and risk management that enables organizations to responsibly use data at scale. To join the company at this moment is an amazing opportunity and one I’m ready to take on.”
Lamba is an industry veteran with over two decades of technical leadership experience developing scalable, business-critical data, AI, and cloud platforms.
Concentric AI appoints Lane Sullivan as Chief Information Security and Strategy Officer
AI-powered platform for intelligent data security, Concentric AI, has announced that Lane Sullivan will take over as chief information security and strategy officer to lead the organization’s cybersecurity program and contribute to its security strategy.
“Concentric AI’s rapid growth and technology leadership make this a pivotal moment to come on board,” said Sullivan. “I’m excited to lead our cybersecurity program and shape our strategy around data protection, insider threats, and responsible AI.”
Sullivan brings over 25 years of experience leading enterprise-wide security transformations, as well as guiding organizations through security incidents, including ransomware breaches.
Pax8 finds new VP of AI Adoption in Chance Weaver
Cloud marketplace, Pax8, has hired Chance Weaver as its new vice president of AI adoption for the Americas.
“My journey in the tech industry included founding IT Responsive, a Microsoft-focused MSP in Southern California where we became an early Pax8 partner. IT Responsive joined New Charter Technologies in 2021, where I led the Microsoft Practice for a top North American MSP,” said Weaver in a LinkedIn post. “Alongside managing the Pax8 partnership, I focused on AI go-to-market strategies, particularly Microsoft 365 Copilot education.”
Weaver will be assisting Pax8 partners and their clients in implementing, leveraging, and profiting from AI technologies.
Calero adds Eric Martorano as CRO and president
Provider of technology business management solutions, Calero, announced that it would be appointing Eric Martorano as chief revenue officer and president.
Martorano will lead Calero’s global go-to-market strategy and revenue growth while supporting the company’s expansion.
“Calero has built an exceptional business grounded in a customer-first mission with a clear commitment to delivering the most advanced, technology-driven solutions,” said Martorano. “I’m honored to join this amazing company at a pivotal time and look forward to working with Scott, the executive team, and the incredibly talented individuals across Calero to advance our business strategy, expand our global footprint, and deepen the relationships with our customers and channel partners.”
Martorano most recently served as CRO at Simplilearn and has held leadership positions at Kinly, Intermedia, and Microsoft.
Databricks announces Stephen Orban as SVP of Product Ecosystem and Partnerships
Data and AI solutions provider, Databricks, recently named Stephen Orban as SVP of product ecosystem and partnerships after previous stints at Google Cloud and AWS. Orban will lead the growth of Databricks’ global partner network.
“Today, thousands of partners are part of the Databricks ecosystem, ranging from startups building on our platform, to software vendors delivering joint solutions, to data providers bringing AI and data intelligence to life. Expanding and deepening this global partner network is critical to driving customer outcomes and real-world impact,” said Adam Conway, senior vice president of products. “That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Stephen Orban as SVP Product Ecosystem and Partnerships at Databricks.”
Orban’s previous accomplishments include over a decade of leading cloud migration and partner programs at AWS and Google Cloud. He invented and launched AWS Data Exchange, which offers data from hundreds of providers.
“Stephen will be instrumental in expanding our ecosystem to tens of thousands of partners,” said Conway. “He’ll also be involved in our product development, ensuring that our partners’ roadmap and strategic plans are aligned with our own so we mutually grow and benefit.”
May isn’t the only month in 2025 that saw significant alterations to executive benches. Learn more about the leadership moves around the channel from April.