OPSWAT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- VP, Global Channels
Alessandro leads OPSWAT's Global Channels Strategy and Operations. In this role, he is responsible for the governance and collaboration of the channel ecosystem, in alignment with OPSWAT's growth strategy, and in close collaboration with the geographic VP Sales. Alessandro joined OPSWAT in June 2020 having successfully led Global Channels in the IT/Software industry throughout the prior two decades.
He spent the last several years at Ipswitch, Inc., building a highly productive worldwide ecosystem that consistently attained upwards of 30% average annual new business growth with high profitability, culminating in an acquisition by Progress Software Corp. in early 2019. Alessandro was then invited by Progress to lead a $300m/year global channel, where he again fostered high growth and profitability rates.
Job Titles:
- General Manager for OPSWAT Romania
- GM, OPSWAT Romania
Alin Besnea is the General Manager for OPSWAT Romania where he oversees the Operations and HR functions, as well as coordinating all aspects of the business in Timisoara, Romania. Alin is also the Director of Products for MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK, handling the strategic vision and roadmap, as well as the engineering teams working on the OEM offering. Alin brings 14 years of engineering and engineering management experience. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Alin served as CTO at 2o, a social gaming start-up that he helped co-found. Alin has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Polytechnics University of Timisoara.
Job Titles:
- Country Manager of Japan
- GM, OPSWAT Japan
Andy Takamatsu is the Country Manager of Japan at OPSWAT, where he oversees the management of business in Japan. Andy brings with him more than 16 years of sales management experience in the cybersecurity industry. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Andy served as the Managing Director of Absolute (NetMotion) Software, the Country Manager of BlueCat Networks of Canada in Japan, and the General Manager of Sales for Citrix Systems Japan. Andy has a bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies from Lewis and Clark College in the US.
Benny Czarny - CEO, Chairman, Founder
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman of the Board
- Founder
- Member of the OPSWAT Board
- Member of the OPSWAT Executive Leadership Team
Benny Czarny is the founder and CEO of OPSWAT, a leading cybersecurity firm with over 1,500 customers, 500 employees, and 11 offices worldwide. Founded with a personal investment in 2002 to offer a unique, market-driven approach to security application design and development, OPSWAT has been breaking new ground in the field of cybersecurity for more than 15 years. Benny has over 20 years of experience in successfully identifying market needs and building, marketing, and selling innovative cloud-based security products and solutions. From the early days of computer viruses, he was interested and involved in the fields of encryption, network operations, and security vulnerability detection and research. Prior to founding OPSWAT, Benny held technical leadership positions at NetManage, Netect and BindView. Benny earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Technion-Machon Technologi Le'Israel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- VP, OEM Sales and Technology Partnerships
Chad Loeven joined OPSWAT in September 2021 and now leads the OEM division, whose team is responsible for licensing OPSWAT's technology portfolio to the world's leading technology vendors. OPSWAT solutions like MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK protect over 150 million end users through partnerships.
Prior to OPSWAT, Chad ran global sales and marketing for VMRay, a sandbox vendor, for five years. He also ran technology alliances for RSA, where he came on board as part of RSA's acquisition of Silicium Security and their ECAT EDR (Endpoint Discovery and Response) technology. At Silicium he was responsible for worldwide sales and marketing, channel development and partnerships. Chad graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Job Titles:
- General Manager of Hungary
- GM, OPSWAT Hungary
Csaba Litkei is the General Manager of Hungary for OPSWAT where he oversees the management of the Hungarian site in Veszprém. Csaba brings 7 years of leadership and more than 15 years of engineering experience in R&D. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Csaba served as Senior Software Developer Engineer and Software Development Team Lead at Continental. Csaba has a Computer System Programmer and a master's degree in Agrochemistry from Pannon University.
Job Titles:
- General Manager and VP of Research and Development of OPSWAT Vietnam
- VP, R & D and GM, OPSWAT Vietnam
Cuong is the General Manager and VP of Research and Development of OPSWAT Vietnam. He oversees the overall business activities of the Vietnam subsidiary and leads R&D teams to build innovative products for OPSWAT. Cuong has nearly 30 years of experience in business management and product development in the software industry. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Cuong was the Founder and CEO of innovative software boutiques Eragram and Vietnam e-Solution, and the Managing Director for the Vietnam branch of the global software services Luxoft Company. Cuong holds a bachelor's degree from Ho Chi Minh City University for IT, an MBA from Malaysia Open University, and a Data Science Specialization Certification from Johns Hopkins University on Coursera.
Job Titles:
- Director of Professional Services and Support
- SVP, Customer Experience
Dan Lanir joined OPSWAT as Director of Professional Services and Support in early 2012. Dan is responsible for developing and growing the company's global-class technical support and professional services business. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Dan worked at Oracle for 19 years, where he held leadership positions in both services and support with responsibilities that included running complex multi-location software deployment projects, directing global support desks, and managing domestic and international customer relationships. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the OPSWAT Board
- CMO at NICE
Einat is CMO at NICE, leading the company-wide Marketing strategy across all regions and solution lines. In the 14 years she has been with NICE, Einat has played multiple, key roles in defining and shaping NICE's global strategy, as the company grew and expanded to its current success. Prior to joining NICE, Einat led product and global marketing roles with global market leaders such as BMC Software and SAP. Einat holds an MBA with a focus on Marketing and a BA in Computer Science.
Eric Spindel - Chief Legal Officer, Secretary
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- General Counsel
- General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and Is Responsible
Eric Spindel joined OPSWAT in March 2021 as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and is responsible for OPSWAT's worldwide legal affairs. Eric has over 20 years of international business and legal experience, including at both public and privately-held companies. Prior to OPSWAT, Eric was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at a private equity-backed and Nasdaq-listed cybersecurity company and previously practiced corporate and securities law for a number of years at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He received a joint JD/MBA degree from York University and is admitted to practice law in both New York and Israel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the OPSWAT Board
Hagi Schwartz is a distinguished financial management professional. In 2005, Hagi founded Magnolia Capital, an investment advisory firm, where he was Managing Director. Hagi is also a Venture Partner at Western Technology Investment, which he joined in 2011. Previously, Hagi was the Chief Financial Officer of several public and private technology companies including Check Point Software Technologies Inc., HyperRoll, Inc., ATRICA, Inc., and Noosh, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- VP of Sales for Europe
James Neilson is the VP of Sales for Europe at OPSWAT, where he oversees the European go-to-market function and is responsible for scaling the business through our own sales teams and partner channels, meeting revenue and profitability targets, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
James has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, 18 of which are in leadership positions for cybersecurity companies. Prior to joining OPSWAT he served as VP of Sales EMEA at Immersive Labs - a UK-based cyber startup - and held leadership roles at Forcepoint and Symantec.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- Sales Leader
- VP Sales, Public Sector for Americas
Jay Anderson is a seasoned sales leader with over 23 years of experience in the IT industry, including 13 years in leadership roles. He currently spearheads OPSWAT's Public Sector sales and distribution efforts in the U.S., driving growth in the competitive government market while addressing cybersecurity challenges faced by Federal, State, and Local agencies. Jay's exceptional track record includes leading top-performing sales teams from small startups to Fortune 100 companies, both in the public and private sectors. Known for his results-oriented approach, he combines entrepreneurial vision with strategic sales methodologies to exceed revenue goals.
Prior to joining OPSWAT in July 2023, Jay achieved a remarkable 26% sales increase while leading the Federal Sales team at SolarWinds and held senior leadership positions at TD SYNNEX, FactoryFour, and CalAmp. He holds a degree from George Mason University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- VP of Global Sales Engineering
Joe Edwards is the VP of Global Sales Engineering for OPSWAT, where he oversees the pre-sales engineering team activities across the world. Joe brings 25 years of management, consulting, and creative problem-solving experience to customers looking for trusted network and cybersecurity advice. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Joe served for 10 years as Founder/CEO at e-velocity technical consulting. He has also held sales and technical management roles at Cisco, IBM, and Juniper Networks. Joe has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Cincinnati.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the OPSWAT Board
For over 25 years, Julie Cullivan has driven transformational go-to-market, technology, security, operational, and acquisition strategy for both public and pre-IPO companies. Most recently she was the Chief Technology and People Officer at Forescout Technologies where she was responsible for leading the company's business model transformation, information technology strategy, production operations, and human resources. Prior to Forescout, Julie held executive positions at FireEye, Autodesk, McAfee, EMC, and Oracle. She was recognized as a Cybersecurity Leader of the Year 2020 by CSWY, a Woman of Influence 2019 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2019 Most Influential Corporate Board Directors, and awarded the Bay Area CIO of the Year 2017. Julie is a recognized leader in both the technology and cyber-security field and a frequent speaker on topics including women in technology, security as a board room imperative, digital innovation, and building high impact teams.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- VP Sales, APAC
Malcolm leads Asia Pacific & Japan sales and distribution for OPSWAT. In this role, Malcolm is responsible for driving sales revenue growth, ensuring the improved effectiveness of the sales organization and for optimizing the ongoing sales strategies in light of constantly changing competitive pressures, market demands and evolving products and services.
Malcolm has over 30 years of IT industry experience, including more than 15 years in Cybersecurity. Malcolm has been living and working in Singapore since 1997 and prior to joining OPSWAT, he held senior leadership roles at IBM, Tenable and Akamai, before which his formative career years were spent in London after graduating with honors in 1988.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director at OPSWAT India and Saarc
Manish Gautam, Managing Director at OPSWAT India and Saarc, is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with 18 years of experience. He previously held leadership roles at Array Networks and Select-WeP (Wipro group), excelling in selling complex IT solutions and prioritizing customer satisfaction. Manish champions a people-centric approach, fostering a culture of growth and development in organizations. His interests span leadership, organizational excellence, innovation, digital transformation, and the societal impact of advanced technologies. Based in New Delhi, Manish holds degrees from NIT Trichy and FMS Delhi, underscoring his expertise in engineering and management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- an Area Sales Director
- VP Sales, Americas
Michael Schumacher joined OPSWAT as an Area Sales Director in December of 2018. In his current role, Michael (or "Schu" as everyone knows him) is responsible for leading the Enterprise Vertical Sales Team in identifying, landing and nurturing those strategic corporate users of OPSWAT's world-class CIP products and services.
Prior to joining OPSWAT, Michael spent 9 years as a Regional Sales Director for Frontier Communications' CPE business as he grew their Enterprise Solution Services from a "startup" into a $130M business. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Country Head in Spain
- GM, OPSWAT Spain and Project Manager
Miguel Ángel Fernández is Country Head in Spain for OPSWAT where he oversees operations of the Madrid office. He is also a Project Manager for MetaDefender Unidirectional Security Gateway (USG)/BSG and NetWall Diode products. Miguel Ángel brings 15 years of experience working in technology and innovation in multinational/multicultural companies. Half of that experience was acquired working in cybersecurity. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Miguel Ángel served as Product Manager at Bayshore Networks and he is partner and co-founder of Barbara IoT. Miguel Ángel has a bachelor's degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Board
- Board Member, Lead Independent Director, Brighton Park Capital
- Founding Partner at Brighton Park Capital
Mike Gregoire is a Founding Partner at Brighton Park Capital (BPC), a growth equity private equity firm located in Greenwich CT and New York. Prior to joining BPC, Mike was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CA Technologies where he started in 2013. At CA, Mike accelerated the company's software leadership with innovative offerings, a renewed brand, and a strengthened market presence. The result of Mike's leadership over almost 6 years was the sale to Broadcom in July 2018, yielding a $10.5 billion market cap appreciation.
Chair of the World Economic Forum's IT Governors Steering Committee and member of the Business Roundtable's Information and Technology Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Sales Leadership Team
- Regional Sales Director
- VP Sales, META
Sertan Selcuk is the Regional Sales Director for OPSWAT, overseeing the overall business management in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa Regions. Sertan brings over 20 years of business development experience in Cybersecurity, mainly with ministries, military institutions, intelligence agencies, and other public institutions and large commercial organizations in the region. Before joining OPSWAT, Sertan served as CSO at V-Count, as Managing Director of Kaspersky in Turkey and Turkic Countries, and as Senior Director of Innova IT Solutions, one of the largest Cybersecurity system integrators in the META region. Sertan has a bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering from Yildiz Technical University, a master's degree in Cybersecurity from Middle East Technical University, and an MBA from Manchester University.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Member of the OPSWAT Executive Leadership Team
With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Simon has held finance leadership roles ranging from venture/PE-backed startups to mid-markets to large enterprises. Throughout his career, Simon has experienced explosive growth with many prominent technology companies including Sun Microsystems, Oracle and McAfee. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Simon was the Chief Financial Officer of a data analytics company, where he led the company to raise $75M in funding and drove the transformation of the company's business model from a tech-enabled solution to SaaS. Simon holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Member of the OPSWAT Executive Leadership Team
Stephen Gorham is the COO for OPSWAT where he oversees all aspects of the company's global office operations and information technology. Stephen brings 20 years of operational excellence and IT-focused performance to OPSWAT. Stephen has managed large Enterprise IT operations teams as VP of Cyber Security & Infrastructure Capabilities for CompuCom, VP of Services for Extensys, Inc. and VP of Technology/CIO of Hillsborough Community College. He currently holds a CISSP and CySA+ certification and is a former CISO. Stephen earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronic System Technologies at Southern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Information Studies at The Florida State University.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Business Development
Tom Mullen joined OPSWAT in 2004 and manages technical partnerships and legal activities for the company. Tom brings expertise in negotiating transactions with and managing on-going programs for vendors, customers, alliance & channel partners as well as acquisition targets. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Tom practiced law and held management positions in sales, marketing and business development at Apple Computer, CNET Networks (now CBS Interactive) and GreenBorder Technologies (now Google). Tom earned a Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Job Titles:
- GM, OPSWAT Taiwan and APAC Marketing Manager
- Marketing Manager and Taiwan Site Manager
Victoria Huang is the APAC Marketing Manager and Taiwan Site Manager for OPSWAT where she oversees the development and implementation of the organization's APAC regional marketing strategy which includes content localization, public relations, media partnerships, demand generation, webinars, conferences and events. Victoria brings more than 8 years of global sales and marketing experience from organizations in Taiwan, the United States, and Japan. Prior to joining OPSWAT, Victoria served as Sr. Marketing Specialist at Sumitomo Electric. Victoria has a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Golden Gate University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the OPSWAT Executive Leadership Team
- CPO
- in 2009 As a Software Engineer
Yiyi Miao joined OPSWAT in 2009 as a Software Engineer in the company's Research & Development Engineering Team. Yiyi started managing the Product Engineering and Product Management teams in 2017 and is responsible for the overall product design, engineering, and delivery processes. Yiyi earned a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Shanghai University in China and a Master's degree in Computer Science from San Francisco State University.