Cyber security and compliance specialist Proofpoint has appointed former VMware president Sumit Dhawan as its new chief executive officer.
Effective immediately, Dhawan replaces Rémi Thomas in the hot seat, who has been overseeing the business as interim CEO since 25 October and who will continue to serve as Proofpoint’s CFO.
A seasoned technology leader with over 25 years in the industry, Dhawan will use his experience in building category-leading, scaled enterprise software companies to lead Proofpoint into its next phase of growth.
“The Proofpoint board of directors could not be more excited to partner with Sumit as he joins Proofpoint to usher in a new stage of growth,” said Seth Boro, managing partner at Thoma Bravo, the private equity firm that owns Proofpoint. “Sumit brings a wealth of valuable experience and expertise in building category-leading, scaled companies and businesses.
“We are confident his customer-centric passion and strong legacy of leadership will continue to carry Proofpoint’s mission forward in providing people-centric cyber security solutions that address some of the most challenging risks facing organizations today.”
Dhawan joins the company from VMware where, as president, he was responsible for driving over $13 billion of revenue. In that role, he led the cloud computing firm’s go-to-market activities, from global sales and customer experience to its strategic ecosystem, industry solutions, marketing, and communications.
Prior to his spell as VMware president, Dhawan served as CEO at web application security service provider Instart and had previously occupied senior executive and general management roles at both VMware and Citrix.
Commenting on his latest appointment, Dhawan praised Proofpoint’s focus on security innovation, as well as its standing in the global cyber security market.
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“Over the years, Proofpoint has built an exceptional brand and is trusted by some of the world’s leading organizations as their cyber security partner of choice,” Dhawan commented. “I’m honored to join a leader at the forefront of cyber security innovation and to shepherd its continuing and unwavering commitment to helping organizations across the globe protect people and defend data.”
Dhawan’s appointment as CEO follows the news that Proofpoint has struck a deal to acquire email security specialist Tessian, in a move the firm said will help expand its email security services through integration of Tessian’s advanced AI technology.
