Kaspersky has announced the appointment of Christopher Hurst as its new general manager for the UK & Ireland, as the cyber security provider looks to continue its recent success in the region.
A seasoned veteran of the software industry, Hurst arrives with 34 years’ experience in the trade and a strong track record in the European tech industry.
Kaspersky said his initial objectives include driving more aggressive growth in its enterprise business, a stronger presence in the UK channel, as well as a solid strategy to recruit more partners and customers across the B2B portfolio.
"We’re very happy to welcome Chris Hurst to Kaspersky," said Chris Connell, deputy vice president of Global Sales Network and managing director of APAC and Japan, at Kaspersky. "His vast experience in this sector and demonstrated leadership ability from start-ups to enterprise businesses will bring real value to the business.
“We are confident that he will help drive strong regional growth in 2021 and beyond, and continue to support and protect our customers from ever-changing and growing cyber threats.”
Hurst’s experience in the European tech industry includes specialising in building teams to take new products to the EMEA market across several start-ups.
An experienced leader, he joined Veritas/Symantec in 2006 via an acquisition where, over a period of twelve years, he ran several incubation businesses – including the xSP business. Hurst also led the EMEA Security Practice, driving emerging products with a team of specialists.
More recently, he built the EMEA operation of Cloudistics, a private cloud platform backed by Bain Capital Ventures.
The appointment comes at a time when Kaspersky’s market share in the UK & Ireland continues to grow, while the provider says it has also seen strong advances within the global cybersecurity space.
“I’m excited to be taking on this role within such a fast-paced industry and growing company, as Kaspersky continues to take a frontline role in making the world more cyber-secure,” Hurst commented.
“Our goal is to bring on the future for our customers. I’m passionate about protecting this country’s industries and consumers, and that’s one of the key reasons I’ve joined Kaspersky.”
