Secureworks appoints Simon Ractliffe as Regional Managing Director for Australia, New Zealand, & ASEAN

Cybersecurity global leader Secureworks has appointed Simon Ractliffe as Regional Managing Director Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN, in an effort to drive growth in a region amid increasing cyber threats and a significant cyber talent shortage. Ractliffe will oversee all aspects of the go-to-market strategy across the region, utilising his extensive partner ecosystem experience as Secureworks scales its operations in the region.

Ractliffe, who re-joins Secureworks from Qualys where he served as Regional General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, will use his almost three decades of high-growth enterprise, SaaS and cybersecurity experience to meet the evolving challenges of the region. His career also boasts senior roles at IBM and Singtel, in addition to founding his own cybersecurity consultancy.

Discussing the new role, Ractliffe says, "organisations are facing increased public awareness, regulatory pressure as well as scrutiny around their cybersecurity strategies and policies." Furthermore, he noted these challenges are "exacerbated by a deepening talent shortage and siloed point solution environments."

He went on to describe the regional industry's urgent need for cybersecurity platforms that provide consolidated views of an organisation's estate and work effectively with internal teams. "Secureworks' Taegis enables all this and more. It's the right solution for today, while providing the flexibility for organisations to scale and build for tomorrow," Ractliffe says.

Ractliffe's appointment comes as Secureworks gains international recognition for its innovative approach to cybersecurity. The company's solution Taegis – a SaaS-based, open XDR platform – was recently awarded the top innovation spot in the Frost Radar: Extended Detection and Response, 2023. Taegis provides a single pane of glass view into an organisation's cyber environment, enhancing cyber readiness and improving return on investment. The platform is particularly popular with organisations in the financial services, engineering, healthcare and manufacturing industries.

Allan Peters, Chief Revenue Officer at Secureworks, commented on Ractliffe's appointment, calling his customer-centric view of the cybersecurity world and his nuanced understanding of their needs invaluable to the company's growth. "As we invest further in our partners, his experience will be invaluable. With Simon at the helm, there is nothing we can't accomplish."