Sophos appoints new sales engineer for channel drive

Network and endpoint security company Sophos has announced the appointment of Steven Sparshott as sales engineer (SE) manager for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

Based in Sydney, Sparshott will be responsible for managing the development of the ANZ pre-sales team, while focusing on more effectively engaging with the channel to drive new business opportunities.

Sophos says his appointment demonstrates their continued commitment to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Sparshott has over 20 years of experience in technical management, design and sales.

He joins Sophos from Check Point Software, where he spent just under 2 years as northern SE manager.

He also spent over 6 years at Symantec as a regional manager for Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, before taking up roles at both BMC and Dell successively.

He will be tasked with understanding the technology needs of Sophos' clients and helping to develop a cohesive customer and partner experience.

On his appointment, Sparshott says,"I'm thrilled to be joining Sophos at such an important junction for the business.

"The security market is evolving fast, and Sophos has the background and skillset required to answer the business demand for a new way of detecting and protecting themselves. Sophos is already making waves in the market, and I'm looking forward to joining the team and enabling further growth in my new role.

Sparshott's appointment comes shortly after Sophos updated its threat protection portfolio, having launched Intercept X and the XG Firewall offering earlier this year.

Intercept X is an endpoint security product designed to stop zero-day malware and block all current exploit techniques.

Deployed through the cloud-based management platform Sophos Central, Intercept X can be installed alongside existing endpoint security software from any vendor.

Ashley Wearne, Sophos' ANZ General Manager says, "In a rapidly changing IT environment, it's more important than ever to be able to see the solutions that are the best fit for promoting our client's business objectives and maximising their customer satisfaction.

"With his customer focus and in-depth technological knowledge, Steven is the perfect addition to our team to help drive business growth and spearhead the adoption of Intercept X and our new XG Firewall.