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WatchGuard appoints Zayed Alji as new Partner Manager in Victoria & Tasmania
Thu, 29th Feb 2024

WatchGuard Technologies, an international leader in cybersecurity, has announced the appointment of Zayed Alji as the new Partner Relationship Manager for its Victoria and Tasmania regions. The appointment, based in Melbourne, signifies the firm's commitment to strengthening customer experience via its network of channel partners.

The position will see Alji managing the relationship with key partners in Victoria and Tasmania, delivering technical guidance, sales support, account management, and marketing enablement through the WatchGuardONE channel partner programme. These activities are designed to help partners reduce costs, enhance efficiency and facilitate successful business endeavours.

Alji brings a wealth of industry experience to his role at WatchGuard, boasting two decades in the IT sector both in Australia and across the Middle East. He previously held the post of Channel Account Manager ANZ at Checkmarx, identifying key market opportunities and devising collaborative selling strategies to stimulate end-customer sales via channel partners.

Prior to this, Alji held several positions in the United Arab Emirates, including the Regional Sales Manager for SecureLink in the Gulf region and the Territory Manager for the UAE, Oman, and Pakistan at StarLink. During his tenure as the Regional Sales Manager at Global Security Networks, he was instrumental in business growth in the Gulf, playing a key role in delivering strategic transformational cybersecurity solutions to clients.

Anthony Daniel, Regional Director Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands at WatchGuard Technologies, commented on Alji's appointment. He says, "We see strong channel engagement as an integral part of WatchGuard's ongoing success and Zayed's appointment will amplify our resources to regional channel partners in Victoria and Tasmania to ensure they remain customer-focused and equipped to offer clear differentiation and skills specialisation in key market segments."

According to Daniel, Alji's role will also contribute towards the development and nurturing of relationships as part of the firm's 100 per cent partner-focused business. "This... will enhance our customer and market value while helping to grow and strengthen the WatchGuard position in the channel as a clear leader in unified cybersecurity solutions. Indeed, this year, we will continue to provide partners with an extension of our Unified Security Platform with ongoing innovation tapping into the capabilities of technologies, including XDR, zero trust identity infrastructure, and advanced reporting."

Earlier this year, WatchGuard was recognised as a Cybersecurity Channel Champion in the 2023 Canalys Global Cybersecurity Leadership Matrix. This annual report assesses vendor performance in the channel over the last 12 months based on partner feedback, vendor surveys, Canalys shipment estimates, and analyst insight. This recognition marked the second consecutive year that WatchGuard achieved Champion status in the Canalys report.