SAN JOSE – November 29, 2022 – Panzura, LLC (“Panzura”), a hybrid multi-cloud data management company, has appointed Katie McCullough to her new role as Chief Information Security Officer. McCullough will be responsible for security and compliance for the company and customers.
The appointment follows a record turnaround since the company’s “refounding” in 2020, led by CEO Jill Stelfox. Since May 2020, Panzura has increased revenue by 485%, launched several new products, raised $80 million in Series B funding, and implemented company-wide structural changes designed to improve diversity and boost performances. These changes include equal pay for men and women, the provision of mental health coaching and the freedom to work remotely – all provided by Panzura’s equal board.
McCullough’s appointment by Panzura – and the creation of the CISO role – comes at a time when customer data is increasingly at risk from a growing number of sources in an ever-widening attack zone. Cyber threats like ransomware are growing in number and becoming more sophisticated, tripling since 2020 according to Forrester. “Avoiding cyber threats is an ongoing challenge for customers. The traditional approach for companies has been to act quickly to neutralize data threats after they have occurred,” commented Panzura CEO Jill Stelfox. “We want a more proactive and intelligent approach to ensuring data security works better for businesses. We were looking for a security leader who could shape Panzura’s cybersecurity vision with fresh thinking and a commitment to excellence. McCullough was the standout candidate and we are thrilled to welcome her to the team.
“It’s a privilege to join a fast-growing company with as much potential as Panzura,” said McCullough. “Jill and her team have an incredible vision for the future of data management, and I look forward to helping shape the future of data security.”
She joins Panzura with over 25 years of experience running and leading security operations, compliance, managed services and cloud solutions. While working for industry-leading companies OneNeck IT Solutions and CDW/Berbee, McCullough repeatedly demonstrated her strategic leadership by creating secure IT environments that enable businesses to operate, grow and transform.
Jill continued, “Our industry is changing. In my role as the only female CEO in data management, I set out to create an equitable and diverse work culture that rewards passion and performance. McCullough’s proven ability to develop and execute transformative security strategies through her inspirational, team-focused leadership style makes her an ideal candidate for Panzura.
His appointment will reinforce Panzura’s goal of delivering breakthrough, patented innovation to customers. The company currently holds 37 patents, having recently added two new patents that extend Panzura’s leadership in managing and protecting cloud-based distributed computing environments. The first of the new patents is #11470146 Managing a distributed cloud-based computing environment using a distributed database. It uses a distributed cloud data management system (“DCDMS”), overlaid on a cloud storage system, which tracks objects accessed through the DCDMS. By using several extended features (snapshots, clones, rollbacks, etc.), this patent claims a method of efficiently managing and retrieving customer data in a cloud environment. The second patent is #11467967 Managing a Distributed Cache in a Cloud-Based Distributed Computing Environment. This involves a data processing layer (“DPL”) that receives data requests from a client and then locates and interacts with the appropriate caches assigned to the target data and metadata. The DPL further uses cache mapping and data block fingerprinting to ensure that requested data operations correspond to valid data. Together, these patents demonstrate Panzura’s commitment to advancing its security portfolio.
Panzura has won numerous industry awards over the past 12 months, including “Cloud Infrastructure Solution of the Year” by the Tech Ascension Awards and “Best Hybrid Cloud Solution” in the Cloud Awards. Other industry recognitions include being named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in the United States and being named one of its Best Places to Work in 2022. Add another 150 team members by the end of 2022 with opportunities in engineering, marketing, human resources, finance and sales.
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