Katie McCullough Chief Information Security Officer, Panzura

Panzura, LLC appointed Katie McCullough to its newly created role of chief information security officer (CISO).

She will be responsible for security and compliance and customers alike.

The appointment follows a record turnaround since the company’s “refounding” in 2020, led by CEO Jill Stelfox. Since May 2020, the firm has grown its revenue by 485%, launched several new products, raised $80 million in series B funding, and instituted company-wide structural changes that improve diversity and drive performance. These changes include equalizing pay for men and women, mental health coaching provision, and the freedom to work remotely – all delivered by company’s gender-balanced board.

This appointment of McCullough comes at a time when customer data is increasingly under threat from a growing number of sources across a widening attack area. Cyberthreats like ransomware are rising in number and increasing in sophistication, growing threefold since 2020 according to Forrester.

“Evading cyberthreats is an around-the-clock challenge for customers. The traditional approach for companies has been to move fast to neutralize data threats after they happen,” commented Panzura CEO Jill Stelfox. “We want a more proactive, intelligent approach to keeping data safe that works better for businesses. We were looking for a leader in the security space who could shape Panzura’s vision for cybersecurity with fresh thinking and a commitment to excellence. Katie was the stand-out candidate and we’re 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 can’t wait to help shape the future of data security.“

She joins with more than 25 years of experience executing and leading security operations, compliance, managed services, and cloud solutions. During her time working for companies OneNeck IT Solutions and CDW/Berbee, she has time and again proven her leadership creating secure IT environments that enable businesses to run, grow, and transform.

Stelfox continued: “Our industry is changing. In my role as the only female CEO in data management, I set about creating an equitable, diverse work culture that rewards passion and performance. Katie’s proven ability to develop and implement transformative security strategies through her inspirational, team-centered leadership style makes her a great fit for Panzura.”

McCullough’s appointment will further company’s goal to deliver patented innovation to customers. The company currently holds 37 patents, having recently added 2 new patents that extend leadership in managing and protecting cloud-based distributed computing environments.

The first of the new patents is  #11470146 Managing a Cloud-Based Distributed Computing Environment Using a Distributed Database. It employs a distributed cloud data management system (DCDMS), layered upon a cloud storage system, which tracks objects accessed through the DCDMS. By utilizing several extended capabilities (snapshots, clones, roll-backs, etc.), it claims a method for efficient management and retrieval of client data in a cloud environment.

The second patent is #11467967 Managing a Distributed Cache In a Cloud-Based Distributed Computing Environment. It involves a data processing layer (DPL) that receives data requests from a client and subsequently locates and interacts with the appropriate caches assigned to the target data and metadata. The DPL further employs cache mapping and data block fingerprints to ensure that the data operations requested correspond with valid data.

The company is on target to add another 150 team members by the end of 2022 in engineering, marketing, HR, finance, and sales.