Riyadh:

Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Sarno as Executive Vice-President (EVP) of International Sales. In this role, Joe will oversee Fortinet's International Sales business and join the Executive Leadership team, which brings together decades of expertise to deliver industry-leading solutions to over half a million customers.

Joe Sarno brings nearly two decades of experience at Fortinet and over 30 years in the cybersecurity industry. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for the International Emerging region and APJ, where he successfully implemented the company's growth strategy across more than 120 countries.

As EVP of International Sales, Joe will lead a highly qualified team of sales representatives and engineers across the EMEA and APJ regions, focusing on advancing Fortinet's three major strategic enterprise pillars: Secure Networking, Unified SASE, and AI-driven Security Operations. Fortinet's portfolio of integrated products and services provides a distinct competitive advantage in these critical markets, making technology the cornerstone of this strategic shift. Joe will play a vital role in executing this growth strategy to improve customer engagement and enhance market penetration.

Earlier this year, Fortinet announced its intention to acquire Lacework, a data-driven cloud security company. This acquisition will enhance Fortinet's Security Fabric platform by integrating Lacework's AI-powered cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP).

In addition to fostering strong relationships with customers, partners, and government officials, Joe will continue to lead the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for Fortinet's Operational Technology & Critical Infrastructure business, delivering cybersecurity solutions to critical infrastructures and production plants worldwide.

Delivering OT-aware security capabilities across its three strategic pillars is essential to Fortinet's growth strategy. The company is committed to providing OT-specific InfoSec tools, threat intelligence, and integration with third-party OT solutions to reduce risk and secure critical environments effectively. Fortinet remains at the forefront of OT security investment, prioritizing the protection of critical infrastructures, data, and, most importantly, human lives across key industries such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, utilities, energy, and transportation.

Joe Sarno stated, 'The cybersecurity landscape is changing rapidly, with threats escalating every day. Across the geopolitical, technological, and societal landscapes, I believe we are witnessing a call for a new era of cybersecurity, and a stronger move towards convergence and consolidation. The first era of security was protecting the connection, the second era was protecting the application, and now the third era will protect the data and safety of human lives. In my enhanced role, I look forward to executing our mission to protect people, data, and devices everywhere, while enabling economic growth, trust, and stability in the modern digital society.'