Kaspersky Lab's Grebennikov Out, Shvetsov in as CTO

Antivirus and Internet security software provider Kaspersky Lab has shaken up its C-level management, announcing that Nikolay Grebennikov, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) since 2009, has left. Nikita Shvetsov, Kaspersky Lab’s Vice President of Threat Research and Deputy CTO (Research), will serve as the company’s acting CTO.

“Nikolay led the [research and development] department for five years, and in that time, it has turned into a large industrial development organization,” Eugene Kaspersky, chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, said in a prepared statement. “I am certain that the new appointment will enable the company to achieve even greater successes, significantly expand the product line and strengthen our position as a leading vendor in the enterprise security market.”

Grebennikov’s departure comes after Steve Orenberg, president of Kaspersky Lab North America, exited the company earlier this month. Orenberg joined Kaspersky Lab in September 2004 and was a member of the company’s board of directors.

In addition, Kaspersky Lab has named Chris Doggett as Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab North America. Doggett, who has been with Kaspersky Lab since March 2012, commented on the announcement in a prepared statement:

“I look forward to beginning a new chapter at the company, to leading an exceptional team and to working together to take the company’s long-held commitments, significant momentum and outstanding growth to the next level.”

Kaspersky Lab operates in almost 200 countries and territories and claims it protects more than 300 million users worldwide. The company exceeded 250,000 corporate customers in 2013 and said it plans to release new enterprise security intelligence services and solutions in the future.