Meet the Chiefs: Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Hexis Cyber Solutions
This week we caught up with Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, director of Worldwide Channel Marketing at cybersecurity solution vendor Hexis Cyber Solutions.
![Meet the Chiefs: Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Hexis Cyber Solutions Meet the Chiefs: Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Hexis Cyber Solutions](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blta6b01d2bc356d762/65246dffa52042077dedf9bd/russ-katherine-hexis-cyber-solutions400_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Russ-Hotfelter: "CSI Cyber." I’ve been a CSI fan for years, and the newer "Cyber" version is fun entertainment when you work in the IT security industry. Sure, it's an embellishment, and the timeline for discovery is very compressed compared to the “real world,” but I love to see the incorporation of technology into a show that appeals to a mainstream TV audience.
The VAR Guy says: We haven't seen this one yet, but Patricia Arquette is a great actress and you pretty much can't go wrong with any of the CSI spinoffs.
Russ-Hotfelter: I wanted to be a business owner, then an architect. The influence of my self-employed parents probably helped with No. 1, and I successfully ran a lemonade stand in front of my home for a few summers, along with selling seeds and cards, cookies and anything else door-to-door in my neighborhood. Now I architect channel partner programs, tools and demand generating campaigns.
The VAR Guy says: We're impressed at how ambitious you were as a child. It's good to see that all your hard work and dedication is now being poured into the channel.
Russ-Hotfelter: The one that I have continued to watch over and over again is "Sleepless in Seattle." What can I say? I am a hopeless romantic at heart, and love that they seem fated to be together. Besides, anyone who could dislike American sweethearts like Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, must be a little bit dead inside.
The VAR Guy says: Definitely a rom-com classic. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are the perfect on-screen couple, and this one is definitely worth a watch, even to this day.
Russ-Hotfelter: The last splurge was our cruise vacation in July. I am still paying for it, but it was worth every penny.
The VAR Guy says: We bet it was all those delicious tropical cocktails that they serve 24/7! That's always what gets us on cruises.
Russ-Hotfelter: I am an avid bookworm, so any book that makes my "must read list" is pretty special. While my tastes vary across genres, a recommended book must have changed me in some way and have claimed a space in my subconscious. It also has to continue to rise above the influence and competition of new tales. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt is gritty, harsh and a heartwarming triumph; all at the same time.
The VAR Guy says: Donna Tartt's novel follows 13-year old Theo Decker after he gains possession of a priceless piece of art after a terrible accident. The book won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2013.
Russ-Hotfelter: I started very young and my first job was doing janitorial work on the weekends, and generating monthly customer statements. My parents were self-employed and owned a retail office equipment business. In the spirit of entrepreneurship, they empowered me to work for any extras I wanted.
Janitorial work paid $2 per hour and included donuts for breakfast and lunch with Dad, as a bonus I got to listen to Zig Ziglar and other motivational sales cassettes during the two-hour round-trip car ride. However customer statements were my favorite because I made 1 cent per each one completed, so to a young child it seemed like my income potential was limitless.
The VAR Guy says: It sounds like you had the entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age!
Russ-Hotfelter: It is and has always been a Lamborghini. While it seems like a cliché answer, I have wanted one since my early teens. While the high school populous was focused on Camaros and Mustangs, my high school art class renderings were full of Lamborghinis. I am still a performance car buff today. Lamborghini body lines are sharp, aerodynamic and invoke motion. Even the melodious growl of a revving Lamborghini exhaust, is like a sweet siren song that turns my head, while I navigate the waterways of concrete and asphalt.
The VAR Guy says: Wow, that was really poetic! It sounds like it could be a commercial. We would certainly buy one!
Russ-Hotfelter: In July, my family and I completed two firsts: our first cruise and our first trip to the Caribbean. It was a trip of a lifetime and we were able to visit Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel while enjoying the unique beauty and resources that each island offers. One of the things that made it so special was being forced to unplug and relax. Purchasing full data and Internet access while on a cruise is the equivalent of buying gold bars, so I did without work email or phone for a full week. This was a first for me, and it made a big difference.
The VAR Guy says: We secretly think that the ridiculous Wi-Fi prices at sea are the cruise line's way of making sure no one does work and everyone has fun.
Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Director of Worldwide Channel Marketing at Hexis Cyber Solutions.
Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Director of Worldwide Channel Marketing at Hexis Cyber Solutions.
This week we caught up with Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, director of Worldwide Channel Marketing at cybersecurity solution vendor Hexis Cyber Solutions.
Russ-Hotfelter was responsible for starting the company's channel partner program, and brings more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, particularly with partner initiatives and sales programs, to her role as channel chief. Prior to her tenure at Hexis, she served in various roles at Silver Peak Systems, ShoreTel, Meru Networks and Hewlett-Packard, among others.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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