Secureworks' New Channel Chief Focused on Partner Growth

Secureworks‘ new chief channel officer is looking forward to increasing the company’s customer base and rolling out an enhanced partner program.

Maureen Perrelli joins Secureworks from NCR, where she was vice president of global channel sales. Before that, she was VP of worldwide cloud channel sales at Oracle, and a global channel sales leader at GE.

Secureworks’ Maureen Perrelli

Perrelli will lead the company’s global channel engagement strategy to bring Secureworks’ cloud-native software to market.

“Business environments are exceedingly complex today, and companies will need more collaboration from their cloud, IT and security vendors in order to protect critical assets from cyberthreats who exploit the gaps, said Mike Cote, Secureworks’ CEO. “As demonstrated by our recently announced partnerships with Dell and VMware, Secureworks sees tremendous opportunity for growth through channel partners, and I’m thrilled that Maureen has joined our team to lead that effort.”

Secureworks also continues to develop direct-to-market partnerships for its software and service bundles, even as it is boosting channel engagement. The company recently announced that Red Cloak Threat Detection and Response (TDR) will be paired with Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection to help joint customers rid their environments of advanced threats.

In a Q&A with Channel Futures, Perrelli talks about what’s in store for partners with her leading global channel strategy.

Channel Futures: Why did you want to join Secureworks in this position?

Maureen Perrelli: I see a great opportunity in the market for both for Secureworks and for the partner community. The continued growth in the cybersecurity space, especially in the use of analytics and TDR, aligns well with Secureworks’ vision for a software approach that’s based on broad collaboration throughout the industry.

CF: What’s your take on Secureworks’ current channel strategy?

MP: Secureworks already has innovative technology with 20 years of security intelligence and experience baked into it. And for the past year the company has made big strides in partnering with some of the best IT and security companies in the world. Now it’s time to point more of the organization’s resources at formalizing a channel strategy that makes those efforts scalable and ensures measurable success for all parties.

CF: Any changes needed?

MP: I look forward to aligning our sales, marketing and product development efforts with our partners in a purposeful way that helps us go to market faster and with more success.

CF: What can we expect to see in terms of Secureworks’ partner program?

MP: In the near term, you can expect to see close alignment with our Dell Technologies family, a focused approach to the market and close alignment with our resellers in the field.

CF: What do you want Secureworks’ partners to know about you and what it’s like working with you?

MP: Partners will find that I am very collaborative in my approach. I base needs and decisions on facts and work cross-functionally within my own company to help drive the best partnerships in the field. Successful channel relationships are a company decision, not an individual one, and all facets of an organization take part in the success. I always say if you double down with a partner, they double down with you.

CF: What are the biggest challenges facing Secureworks’ partners and what will be your role in addressing them?

MP: I think the biggest challenge for any provider is the fragmentation of the security marketplace, which makes it difficult to solve customer challenges in a meaningful and holistic way. The opportunity for both Secureworks and our partners is to be on this exciting journey together and bring better, more coordinated solutions to market. I believe partners can offer us invaluable insight based on their unique perspectives as we expand channels at Secureworks. It is time well-invested to be partners in this together.

CF: What do you hope to have accomplished a year from now?

MP: In a year from now we will have clear focus for the channel within the different routes to market, increase our customer base, and have an enhanced partner program.