CyberCX chief John Paitaridis takes home CEO of the Year award

CyberCX co-founder and chief John Paitaridis has taken home CEO Magazine's prestigious CEO of the Year award for IT and Telecommunications, just five years after the consultancy’s formation.

Now into its 13th edition, CEO Magazine’s annual Executive of the Year Awards recognise the individual excellence of senior Australian business leaders in driving their organisations across a range of industry categories.

Having helped to establish the cybersecurity roll-up in 2019, Paitaridis has been honoured with this year’s top CEO award for the IT & telecommunications sector, with Intrepid Travel chief James Thornton named as the overall winner.

Backed by BGH Capital, CyberCX was established through the merger of twelve smaller cybersecurity brands, kicking off with a headcount of 400 professionals across Australia. That number has since grown to around 1,400, including 200 experts in its growing New Zealand business, with recent reports suggesting the firm could now fetch a price of over $2 billion.

“I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues at CyberCX. This recognition is only possible because of their dedication, support and unwavering commitment,” Paitaridis stated. “Success is never about an individual – it’s always about the collective effort and team. I’m proud of our purpose and mission, and I’m proud that together we have built a remarkable company.”

Prior to setting up CyberCX, Paitaridis spent more than two decades in the telecommunications industry, including as managing director of Optus Business and as an executive director of Telstra’s enterprise and government division. He also served as chair of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), before joining BGH as CEO of the private equity firm’s technology portfolio.

“Five years ago, John had a vision to build the leading cybersecurity firm in A/NZ,” the firm stated. “CyberCX has since become one of the fastest growing tech businesses across the Asia Pacific and one of the largest cyber firms in the world. By sharing his passion and engaging with our people, together we are able to foster a collaborative, innovative and inclusive culture to drive our mission.”

Meanwhile, the professional services award went to Crowd Media HQ boss Judy Sahay, a one-time consultant at Grant Thornton. Past winners have included former Initiative CEO Melissa Fein ($20 million-$100 million), who recently joined Accenture Song, while Tristan Sternson, who guided ARQ’s $290 million sale to NCS, was a previous runner-up of the $100 million-plus category.