John Paitaridis to lead Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX
Following the wide-ranging merger of twelve cybersecurity consulting firms in Australia into CyberCX, John Paitaridis has been appointed to head the new firm. Paitiridis has more than two decades of professional experience in the world of technology.
Paitiridis joined private equity firm BGH Capital early this year, and is said to be the mastermind behind a twelve-firm merger to form CyberCX. The twelve IT security firms are: Alcorn, Assurance, Asterisk, CQR, Diamond, Enosys, Klein & Co., Phriendly Phishing, Sense of Security, Shearwater, TSS and YellIT.
Having been named CEO of BGH Capital’s Technology Portfolio, Paitaridis appears to be steering the firm in the direction of cybersecurity, possibly anticipating an increase in demand for cybersecurity consulting services in the future. His direction would be in keeping with overall trends in Australia.
Accounting and advisory firm BDO reported earlier this year that Australian companies are increasingly prioritising cyber security as a function, with most citing prevention of attacks and regulation as first on the agenda. IT services giant Accenture has also moved to match this demand, having acquired cybsersecurity services firm BCT Solutions in July this year.
Paitiridis will now drive CyberCX to consolidate its position in the evolving market, leveraging his considerable expertise in the process. Over the last two decades, Paitirdis has held high profile roles at two information companies, namely Executive Director at Telstra, and Managing Director at Optus.
He worked at Telstra for more than a decade, holding several roles during the time, before spending a seven-year spell at Optus. During this time, he has also led many boards. He is the Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association and the Chairman of Tandem Corp.
Commenting on his new role in a LinkedIn post, Paitaridis said, “I’m delighted to announce the creation of the leading independent cyber security services company in Australia. An organisation that unifies the nation’s most trusted cyber security brands and cyber experts with a single mission – to protect and defend Australian organisations and our communities from cyber threats.”
“CyberCX is relentlessly cyber and obsessed with customer experience, bringing together the nation’s best cyber security talent, technology and leadership. We manage cyber risk in a way that empowers business, enterprise and government to thrive in a disrupted world,” he added.
