Optiv Security Names Andrzej Kawalec as European Director of Strategy & Technology; Rounds Out European Leadership Team to Further Accelerate International Growth Strategy

LONDON and DENVER – October 9, 2018 – Optiv Security, the world’s leading security solutions integrator, today announced it is continuing to accelerate its international growth strategy with the appointment of seasoned technology executive Andrzej Kawalec as director of strategy and technology, Europe. Kawalec, the final hire in the buildout of Optiv’s European leadership team, will be responsible for Optiv’s security strategy, service and technology architecture in the region. He will work with clients and partners to drive digital and cyber security transformation throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia (EMEA).

Optiv began its expansion in Europe earlier this year to provide clients with worldwide expertise and experience to help them transform and simplify their cyber security programs. In Europe, Optiv will focus on helping clients with the critical challenges of identity, digital transformation and security operations.

“Enterprise leaders today are overwhelmed with complexity in the cyber security landscape,” said Simon Church, Optiv’s general manager and executive vice president, Europe. “Optiv’s unique approach allows company leadership to take a step back and view security as it pertains to greater corporate objectives. The focus on developing business-led cyber programs rather than reacting to external threats and vulnerabilities has proven to be a breath of fresh air in an ever-changing digital world.

“Andrzej is an inspirational and creative leader who is widely recognized for his expertise in cyber security and digital change. A former CTO himself, he has a vast amount of experience working at the board-level across public and private sectors, helping to define and promote cyber security strategy. I am extremely pleased to welcome Andrzej to Optiv and excited about our trajectory and continued growth in Europe.”

Kawalec brings to his role with Optiv more than 20 years’ experience with some of the world’s largest companies. Most recently, as chief technology officer (CTO) and head of strategy and innovation at Vodafone, he led the company’s enterprise vision of cyber security preparedness in the age of digital, mobile, cloud and IoT for more than 462 million users. He previously served as CTO and director of security research at Hewlett Packard (HP) where he was globally responsible for HP’s enterprise security strategy, roadmap, research and development and market engagement. Prior to joining HP, Kawalec held a number of positions of increasing responsibility at companies such as Siemens, Compaq, Currie and Brown, Vistorm and EDS.

“Cyber security is a global challenge that demands a global response,” said Kawalec. “Organizations around the world are looking for insight and innovation to help them gain control of their security investments and posture. Optiv’s unique approach to cyber security is designed to help public and private entities achieve radically simpler and stronger cyber security programs. With a dynamic and rapidly growing European team, I am looking forward to having an impact on the way we address cyber security challenges together.”