SPMB Recruits Chief Revenue Officer for Xage Security
October 31, 2022 – Top-drawer chief revenue officers are commonly found at start-ups and smaller businesses. The tend to the bottom line while the rest of the C-level team expands key partnerships, seeks growth opportunities, or sources funding. That is changing. Larger businesses now view the CRO post as an essential, long-term role.
In one recent search, SPMB, an executive search firm that helps find transformative executives throughout Silicon Valley, has recruited Darron Makrokanis as the new chief revenue officer of Xage Security. Todd Greenhalgh and Nick Hoffmire led the assignment. “Darron’s track record of scaling software and cybersecurity companies will help Xage broaden its impact across sectors as the urgent need to cyber-harden critical infrastructure industries continues to accelerate, the search firm said.
“Xage is on a mission to protect the world’s most vulnerable organizations from potentially devastating hacks,” said Duncan Greatwood, CEO of Xage. “This means we need to continue to scale across both the public and private sectors Darron’s impressive track record scaling software and cybersecurity companies will help us broaden our impact across sectors.”
Mr. Makrokanis brings decades of experience from tech companies such as Druva, Tenable, Splunk, and Booz Allen Hamilton to Xage’s C-suite. Most recently, he was senior vice president and general manager for the Americas, Australia and New Zealand at D2iQ, an enterprise Kubernetes provider for smart cloud-native applications. He also previously served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves.
In his new position with Xage Security, Mr. Makrokanis will spearhead Xage’s go-to-market strategy, overseeing all aspects of sales and business development. “The increase in cyberattacks has put many critical industries under pressure to evaluate and update their security strategies,” said Mr. Makrokanis. “Xage’s zero trust capabilities, solutions, and services meet this rapidly growing need for proactive cyber defense. Xage has the right product, for the right markets, at the right time.”
Related: SPMB Recruits Chief Marketing Officer for Ethos
Xage is the first and only zero trust real-world security company. Xage’s solutions and services accelerate and simplify the way enterprises secure, manage and transform digital operations across OT, IT, and cloud. Xage products include Identity & Access Management (IAM), remote access, and dynamic data security, all powered by the Xage Fabric. Xage also offers Xage Cybersecurity Services, which deliver expert design, implementation, and support services to accelerate the adoption of proactive cyber-defense and underpin secure digital transformation.
Veteran Recruiters
For over 40 years, SPMB has worked alongside its clients to build executive teams that ensure venture capital and private equity-backed game-changers achieve scale, and position multi-billion-dollar public companies to unlock innovation. Specializing in technology and innovation, SPMB recruits upper management and board members to growth-oriented companies in tech, consumer, and sustainability industries. SPMB has also placed dozens of senior executives at the portfolio companies of leading private equity firm partners including Blackstone, KKR, and TPG.
SPMB Assists Cervin Ventures in Recruitment of New Partner
Tremendous opportunity lies ahead in integrating a set of distinctive human capital solutions that will deliver exponential value to private equity firms and their portfolios. At the core of this drive are private equity talent leaders and executive recruiters who are developing solutions to help clients navigate change and power value creation early in the hold period. Creating value in portfolio investments, to be sure, begins with assimilating the right team, and executive recruiters continue to step up.
Recently SPMB, an executive search firm that helps find transformative executives throughout Silicon Valley, assisted in the placement of Daniel Karp as a partner with Cervin Ventures. Suzanne Heske, who heads SPMB’s investment practice, led the assignment. “We are thrilled for our client Cervin Ventures who welcomes Daniel Karp as a partner,” said Ms. Heske. “With a shared focus on finding disciplined entrepreneurs disrupting the enterprise application, infrastructure and tools spaces, Cervin and Daniel’s collaboration will be an exciting one to follow.”
Mr. Greenhalgh is head of the firm’s innovation & sustainability practice. He joined SPMB in 2013 has closed over 800 searches in North America, Europe, and Asia during his 25-plus years in executive search. His clients are innovators and leaders in artificial intelligence, machine learning, clean energy and storage, autonomous driving, transportation, and better foods.
Mr. Hoffmire joined SPMB in 2016 as a part of Mr. Greenhalgh’s innovation and sustainability practice. He serves as a candidate developer and manages candidate flow and client engagement on a variety of complex searches in a number of sectors (AI, IoT, drones, agtech, solar, energy storage, autonomous driving, and others). Nick has helped place candidates for several leading-edge companies such as C3.ai, Chipotle, Casper, Enlighted, NRG, Brightfarms, and Aptiv among many others. Prior to SPMB, Mr. Hoffmire spent his early career at UBS Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley, and the University of Oxford.
Related: SPMB Completes Search for NewView Capital
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
