Telecom
Joe Levy Appointed CEO of Sophos as Jim Dildine is Named New CFO
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced that Joe Levy is now chief executive officer (CEO) of the company.
Levy has been acting CEO since Feb. 15. To drive a critical role in the execution of his strategy to shape the future of Sophos, Levy has named Jim Dildine Sophos’ new chief financial officer (CFO) and a member of his senior management team.
Levy is a nearly 30-year veteran of innovating and leading cybersecurity product development, services and companies.
During his nine-year tenure at Sophos, Levy drove the transformation of Sophos from a product-only vendor into the global cybersecurity giant it is today, including an incident response team and managed detection and response (MDR) service that defends more than 21,000 organizations worldwide.
Levy also created SophosAI and Sophos X-Ops, an operational threat intelligence unit that joins together more than 500 cross-departmental cybersecurity operators and threat intelligence experts.
Sophos X-Ops shares real-time and historical attack data with all of Sophos’ solutions, making them smarter and faster at defending customers from persistent cyberattacks.
Levy has in-depth experience working with the channel, including managed security providers (MSPs), throughout his career, which he started in the mid-1990s as a cybersecurity practitioner and product and service innovator at a value-added reseller.
As CEO, Levy plans to expand Sophos’ already strong customer base in the midmarket, which includes nearly 600,000 customers worldwide and generates more than $1.2 billion in annual revenue.
As a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions for the midmarket, Sophos has a unique ability to further scale its business and the business of its partners by helping organizations in dire need of basic and expanded defenses against opportunistic and targeted cyberattacks.
These organizations include the critical substrate, small- to mid-sized organizations that comprise the machines of the world’s economy and are just as susceptible to cyberattacks as major corporations.
In fact, the critical substrate, including smaller organizations within the classic 16 critical infrastructure verticals, are prime attacker targets, as evidenced by Sophos’ Active Adversary report and 2024 Threat Report. Both intelligence reports reveal how attackers are repeatedly abusing exposed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access at midmarket organizations, as well as going after them for data theft, spying, ransomware payoffs, or supply chain attacks to gain entry to bigger prey.
“When midmarket organizations – the global critical substrate – are paralyzed due to ransomware or other cyberattacks, business activities linked in our supply chains also stagnate, slowing our economy down. Operations of all sizes and shapes suffer collateral damage when dependencies in their supply chains are attacked. This can be devastating in often unpredictable ways because of the increasing complexity of how the modern industrialized global economy works,” said Levy.
“Our goal is to help more organizations in the midmarket – the estimated 99% of organizations that are below the cybersecurity poverty line – be better at detecting and disrupting inevitable cyberattacks.
“Our envisioned approach to achieving this is to work with MSPs and channel partners that can scale alongside us with our innovative critical cross domain technologies – endpoint, network, email, and cloud security – and managed services that they can resell and co-deliver.
“Cyberattacks against the midmarket could severely impact the world’s ability to function; they are relatively under-protected compared to the 1%, and Sophos is on a mission to change that.”
Levy’s leadership strategy includes adding Dildine as CFO to help Sophos reach its business goals and propel the company on its future growth trajectory. He brings exceptional operational expertise to Sophos, as well as a strong background in channel partner-based cybersecurity business.
Dildine joins Sophos most recently from cybersecurity software and services company, Imperva, where he was CFO for more than four years. Before Imperva, Dildine was CFO for Symantec’s $2.5 billion enterprise security business unit for three years. Dildine also previously held key financial leadership roles for nearly nine years at Blue Coat Systems, where Levy also served as chief technology officer.
While at Blue Coat Systems, he oversaw a dramatic growth in market value while guiding the company to a go-private transaction by Thoma Bravo, sale from Thoma Bravo to Bain Capital, and subsequent sale to Symantec for $4.6 billion in 2016. Dildine also spearheaded the acquisition and seamless integration of six security-focused companies, which were valued at more than $750 million during his tenure.
“Having worked in technology and finance for more than 30 years, it is exciting to join Sophos at this juncture, when the company is well on its way to breaking through to the next level. Everything the company has accomplished thus far is impressive, including how dedicated Sophos is to constantly be innovating its cybersecurity technology and managed security services for customers in the midmarket. Sophos is also equally committed to supporting its channel partners, MSPs, and staff around the world,” said Dildine. “I am looking forward to helping Joe accelerate growth and further position Sophos as a leader in the industry.”
“Thoma Bravo has worked with Joe through successful investments in SonicWall and Blue Coat Systems, and our relationship and experience together, coupled with his authentic style of leadership and impeccable reputation across the cybersecurity industry, make him the ideal CEO to lead this next chapter at Sophos,” said Chip Virnig, a partner at Thoma Bravo and a Sophos board member.
“We’re also excited that Jim is joining Sophos as CFO and is a member of Joe’s senior management team. We’ve worked with Joe and Jim at various companies for well over a decade, and we’re confident their combined expertise will reap big rewards for the future of Sophos.”
MTN Group, Africa’s leading telecommunications provider, has joined forces with Meta to improve the quality and reliability of voice and video calls on real-time calling applications such as WhatsApp across 12 MTN markets.
The collaboration, which began at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, focuses on optimizing application-aware networks and network-aware applications to deliver a seamless and high-quality user experience. By leveraging data analytics and conducting comprehensive testing, MTN and Meta have successfully developed solutions that enhance the interaction between mobile networks and real-time calling applications.
Nigeria, MTN’s largest market, was the first to implement these enhancements. Early results indicate a remarkable 50% improvement in key performance indicators (KPIs), significantly enhancing the user experience for MTN Nigeria mobile users.
“This implementation further demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our customers’ digital experience.
“We’re pleased with the remarkable improvement in our real-time communication services, reflecting our commitment to innovative customer solutions,” said Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at MTN Nigeria.
Diego Marí, Head of Network Ecosystems Engineering at Meta, added, “The collaboration allows us to deploy advanced solutions for an unparalleled real-time experience in Nigeria and showcases our dedication to elevating service quality and improving user experience, while striving for continued efficiency in traffic delivery.”
The partnership underscores MTN and Meta’s shared vision of delivering cutting-edge solutions to enhance digital communication across Africa.
Ralph Mupita, president,MTN Group, has announced plans to reduce its shareholding in MTN Nigeria through a public offer after it returns to profitability.
The group aims to cut its stake from 76 percent to 65 percent in line with its longstanding commitment to deepen local ownership, according to ITWeb, South African tech publication.
Mupita, who disclosed the plan during an editors’ roundtable meeting this week, said “The only localisation we have as MTN Group is we have potentially a sell-down in Nigeria at some point in time, approximately 11 percent. This is something we have said long ago, that over time, we would want more Nigerians owning the company, and we are prepared to sell down to 65 percent. We are at around 76 percent,” he said.
The anticipated offer would mark MTN’s second major retail public offering in Nigeria, following its 2021 sale of 575 million MTN Nigeria shares to local investors.
That offer was oversubscribed, resulting in the allocation of 661.25 million shares, including a 15 percent greenshoe option. This reduced MTN’s stake in its Nigerian unit to 75.6 percent from 78.8 percent.
More than 126,000 investors participated in that round, including retail and institutional investors such as Nigerian pension funds, representing approximately 6.5 million contributors.
At the time in 2022, MTN Group announced plans to further reduce its stake to approximately 65 percent from 75.6 percent.
Mupita confirmed that the Group would only proceed with a new offer once MTN Nigeria resolves its negative equity position and resumes dividend payments.
Currently, MTN Nigeria’s shares are trading at N235 per share.
Despite reporting a revenue of N3.36 trillion in 2024, a 36.03 percent bump from N2.47 trillion in 2023, it posted a loss after tax of N400.44 billion, a 192.25 percent rise from N137.02 billion in 2023.,
This negative performance was driven by macroeconomic headwinds, including record inflation and a steep devaluation of the naira, which raised operating costs and wiped out investor value.
MTN Nigeria has fallen behind MTN South Africa as MTN Group’s largest revenue contributor.
However, the Group is projecting a rebound in 2025, citing key drivers such as recent tariff adjustments, operational restructuring, and improving macroeconomic indicators in Nigeria.
Speaking at the roundtable, Mupita highlighted that the Group is anticipating a V-shaped recovery in Nigeria’s service revenue. He pointed to the recent structural reforms, such as the removal of fuel subsidies, the naira stabilisation, and improved dollar availability.
“The continued normalisation of these factors, particularly naira stability, should have positive impacts on consumer spending power and our business operations,” Mupita noted in the Group’s financial statement for 2024 recently.
In a remarkable demonstration of corporate volunteerism, MTN staff, through the Y’ello Care initiative, have renovated a school block at Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Lakowe. This effort has restored hope and significantly improved learning conditions for both students and teachers.
The project, led by dedicated MTN employees, is part of the annual Y’ello Care campaign, which focuses on empowering communities through education, digital inclusion, and economic support.
Prior to the renovation, students at Iwerekun Community Senior High School faced challenges, including deteriorating classrooms that hindered effective learning. Recognising the need for intervention, MTN staff stepped in to transform the learning space, creating a safe, conducive, and inspiring environment for both students and teachers.
At the commissioning ceremony, Honourable Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Commissioner of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, acknowledged the significance of MTN’s contribution to education: “The education sector worldwide thrives on collaboration and commitment between public and private partners. MTN’s generous contribution is truly recognised, and I express my deepest gratitude for its unwavering commitment to supporting education in Lagos State. This new facility will provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, enabling our students to reach their full potential.”
Representing the Ojomu of Lakowe, Prince Mukaila Adeola expressed the community’s gratitude: “This is a rare opportunity, and it is not every day that Lakowe benefits from such support. We truly appreciate MTN for this contribution, and we look forward to even more support in the future.”
The renovated school block is equipped with improved water supply and an inverter included in a serene environment that enhances the learning experience. This renovation will ensure that students and teachers have a more comfortable and sustainable academic setting.
Speaking on the significance of the project, Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer (CCSSO) at MTN Nigeria, emphasised the personal investment of MTN staff: “I want to emphasise that this commissioning was made possible by the dedicated staff of MTN. Although MTN has a Foundation funded by 1% of the company’s annual profits, the credit for this commissioning goes to the MTN Nigeria staff members who, through their personal contributions, made this happen.”
Beyond the fresh coat of paint and structural improvements, initiatives like this create a lasting impact and a sense of hope in the lives of the students. The addition of a reliable power source and water facility means that students no longer have to struggle with poor infrastructure, allowing them to focus on their education.
For many students, access to quality education remains a challenge—not just because of financial barriers but also due to poor infrastructure, lack of resources, and limited teacher support. Programmes like Y’ello Care, alongside other education-focused volunteer initiatives, are helping to fill these gaps by creating safe, well-equipped learning environments and equipping students with knowledge beyond the classroom.
With the successful completion of the Lakowe school project, MTN reaffirms its commitment to education and youth development. The company encourages more organisations to embrace volunteerism and community service, as collective action remains a powerful force for societal progress.
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