Seasoned cybersecurity leader Vats Srivatsan named Interim CEO and joins WatchGuard’s Board; Prakash Panjwani to remain on the Board and serve as strategic advisor.
Seattle, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced a planned leadership transition. After a decade of impactful leadership, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prakash Panjwani will transition out of his operational role, continuing to serve on the Board of Directors and as a strategic advisor to the company. Vats Srivatsan, a cybersecurity industry veteran and Operating Partner at Vector Capital, has been named Interim CEO effective May 14, 2025, bringing decades of global leadership and domain expertise to guide the company forward. He is also joining WatchGuard’s Board of Directors.
As the Board conducts a public search for the next permanent CEO, Vats will partner with WatchGuard’s long-standing executive team to drive execution and maintain strategic focus. Together, they will continue advancing the company’s mission to simplify cybersecurity for MSPs while scaling the platform, deepening partner engagement, and accelerating innovation across managed services, endpoint protection, and hybrid network security.
Honoring a Decade of Impact
“Prakash’s leadership over the past decade has been instrumental in transforming WatchGuard into a leading cybersecurity platform company. Few leaders leave the kind of legacy he has ‒ shaping not only the company’s strategy, but also producing consistent strong performance and operational excellence,” said Alex Slusky, founding partner and managing director of Vector Capital, WatchGuard’s majority owner. “We are pleased to have him continue as a board member and are deeply grateful for his vision, discipline, and unwavering commitment to WatchGuard’s partners, customers, and employees.”
During his tenure, Prakash Panjwani led WatchGuard through one of the most significant periods of growth and transformation in the company’s history. He oversaw six strategic acquisitions that expanded the company’s capabilities across endpoint protection, identity, and managed detection and response. During his time as CEO, WatchGuard more than tripled its annual recurring revenue and grew its partner ecosystem from thousands to tens of thousands. The global employee base also grew threefold, reflecting sustained investment in people, culture, and scale.
“Leading WatchGuard has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career,” said Prakash Panjwani, CEO of WatchGuard. “Together with our exceptional employees and committed partners, we’ve built something truly special ‒ a company that delivers real security for the real world. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m excited to continue supporting the team as a board member and strategic advisor.”
A Strategic Interim Leader
With more than 30 years of experience leading growth, transformation, and innovation across cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise technology, Vats Srivatsan brings the right expertise at the right time for WatchGuard. His proven track record of scaling global businesses, expanding platforms, and applying emerging technologies like AI aligns closely with WatchGuard’s long-term strategy and partner-first mission.
“Vats brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and deep industry insight,” said Sandy Gill, managing director at Vector Capital. “He’s led transformative growth at some of the world’s most respected technology and cybersecurity companies, and we’re confident he will help WatchGuard continue executing on its vision. Backed by a seasoned executive team, the company is well-positioned to maintain strong momentum, with innovation, platform development, and partner enablement remaining top priorities.”
Vats has led major cloud and security transformations, scaled high-growth operations, and launched programs that translated advanced technology into real-world value for some of the industry’s most well-respected companies. Most recently, he helped accelerate profitable growth through strategic partnerships and operational rigor at SentinelOne. Prior to that, he played a central role in transforming Palo Alto Networks into a multi-platform cybersecurity leader, driving 10 acquisitions in under three years. Earlier in his career, he was instrumental in scaling Google Cloud’s business from the ground up ‒ building its global commercial engine and founding the Advanced Solutions Lab to help organizations harness the power of AI and machine learning.
“I’m honored and excited to join WatchGuard as Interim CEO and Board member. I believe WatchGuard’s MSP-focused platform, strong culture, and deep channel partnerships uniquely position the company to protect businesses around the world,” said Vats Srivatsan. “I look forward to working with the entire WatchGuard team and our partner ecosystem to execute on our mission of simplifying cybersecurity and making it accessible to every organization.”
Unwavering Strategic Focus
WatchGuard ‒ strategically positioned at the intersection of essential cybersecurity services and the global MSP community that powers them ‒ is poised for continued success as it delivers on its promise of simplified cybersecurity for MSPs.
With a clear strategy, a strong leadership team, and a thriving partner ecosystem, WatchGuard is entering its next chapter with confidence and momentum. As the company continues to grow and evolve, its focus remains unchanged: delivering powerful, practical cybersecurity solutions that meet the real-world needs of today’s MSPs ‒ and shaping the future of security delivery for tomorrow.
About WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in unified cybersecurity. Our Unified Security Platform® is uniquely designed for managed service providers to deliver world-class security that increases their business scale and velocity while also improving operational efficiency. Trusted by more than 17,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 250,000 customers, the company’s award-winning products and services span network security and intelligence, advanced endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, and secure Wi-Fi. Together, they offer five critical elements of a security platform: comprehensive security, shared knowledge, clarity & control, operational alignment, and automation. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.
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CONTACT: Anthony Cogswelll WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. [email protected]
