#310 Thomas Plank: Take The Market Serious By Being Present.

🎙️ Channel Chat Podcast | Matt Bykowski & Nick Dyer, Arctic Wolf Recorded live at the Arctic Wolf Summit, this episode features Matt Bykowski, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, and Nick Dyer, Regional Vice President Solutions Engineering at Arctic Wolf. As AI accelerates innovation across the cybersecurity industry, organisations are facing a new challenge: how to balance risk, resilience and security while navigating an increasingly complex technology landscape. Matt and Nick join Channel Chat to discuss how buying behaviour is changing, why cybersecurity has become a board-level priority, and the growing role partners play in helping customers make sense of a crowded market. 💡 Topics covered include: • Why security has evolved from an IT discussion into a business and risk conversation • How AI is changing the way customers research, evaluate and purchase cybersecurity solutions • The growing influence of boards, CFOs and cyber insurance providers on security decisions • Why partners need to focus on business outcomes rather than technology alone • The challenge of platform consolidation versus best-of-breed solutions • How AI will impact cybersecurity skills, talent development and security operations • Why data security and identity security are emerging as critical areas of focus • What the highest-performing partners are doing differently in today's market Whether you're an MSP, VAR, reseller, vendor or channel leader, this episode offers practical insights into cybersecurity, AI, partner growth and the future of the IT channel. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the global IT channel.

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features Tidiane Lo, Vice President GTM Middle East & Africa at Westcon-Comstor. As AI adoption accelerates and cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, organisations are facing a growing challenge: how to embrace innovation without compromising security. Tidiane joins Channel Chat to discuss the opportunities driving growth across the Middle East, the evolving role of the channel, and why collaboration remains essential in today's cybersecurity landscape. 💡 Topics covered include: • What is driving the rapid growth of the Middle East cybersecurity market • Why collaboration is becoming more important across the channel ecosystem • What a genuine partner-first strategy looks like • How distributors evaluate and onboard new vendors • Why relationships continue to play a critical role in channel success • The growing importance of AI security and identity security • Why AI and cybersecurity must be part of the same conversation • The challenges created by talent shortages and increasing technology complexity • Why the next generation of cybersecurity talent will be critical to industry growth Whether you're a vendor, distributor, MSP, reseller, channel leader or cybersecurity professional, this episode offers valuable insights into AI, cybersecurity strategy, channel growth and the future of technology across the Middle East and Africa. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the global IT channel.

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features David Brown, Senior Vice President & Managing Director International at FireMon. After stepping away from the industry and spending time travelling the world, David returned to cybersecurity with a fresh perspective on leadership, growth, AI and the role channel partners play in building successful global businesses. In this conversation, David shares his views on the opportunities and risks AI presents, why cybersecurity teams are struggling to keep pace with an increasingly complex threat landscape, and what organisations can do to better protect themselves in an era of constant change. 💡 Topics covered include: • Why AI is both the biggest opportunity and biggest threat facing the industry • The challenges partners and customers are facing in the AI era • How organisations can put meaningful guardrails around emerging technologies • What is driving cybersecurity growth across the Middle East • Why channel partners remain critical to global expansion • The impact culture has on building successful international partnerships • David's leadership philosophy and the importance of hiring for an athlete's mindset • Why talent shortages continue to challenge the cybersecurity industry • How FireMon is helping organisations simplify security policy management across complex environments Whether you're a vendor, distributor, MSP, reseller, channel leader or cybersecurity professional, this episode offers valuable insights into AI, leadership, cybersecurity growth and the future of the channel. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the global IT channel.

Recorded live at GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features Thomas Plank, CEO & Co-Founder of Tributech. As critical infrastructure becomes an increasingly attractive target for cyber attackers, organisations across industries are being forced to rethink how they approach security, digital transformation and AI adoption. Thomas joins Channel Chat to discuss the changing threat landscape, why trust in industrial data is becoming more important than ever, and the lessons organisations can learn from past technology waves as they prepare for an AI-driven future. 💡 Topics covered include: • Why cyber attacks are increasingly focused on disrupting operations rather than generating financial gain • The growing threat facing critical infrastructure, energy and industrial organisations • What is driving cybersecurity investment across the Middle East • Why successful digital transformation requires long-term commitment and execution • The importance of building strong relationships in the channel • What makes a successful vendor-partner relationship • Why organisations can't skip the fundamentals on their journey to AI adoption • The risks of treating security as an afterthought when deploying AI technologies • Why secure-by-design principles remain critical in a rapidly changing technology landscape Whether you're a vendor, distributor, MSP, reseller, channel leader or cybersecurity professional, this episode offers valuable insights into AI readiness, cybersecurity strategy and the future of critical infrastructure security. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the global IT channel.

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features Piers Morgan, Senior Vice President & GM International at TENEX.AI. With AI reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, organisations are under increasing pressure to reduce complexity, improve efficiency and respond to threats faster than ever before. Piers joins Channel Chat to discuss the rise of AI-native security platforms, the evolution of the SOC market, and why the Middle East has become one of the world's most exciting regions for cybersecurity innovation and investment. 💡 Topics covered include: • The factors driving cybersecurity growth across the Middle East • Why AI-native security providers are disrupting the market • The differences between AI-first and legacy cybersecurity platforms • Building a channel-first strategy in a rapidly evolving market • The role of hyperscaler partnerships in scaling globally • How TENEX.AI has expanded at pace across international markets • What partners should look for when evaluating cybersecurity vendors • The importance of people, product and price in channel success • Why some security providers may struggle to keep up with AI-driven change Whether you're a vendor, distributor, MSP, reseller, channel leader or cybersecurity professional, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of AI, cybersecurity services and the IT channel.

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features John Brown, Regional Director, and Holly Hall, Senior Channel Manager EMEA at HackerOne. With organisations uncovering more vulnerabilities than ever before, security teams are facing a new challenge: deciding what to prioritise, what to remediate and how to cut through the noise. John and Holly join Channel Chat to discuss the growing importance of vulnerability prioritisation, the role of ethical hackers, the impact of AI on cybersecurity, and what makes successful channel partnerships in the Middle East. 💡 Topics covered include: • Why organisations are struggling with vulnerability prioritisation • The growing challenge of remediation at scale • How AI is changing cybersecurity and security testing • Why human expertise remains critical in an AI-driven world • The rise of bug bounty programmes and ethical hacker communities • What vendors need to know about succeeding in the Middle East • Building trust, transparency and stronger channel partnerships • The role partners play in helping customers manage risk • The opportunities driving cybersecurity growth across the region Whether you're a cybersecurity leader, vendor, distributor, MSP or channel partner, this episode offers practical insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry today. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders driving the global IT channel.

What does it take to build one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity distributors in the region? Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, Avinash Advani, Founder & CEO of CyberKnight, joins Channel Chat to discuss channel growth, vendor strategy, cybersecurity trends, and why success in the Middle East is built on relationships as much as technology. 💡 In this episode: • The story behind CyberKnight's growth • Why some vendors succeed while others fail in the Middle East • The importance of Product, Process and People • How CyberKnight evaluates potential vendor partners • Why relationships continue to drive cybersecurity sales • The impact of AI on the threat landscape • Cyber resilience, Zero Trust and future market opportunities • Why attackers are still winning 🎧 Listen now and discover the strategies, trends and lessons shaping the future of cybersecurity across the channel.

In this episode of the Channel Chat Dubai series, recorded during GISEC Dubai, Marc Sumner is joined by Yarin Pinyan, VP of Product at Upwind Security, for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today: securing AI. As businesses accelerate AI adoption, security teams are under increasing pressure to identify where AI is being used, understand new attack vectors, and respond to threats at machine speed. Yarin shares what he's hearing from CISOs and security leaders across the UAE, why attackers are gaining an advantage, the growing AI education gap, and why Dubai could become one of the world's leading hubs for secure AI adoption. In this episode: • Why many organisations still don't know where AI is being used • The rise of AI-powered attacks and emerging security risks • Why security must operate at machine speed • The AI education challenge facing businesses today • How the UAE is approaching AI adoption differently from other markets • Why Dubai is becoming a global cybersecurity hotspot • Who's winning right now: attackers or defenders? • The future of AI, cybersecurity and the human role in security If you're a cybersecurity leader, IT decision-maker, vendor, MSP, reseller or channel professional looking to understand the opportunities and risks surrounding AI, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Channel Chat Dubai series, Steve Low, Chief Commercial Officer at Titan Data Solutions, joins Marc to discuss Titan's journey from a startup with £200,000 in funding to a $50M business. Steve shares why Titan has doubled down on specialisation, reduced its vendor portfolio, and expanded into the Middle East, while building deeper relationships with partners and vendors across the channel. Topics covered: • Growing Titan from startup to $50M revenue • Why "get big, get niche or get out" is Titan's philosophy • Expanding into the Middle East and MENA region • Reducing vendors to increase focus and market share • What vendors should look for in a distribution partner • Why Titan focuses on problems, not part codes • Building relevance in a new market If you're a vendor, distributor, reseller, or channel leader looking to strengthen your partner strategy, scale through specialisation, or expand into new markets, this episode is worth a listen. 🎧

From factory production lines to leading cyber resilience strategy at Advania UK, Julie Nicholson has built one of the most unique careers in the IT channel. In this episode of Channel Chat, she joins Marc Sumner to discuss her journey into technology, why cyber security has evolved into a board-level business resilience conversation, and what organisations need to do to stay ahead of today's rapidly changing threat landscape. Along the way, Julie reflects on leadership, mentorship, customer trust and the lessons she's learned from helping organisations navigate real-world cyber incidents.