CEO Eddie Sheehy quits from Sydney software vendor Nuix after 10 years

Eddie Sheehy, the chief executive of Australia-based cybersecurity vendor Nuix, has resigned after more than 10 years in the role.

The company said it would kick off an international search for a new chief executive, with co-founder and chairman Tony Castagna to fill in until then.

Nuix also hinted it was planning a public listing, saying it would look for a replacement with a "global IPO skillset to lead Nuix through its next phase of growth and development".

Replacing Sheehy's spot on the board, Nuix has recruited former US ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich.

Bleich is currently the group chief executive of global law firm Dentons. He also served as special advisor to US president Barack Obama during his first year in office.

“I’m honoured and delighted to join such a talented group,” Bleich said. 

“I’ve admired Nuix’s exceptional cybersecurity and legal discovery products for years and I am deeply impressed with its team. I’m grateful for this chance to work with such talented professionals on the critical mission of making the cyber world a safer place for all of us.”

Castagna thanked Sheehy and welcomed Bleich to the board during what he called a transformative period.

“As the face of Nuix for more than a decade, Eddie can be proud of his contribution at Nuix as one of Australia’s great success stories in innovation and technology,” he said.

“Nuix is undergoing transformational change as we welcome Jeffrey Bleich on our board. This is a significant development in Nuix’s US and global reach given Jeff’s international experience with cybersecurity and his considerable insights into governments around the world."

Founded in Sydney in 2000, Nuix produces software used to analyse big data in digital investigations, such as the Panama Papers revelation in 2016. The company now has offices in the UK, Ireland, Germany and four US locations.