Trend Micro promotes Srujan Talakokkula to lead ANZ commercial business

Security vendor Trend Micro has promoted Srujan Talakokkula to the position of managing director of its Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) commercial business.

Talakokkula steps into the role after spending nearly five years as enterprise sales leader for Trend Micro's Northern region.

He replaces former ANZ VP Ashley Watkins, who was recently promoted to lead Trend Micro's USA South region.

Trend Micro said Talakokkula will concentrate on expediting the growth of the company's ANZ business, with an emphasis on enhancing the overall customer experience and maximising channel partner revenue opportunities.

He brings over 17 years of industry experience working in enterprise technology and cybersecurity, including over a decade of driving sales in the ANZ region and business growth in healthcare.

“Businesses in Australia and New Zealand are at a pivotal stage in their cybersecurity journeys as they attempt to bolster resilience in an increasingly complex threat landscape," Talakokkula said.

"With a strong commitment to local research and development, our teams at Trend Micro constantly maintain a feedback loop that provides valuable data, which can inform strategic decision-making." 

“With Trend Micro’s strong footprint in the banking, financial services and insurance and government sectors, customer suggestions ensure that our innovation and offerings in the market are tailored to the local threat landscape, enabling our ANZ customers to get the most out of the industry's first AI-powered XDR cybersecurity platform.”

Talakokkula's appointment comes amid a series of recent additions that have further expanded Trend Micro's local leadership team.

This includes the appointment of Andrew Philp as ANZ platform strategy director, Martyn Beal as federal government strategic lead, Chelsea Docherty as NSW enterprise business lead, Luke Stephensen as WA, SA and QLD enterprise business lead, and Micheal Basha as ANZ mid-market lead. 

“Trend Micro has always prioritised the development of its teams by championing its homegrown leaders – one of the key factors contributing to the company’s 100 quarters of consecutive global growth,” Trend Micro's senior VP of global marketing and US-Asia-Pacifc, Middle East and Africa sales Dhanya Thakkar said.

“In a time when cybersecurity has never been more prominent in the boardroom, Srujan’s dedication to local customers along with his vision for the team he is building paves the way for an exciting year ahead for the Australia and New Zealand region.”