Ingram Micro, one of the largest technology distributors in Middle East, Turkey and Africa region, announced the appointment of Marc Kassis as Cyber Security Director. Kassis is the former CEO Middle East of AtoS, one of the largest European services providers.
With this appointment Ingram Micro has launched its Cyber Security business practice in META region which now consists of more than 40 highly qualified professionals in the Cyber Security field.
Kassis’s role will include driving the Cyber Security strategy and its execution in close collaboration with Ingram Micro’s country-level go-to-market teams. The business unit will ensure the introduction of a complementary range of cyber security vendors, security trainings, consultancy services and ultimately security managed services. The business unit will also be responsible for channel partner development and enablement as well as rolling out strategic marketing programs.
Ingram Micro has been a leading distributor in META region of Security vendors like Symantec, Intel Security, HPE, Cisco, IBM, Kaspersky and others for years through its value-added distribution entities in the region, Aptec Middle East and North Africa and Armada Turkey.
Since the beginning of the year, Ingram Micro has added new cyber security vendors like A10, Nexthink, Nuix and PhishMe. There are other contracts to be announced in 2016 and 2017.
“Our target is to enhance the value proposition to the market through our business partners with dedicated range of services and more relevant blue chip vendors,” said Ali Baghdadi, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive of Ingram Micro’s META region. “Today, we are launching the Cyber Security business unit which will act also as a practice and a reference for our partners. We welcome Marc to Ingram Micro and look forward to the contributions he and his team will make to our business.”
“I am very proud to take this challenge and create this value to all vendors and partners trusting already Ingram Micro,” said Kassis. “It goes beyond the simple common sense of gathering under a single business unit all Cyber Security vendors. We are going to deliver value added services and become much more relevant to our vendors and market in this domain.”
Kassis has deep experience in IT and the telecommunication industry, having developed business and delivered complex projects around the region. Marc Kassis is coming from a vendor background with 20 years in Alcatel-Lucent and most recently with Dassault Systemes. Kassis is a French national and holds an MSc.