Security Startup FinalCode Nabs Industry Veterans To Lead Channel Charge

Security startup FinalCode has nabbed a pair of industry veterans who plan to win more market share by growing the company's channel in specific vertical markets and geographic regions and through new strategic partnerships.

The file-sharing security specialist has hired former ForeScout Technologies Chief Marketing Officer Scott Gordon as its new chief operating officer. FinalCode also tapped John Grillos, who has more than 25 years of experience in file security, content management and enterprise software, as its new senior vice president of worldwide sales.

The two will lead the San Jose, Calif.-based company's channel strategy and execution, which includes onboarding new managed services providers, targeting security solution providers in specific U.S. regions and verticals, and investing in strategic partnerships, according to Gordon.

[Related: Cisco Expands 'Security Everywhere' Strategy With Plan To Purchase Lancope]

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"Gordon and Grillos will give partners a robust, channel-friendly team to work with," said Judith Buckardt, president and CEO of Konsultek, an Elgin, Ill.-based solution provider and FinalCode partner. "They'll give the company the energy, stamina and voice needed to grow in the market."

FinalCode, led by former ForeScout CEO Gord Boyce, provides an enterprise-grade file-sharing security platform to solve the problem of file security and data leakage by securing sensitive files wherever they go. Its platform includes strong encryption and entitlement functionality, with the ability to work both inside and outside of file-sharing tools like Box and Dropbox, according to the company.

The two new leaders said FinalCode has the ability to win more market share with its solution and drive partner profitably in the lucrative security space.

"People are spending on this type of technology and we're at the right place, the right time to bring our solutions to the channel," said Gordon. "System integrators and channel partners have a good idea that file collaboration and collaboration platforms and content management platforms are growing, and people are making strategy decisions on what new platforms to bring in, but at the same time the file security risk is also pretty large."

FinalCode is seeking partners who specialize in financial services in the big markets of New York, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as Midwest solution providers who focus on the manufacturing market. The company is also searching for solution providers across the country who specialize in federal, state and local government, according to Grillos.

"I want the top two [solution providers] in financial services, I want the top two [solution providers] in government. … I'm looking for quality of partnerships, not quantity," said Grillos. "We want folks that have a real regional flavor to start with. If we start local, then expand, that seems to work better than, 'Hey, I'm just going to try to knock down Accenture today and go to market with them.' "

The duo also plan to invest in strategic partnerships with providers of file storage and file collaboration platforms as well as those who provide security tools in general, said Gordon.

According to a 2015 State of File Collaboration Security report by Enterprise Management Associated, sponsored by FinalCode, more than 80 percent of information security decision makers experienced file data leakage incidents, while 84 percent expressed moderate to no confidence in their capacity to secure confidential files. The report also found 90 percent of respondents stated the lack of protection of files leaving cloud-based platforms or device containers as the highest risk to adopting cloud-based file storage and collaboration services.

"This is the only company that offers this complete control and protection of confidential files when they're shared externally and internally without changing the way an individual works," said Grillos. "We're small, but nimble, and we're really ready to go after it."

"The way we're going to take market share is because the solution is really flexible in how it can be implemented, and very fast to get results. … We're the easiest, more cost-effective game in town," said Gordon.

Before becoming CMO of ForeScout, Gordon held senior management positions at the security company Protego Networks -- which was acquired by Cisco in 2004; Axent Technologies -- bought by Symantec in 2000; and McAfee. Before FinalCode, Grillos was vice president of business development at Seclore, an information-rights management vendor, and held leadership positions at IBM and EMC Documentum.

PUBLISHED OCT. 28, 2015