Calm Confidence: How Pat Hurley Leads Acronis And Its Partners Into The Future

At MSP Global in Salou, Spain, Acronis executive Pat Hurley shared how his calm, people-first leadership style is shaping the future of the IT channel. Through mentorship, innovation, and authentic partner engagement, Hurley is redefining what it means to lead in cybersecurity, data protection, and managed services.

When Pat Hurley talks about leadership, his words carry the same grounded calm that defines his presence. Sitting across from him during MSP Global, it was easy to see why his team at Acronis describes him as both steady and strategic. Hurley, vice president and general manager of the Americas at Acronis, is not a loud leader. He is an intentional one.

“I think I’m generally a calm person,” he said in the interview. “And I think that’s something that in a leadership position can carry through the organization.” His approach contrasts with the archetype of high-pressure sales leadership often associated with the technology channel. “There are times where I’ll slap a table to make a point,” he added with a grin, “but it’s very infrequent, and it’s purposeful. It’s an exclamation point, not a style.”

That balance between composure and conviction has guided Hurley through a remarkable journey. Before joining Acronis in 2008, he was in finance right before the 2007 mortgage collapse. “I was in the mortgage industry, and when the bubble burst, I asked myself if I really wanted to stay in that space,” he recalled. “I knew absolutely nothing about technology. So I interviewed with 15 companies. One of them called me back. And here we are.”

That leap into the unknown became a defining lesson Hurley now passes to his team. “I try to push people to have more confidence in themselves,” he said. “You can do more than what you really believe you can. One of my former mentors used to tell me, ‘I believe in you more than you believe in yourself.’ That’s a mantra I carry forward.”

Listening First, Leading Second

A recurring theme throughout our conversation and in Acronis’ broader channel strategy is the importance of listening. Hurley credits much of the company’s growth to internal changes that shifted decision-making from product-first to partner-first. “Previously, everything was kind of product-driven,” he explained. “Over the last few years, a lot of the decisions have actually been coming from sales up to product management. We refined our processes to make sure the voice of the partner was captured directly in the roadmap.”

That evolution has tangible results. “Partners have told us, ‘You talked about this stuff a year ago, and you actually delivered on most of it,’” he said. “That makes us feel good, and it tells us we’re going in the right direction.”

At Acronis, that direction includes a blend of deep product investment and creative go-to-market thinking. “Companies our size spend about 18 percent of their revenue on R&D,” Hurley said. “We spend 32 percent. We’re really heavily investing in the product. We don’t just acquire tools and paste them together. We reengineer them to make sure everything works seamlessly.”

But innovation, to Hurley, is not confined to code. It is also cultural. One of the company’s most distinctive moves has been its investment in sports partnerships, not for the marketing visibility but for the authenticity of shared technology use cases. “It’s not about putting a logo on a car or stadium wall,” he said. “Every partnership has an authentic technology relationship behind it. We put the MSP in lights. We help our partners build their brand and look bigger than they are. That’s what really differentiates us.”

Attitude, Passion And Commitment

When asked about the leadership principles that guide him, Hurley does not hesitate. “I like to keep it simple,” he said. “Attitude, passion, and commitment. Promote the right attitude every day. Have passion for what you do, because passion sells. And be committed, not just to the job, but to yourself. Do you want to get better every day? Do you want to hone your craft?”

This framework, equal parts discipline and self-awareness, reflects how Hurley approaches mentorship as well. During the FOMO survey panel earlier at MSP Global, mentorship emerged as a key theme, and Hurley shared examples of how he has put it into practice across Acronis. “I’ve had the opportunity to mentor women across different departments—sales, support, QA, professional services,” he said. “It’s not always about giving answers. Sometimes it’s about asking questions and helping them see that they already have the solution.”

He described one mentee who identified a gap in her team’s structure and hesitated to bring it up. “She said, ‘If I propose this, will it negatively impact me?’ We talked it through, and a few weeks later she came back and said she not only proposed the new role, she wrote her own job description,” Hurley said proudly. “That’s passion. That’s leadership in action.”

Modeling Growth, Not Perfection

Hurley is also candid about his own growth. “I’ve worked for and with a lot of great leaders,” he said, naming Acronis Chief Growth Officer Dan Havens and Chief Sales Officer Katya Ivanova. “Dan is one of the most engaging speakers I’ve ever seen. Katya is incredibly detail oriented. I know I’ll never be exactly like them, but I take the best pieces from each and apply them in my own way. That’s part of commitment, continuing to learn.”

When asked for a book that shaped his outlook, Hurley paused thoughtfully before mentioning “Golf in the Kingdom” by Michael Murphy. “I’m not a golfer,” he laughed, “but it’s about a journey, about learning who you are through the process. That’s what leadership is like, too.”

From the outside, Hurley’s success might look like the result of steady ambition and sharp execution. But from his perspective, it is the product of something deeper: curiosity, humility, and the courage to evolve. “At the end of the day,” he said, “sales is the beacon of optimism in any company. You have to believe in the future and help others believe in it too.”

The Inclusive Leadership Newsletter is a must-read for news, tips, and strategies focused on advancing successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in technology and across the IT channel. Subscribe today!