SonicWall Appoints New CEO

Medeiros replaces Bill Roach, who was appointed interim CEO after the resignation of Cosmo Santullo last August. Roach, who was a candidate for the permanent position, will remain at SonicWall as a senior executive focused on operational improvements and customer satisfaction, according to the company.

The Internet security appliance vendor, based here, made the announcement late Tuesday. The company also said board member Chuck Kissner was elected chairman, replacing SonicWall founder Sreekanth Ravi, who will continue to serve on the board.

In a conference call Wednesday, Ravi said the board spent a lot of time interviewing candidates and chose Medeiros because of his combination of experience and skills.

"It's very exciting to be part of this Internet security market. It continues to grow," Medeiros said.

At Philips, Medeiros' division handled wireless home networking, where securing information was a priority, he said. "There's a lot I can bring from a consumer electronics background," he added.

Medeiros left Philips when it dissolved the components division last fall and shut the division's headquarters in Sunnyvale.

Asked if home IT security would be a direction for SonicWall, Medeiros said, "The transition between the home and office is blurring, so we have to develop the right types of products to fit that space." He said he plans to work with channel partners and customers to ensure that SonicWall's strategy and product road map meet their needs.

During the conference call, Medeiros also responded to a remark about the number of changes at SonicWall in recent months. "I believe I can build stability into this organization," he said.