Saviynt Hires Channel Vet Kelly Allbright For Partner Push

Allbright, most recently the Americas channel head at Wiz, tells CRN she is joining identity security vendor Saviynt to build out a strategic business model around VARs and other partners.

Identity security vendor Saviynt has hired channel veteran Kelly Allbright, most recently the Americas channel head at Wiz, to serve as its global vice president of business development.

Allbright’s first day at Saviynt is Monday, she told CRN. Reporting to Saviynt Global Channel Chief Steve Blacklock, Allbright said she will focus on accelerating the vendor’s efforts with partners including VARs as well as the major CSP (cloud service provider) platforms Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

In an interview with CRN, Allbright said the top priority for her role at Saviynt is to “build out a strategic business model around the VARs and the CSPs.”

Saviynt has existing strong relationships with the top security-focused VARs, and so the push now is to expand across the broader VAR community in the U.S., she said.

“The opportunity is to really drive strategic programs with those partners,” Allbright said.

Saviynt offers a converged platform for identity security and management that aims to serve as a modern, cloud-based alternative to “legacy” identity systems, the company has said. Advantages include simplified deployment and usage, faster detection of identity threats, reduced overall cost and improved visibility, according to Saviynt.

For Saviynt and its partners, the opportunities are akin to those that Allbright saw in recent years at Wiz, she said. Allbright joined the fast-growing cloud and AI security startup in March 2023 as senior director of channel and alliances, before being promoted to vice president of channels and alliances, Americas, in June 2024.

When it comes to partnering with Saviynt, “the opportunity is to be the partner that's presenting the best identity solution” covering all the biggest categories, Allbright said.

“Saviynt has really done an amazing job, particularly over the last two years, of building out an identity security platform. And so, being the partner that goes to the customer with the best-in-class solution is an amazing way to become the No. 1 trusted advisor for your customer,” she said. “That's exactly what we saw happen with Wiz, quite frankly.”

Crucially, Wiz also excelled at making the channel an “integral part of the business” rather than treating the channel as a silo, Allbright said. Saviynt also understands the importance of taking this approach with partners, Allbright said, and is committed to doing what it takes “to unlock the full potential of the channel.”

Prior to joining Wiz, which Google has a deal to acquire for $32 billion, Allbright had worked at cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks as senior director for Prisma Cloud global ecosystems. Earlier in her career, she held positions at channel powerhouses DXC Technology and Cognizant.

At Saviynt, additional goals include exploring opportunities to work more closely with MSPs, with a focus on gathering MSP feedback before developing any new programs, Allbright said.

Ultimately, she said, the aim now at Saviynt is to “drive a comprehensive channel strategy across the entire ecosystem.”