Gareth Russell has been appointed as Commvault’s Field Chief Technology Officer of Security for Asia Pacific (APAC), bolstering the company’s expertise in cyber resilience. With his appointment, Commvault is reinforcing its commitment to combating the growing threat of ransomware by sharing its technical expertise in data security and cyber resilience with more clients and partners in the region.
Gareth Russell, a seasoned cybersecurity expert, brings a wealth of knowledge to Commvault, including extensive experience in digital transformation, risk management, cyber resilience, and cyber strategy. He has a proven track record of assisting governments and organizations across the Asia Pacific region in defining and managing their cyber risk postures. His notable achievements include the implementation, transformation, and operation of cybersecurity capabilities, as well as integrating cybersecurity into organizational cultures.
Russell expressed his enthusiasm about joining Commvault during a time of increasing cyber threats in the area. “I am excited to bring my experience to Commvault, especially considering the rising cyber threats in our region. My focus will be on enhancing cyber resilience strategies, helping organizations across APAC strengthen their recovery capabilities,” he said. “Nowadays, cyberattacks are inevitable, not a matter of if but when,” Russell added, underscoring the certainty of intrusions. “I look forward to collaborating with enterprises to advance their cyber readiness and preparedness.”
Commvault and Tech Research Asia’s recent State of Data Readiness market research highlights significant gaps in APAC organizations’ cyberattack recovery efforts. The findings reveal that only 4% of organizations believe they have a proactive, advanced cyber resilience capability, while 50% consider their skills very immature. The study also indicates that cyberattacks continue to occur, placing many organizations at risk of severe breaches, primarily targeting production and backup data.
According to the survey, 62% of Australian and 68% of New Zealand organizations experienced at least one cyberattack in the past year. Respondents from Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam reported frequent attacks on production, secondary, and backup data environments. Only 35% of the affected organizations were able to fully recover their data.
In his new role, one of Russell’s primary goals is to help organizations enhance their cyber resilience strategies and defenses against the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats. “In recent months, we have made significant progress in assembling a senior team with unmatched expertise and experience. With Gareth’s appointment, we are better equipped to support our partners and customers in safeguarding their data,” said Martin Creighan, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Commvault.
