Sophos cuts channel director role

Sophos' A/NZ offices will remain open as part of a global cost cutting measure but recently promoted channel chief Zoe Nicholson and a “handful” of others have departed the security company.

Nicholson was recently promoted to director of channel sales in Asia Pacific after six years as channel sales manager of Sophos in Australia and New Zealand. She joined the company at the company’s Abingdon, UK headquarters in September 2004.

Sophos Asia Pacific managing director Rob Forsyth said Nicholson’s departure was  “very disappointing”.

“Zoe is a very good operator but this restructure really was a restructure,” he said.

Forsyth said the company merged its "high touch" team with its channel team under the same management as part of a global restructure. 

Forsyth said the change was needed after the company "failed to meet some self-set targets" despite continued growth.

“So we took this moment in time to review the expenditure and operations around the world and within Australia,” Forsyth said. 

A “handful” of staff departed the Australian business in sales and two in other areas, he said. 

The company’s New Zealand, Auckland, Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney offices remained open. 

CRN.com said the Massachusetts office and an Ohio facility would close sometime over the next year. The Ohio facility was acquired through Sophos' acquisition of Endforce in 2007. Endforce specialised in security compliance solutions as well as Network Access Control software.

Private equity group Apax Partners bought a majority of the business in May for $830 million.