Distology’s new CMO has described her decision to join the cybersecurity VAD’s top team alongside former colleague Hayley Roberts as a “no brainer”.
Sarah Geary joined Distology last month as part of a wider C-suite shake up.
Her appointment means Distology now has a 50-50 gender split across its C-suite, with CEO Roberts, newly promoted Chief Technology Officer Lance Williams and CFO Andy Roche holding the other three key roles.
Talking to IT Channel Oxygen, Geary was quick to stress that she started her career in distribution alongside Roberts (as well as Roche) at Codework.
“I feel like I’m in a full-circle moment,” she said.
“It feels like [Hayley and I] have gone off and honed our skills, and now have so much more we can bring as a duo. It just felt like the perfect timing.”
Geary has spent much of the intervening period in the vendor world, most recently as Director Partner Marketing, EMEA and APAC at Cybereason.
“When Hayley got in touch saying they were looking for a change and would I be interested, it was a no-brainer for me to move back into something where I felt I could build and make a real difference to,” she said.
‘Not here to tick a box’
Having an even gender split “makes a big difference in terms of how the business is run”, Geary said, while stressing that she is “not here to tick a box”.
“I want it to be based on merit, and I feel like it truly is when it comes to us four,” she said.
Stockport-based Distology’s decision to appoint a CMO ahead of its fiscal 2025 starting in April also sends a bold signal about its approach to marketing, Geary claimed.
“It’s a new role. Marketing needs to be a driving factor in the business rather than a supporting art, and opening up the CMO position really solidifies that. We’re an absolute business driver and profitable part of the business,” she said.
Marketing is also “fundamentally important” for Distology’s vendors, which include LogRhythm, Okta, Verkada and Yubico – as well as recent signing OPSWAT – Geary said.
“Our campaigns need to drive demand for them. If we’re not doing that, then what are we here for?” she concluded.
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
