DirectDefense Blog

Bethany Kozal is a strategic marketing leader with more than a decade of experience driving growth, strengthening brand positioning, and aligning marketing strategy to measurable business outcomes. As Director of Marketing at DirectDefense, she leads brand strategy, go-to-market execution, field marketing, and marketing operations. At DirectDefense, Bethany has modernized messaging, launched new platform offerings, and… Read more »

Venkat Rangarajan is a seasoned cybersecurity sales leader with over 25 years of experience driving revenue growth, scaling sales organizations, and expanding go-to-market strategies across high-growth security companies. As Vice President of Sales at DirectDefense, he leads sales strategy, revenue initiatives, and market expansion across the company’s cybersecurity services portfolio. Prior to DirectDefense, Venkat held senior sales leadership… Read more »

Matt Maddox is an experienced professional services leader with extensive experience building and leading world-class consulting teams collaborating with clients to solve business challenges. As the Vice President of Professional Services at DirectDefense, Matt manages our portfolio of industry-leading security services, including web application, network, cloud, API, thick client, mobile, OT, and embedded systems penetration… Read more »

Melissa Cox is a dynamic process, programs, and operations manager recognized for her innovative approaches to driving operational improvement. She is passionate about leading teams through complex, cross-functional transformations and excels in managing high-risk accounts, building resilient teams, and optimizing processes for continuous improvement.  As Senior Director of Operations, Melissa oversees operational efficiency in all… Read more »

Kevin Brooks is a seasoned finance professional with over 30 years of experience across multiple industries, excelling in financial planning, operational finance, and corporate development. As the Vice President of Finance at DirectDefense he is focused on financial operations, strategic planning, treasury and risk management.  Prior, Kevin served as VP of Finance at Bishop Fox,… Read more »

As a widely recognized leader and innovator in cybersecurity and information technology, Patty Wright has inspired and paved the way for other women entering the security industry and those aspiring to leadership roles in information technology. She is a serial entrepreneur, having been involved in six technology startups, two of which were acquired by large… Read more »

Charly Bun serves as Senior Director – MSSP for DirectDefense. Charly manages a team of Security Analysts focused on the detection of cybersecurity events and is responsible for the management of detection infrastructure and response to cybersecurity incidents. He is a seasoned cybersecurity leader, entrepreneur, and innovator who has consistently driven the success of security… Read more »

Tracy McBride leads the project management team responsible for all aspects of client management including coordination and supervision of service delivery while supporting operations to further enhance the client experience. Tracy joined the company in 2017 as SOW / QA Sales Support before being promoted to Director of Client Services in 2022.  Tracy graduated from… Read more »

Jared Ballou is a seasoned leader in the security industry with over 15 years of experience, known for his expertise in rapid client delivery and collaborative deal structuring. His strategic approach has driven significant growth and fostered strong, long-term client relationships.  As the Senior Vice President of Growth and Strategy at DirectDefense, Jared oversees sales,… Read more »

Christian Juan leads the Talent Acquisition initiatives for DirectDefense. Christian joined DirectDefense in 2015 and brings with him more than 20 years of recruiting and talent management experience in the cybersecurity, IT, and engineering space. He oversees the sourcing, recruitment, screening, selection, and placement of the highest caliber cybersecurity talent for DirectDefense and its clients.… Read more »