Email security provider EasyDMARC has capped off a transformative year by welcoming cyber industry veteran Courtney Austin as vice president of marketing, to spearhead its next stage of growth.
EasyDMARC has doubled its partner ecosystem this year, and has reported a 200% uptick in customers. This growth was marked by milestones, such as a $20m Series A funding round, and the addition of its global channel growth lead Allan Richards.
Courtney Austin brings over 20 years of experience leading international marketing teams in global cybersecurity and information security firms. He has held leadership roles at RSA, LexisNexis Risk, 1E, CrowdSec, Recorded Future, and ThreatMetrix. At EasyDMARC, Austin will spearhead the company’s global marketing strategy and community engagement, managing an expanding global team across the US, the UK, Spain, Ireland, and Armenia.
“Email remains the primary entry point for cyberattacks, and EasyDMARC is uniquely positioned to help businesses defend against these threats with ease and efficiency,” said Austin. “Email providers like Google and Yahoo are increasingly mandating DMARC, so it has become essential not only for security, but also for ensuring reliable email deliverability.”
-Microsoft services specialist Avanade is calling on mid-market organisations to rethink their approach to AI adoption, emphasising the “critical importance” of valuing people to achieve real success.
Insights from Avanade’s latest report reveal a perception that mid-market organisations see AI as a cost-cutting tool, often at the expense of their workforce. With mid-market expectations of up to a four-fold return on AI investment within just 12 months, Avanade cautions that such gains are achievable only through a balanced strategy - one that “harnesses the power of AI alongside the unique value of human talent”.
Drawing on the insights from 4,100 IT and senior business decision makers, Avanade’s Trendlines: AI Value Report 2025, shows 84% of respondents perceive their organisation’s investment in AI to be about finding cost savings and efficiencies through the replacement of employees, a view consistent across different industries, countries, roles, and seniority levels.
But, Avanade has been clear in its response to the data, issuing a warning that “focusing on cost-cutting hinders growth, while a human-centred approach boosts ROI”.
-Cyber Monks, a cyber marketplace for small- and medium-sized enterprise cybersecurity solutions, has announced the addition of Jane Frankland – a cybersecurity expert, thought leader, and advocate for diversity in tech - as its newest “ambassador”.
In the role, Frankland will spearhead plans to elevate digital safety and fund initiatives benefiting SMEs, emerging startups, and women-led businesses. Her focus will be on helping these groups understand their cyber risk posture, enhance their cybersecurity practices, and build resilience against digital threats.
-The Noledge Group, the Irish and UK-based ERP solutions specialist, has appointed Chris Hawley as managing director for the UK. The Noledge Group incorporates Envisage, a leading Sage Partner, and OSSM, an Oracle NetSuite Solution Provider.
In his new role, Hawley will lead The Noledge Group’s expansion in the UK. The group recently announced it’s investing £1.5m over the next three years to expand its services in the market, including the creation of ten jobs in Newcastle, North East England
Prior to joining The Noledge Group, he spent nearly 25 years with Newcastle-headquartered Sage, most recently as senior commercial manager. He has also established and led several financial services and consultancy businesses.
-Network security and compliance assurance services firm Titania has appointed Victoria Dimmick as CEO. She brings strategic and operational expertise from multiple firms, including Piriform - the makers of CCleaner - Intechnica, Netacea, and, most recently, Maltego.
-Forcepoint has named Rick Hanson as president of go-to-market. In the newly created role, reporting directly to CEO Ryan Windham, Hanson unifies the company’s sales and customer success teams.
Hanson brings more than 30 years of leadership experience and two decades as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Most recently, he served as president at Delinea, where he spearheaded global go-to-market strategies across sales, marketing, customer success, and professional services.
His previous roles include chief revenue officer at Brightcove, and executive positions at CA Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Symantec, and RSA. Hanson began his career in the US Air Force, and later served as IT director for US Customs and Border Protection.
