Datto has hired Oracle storage veteran and serial entrepreneur Robert Petrocelli as its CTO (chief technology officer), ChannelE2E has confirmed. Petrocelli succeeds Robert Gibbons, who disclosed plans to step away from the MSP -centric technology company last year.
Petrocelli brings a unique blend of enterprise, storage and entrepreneurial experience to Datto. According to a bio that has now surfaced on Datto's website, Petrocelli has:
- founded and sold technology startups in medical imaging and data storage;
- earned Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year honors;
- built businesses that landed on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing privately held companies four times;
- earned numerous patents related to data storage, replication, and archiving; and
- led the core ZFS and Storage Performance teams within the Oracle systems division.
Datto Business Evolution
Petrocelli arrives at Datto during a key time for the company.
Datto described ongoing momentum for its various MSP technologies during the DattoCon19 conference, held in June. Although revenues and profit figures are undisclosed, the perceived momentum is particularly impressive, considering Datto has navigated:
- A private equity buyout and Autotask merger in 2017;
- A CEO transition from founder Austin McChord to Tim Weller in the late 2018-early 2019 timeframe; and
- healthy competition from a range of rivals across the MSP technology and software markets.
Datto Products and Services for MSPs
So what's ahead for Datto? Petrocelli's background screams "storage" -- which should align well with Datto's core data protection and business continuity platforms.
But the company also needs to continue integrating and enhancing its business management tools -- including Datto RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) and Autotask PSA (Professional Services Automation). Plus, Datto must raise the visibility of its cloud-managed networking and WiFi equipment.
How will Petrocelli tie all of those technologies together in new or different ways? We've reached out to Datto for comment, and will strive to provide coverage of Petrocelli's technology vision in the days ahead.
