NinjaRMM has hired Duo Security veteran Dean Yeck as chief revenue officer, the endpoint management software provider to MSPs confirmed today.
Yeck previously served as VP of Worldwide Inside Sales for Duo Security -- the two-factor authentication (2FA) cloud software provider that Cisco Systems acquired for $2.35 billion in 2018.
In a prepared statement about Yeck joining NinjaRMM, CEO Sal Sferlazza said:
“Dean is joining NinjaRMM at a pivotal point as the company transitions to an emerging market leader among SaaS endpoint management solution. As NinjaRMM prepares for another year of explosive growth, we’re confident Dean’s combination of deep channel knowledge and understanding of how to scale out a global sales organization that will propel the company into overdrive. We’re proud to welcome Dean to the team.”
NinjaRMM: MSP and Endpoint Management Software Expansion
Yeck joins NinjaRMM at a key time. Indeed, the SaaS-based software provider continues to expand its RMM (remote monitoring and management) and endpoint management footprint, while also building new software products that serve additional markets -- particularly data protection, backup and disaster recovery (BDR).
NinjaRMM now supports more than 5,000 partners and the company's cloud-based platform has nearly 2.5 million endpoints under management, the firm says. More recently, the software has expanded to support 12 languages.
Private equity firm Summit Partners invested in NinjaRMM in early 2020. That deal involves a minority stake in the software company. The funding allows the company to scale R&D and other efforts, and also ensures NinjaRMM founder and CEO Sal Sferlazza retains control of the software firm’s business destiny, the company says.
In stark contrast, many of NinjaRMM's rivals are either private equity owned and/or publicly owned, and in acquisition mode. Examples include:
- ConnectWise is owned by Thoma Bravo.
- Datto is publicly traded ($MSP) and largely backed by Vista Equity Partners.
- Kaseya, which is backed by Insight Partners and TPG, is exploring a potential IPO.
- SolarWinds MSP, rebranding as N-able, is preparing to potentially spin out from SolarWinds -- which is publicly held ($SWI) and backed by Thoma Bravo and Silver Lake.
NinjaRMM Chief Revenue Officer Dean Yeck: The Channel Interview
So, what are Yeck's first priorities as chief revenue officer at NinjaRMM? He shared some details and perspectives in this email interview with ChannelE2E...
ChannelE2E: When and how did you hear about the NinjaRMM opportunity, and what attracted you to the position?
Yeck: I learned of the opportunity a few months ago and after discussing it with trusted friends and mentors knew that this was the right move. From the moment I met Sal, I was taken away with the energy and enthusiasm he brought to the company. Culture is something I value and I love the laid-back, transparent nature the company has while still being an incredibly hard-working group of people. I wasn’t originally looking to leave my last role, but Sal’s vision for NinjaRMM and the incredible potential for growth convinced me that I couldn’t turn down this opportunity.
ChannelE2E: In addition to focusing on MSP sales, you’re expanding the VAR channel program. What type of VARs are you seeking?
Yeck: The technology challenges that modern midmarket and enterprise clients face are complex, and channel resellers are the trusted advisors that can help translate the value of a tool like NinjaRMM in managing that complexity. As we build out our VAR channel program, we’ll be looking to partner with VARs that have a security-first model and understand the best ways to secure large remote workforces and the devices they rely on every day. We’re especially looking forward to partnering with VARs that serve specific geographies, particularly across Europe and the UK.
ChannelE2E: As VARs resell NinjaRMM to end-customers, is there an opportunity for VARs and MSPs to offer co-managed services to those end-customers?
Yeck: This is absolutely an area we see significant potential. We’re hyper-aware of the relationships our MSP partners have cultivated and we’ll be investing in more resources and materials that will help MSPs drive more revenue and move further upstream to service larger customers. The fact is when our partners succeed, we succeed, so we’re going to work very hard at showing not just how NinjaRMM’s products can generate revenue for channel pros but also how they can grow their business from a sales and marketing perspective. We’ve already started this with some of our resources like the MSP Live Chat and the security summits we’ve produced, and we plan on adding more content specifically around co-managed services this year.
ChannelE2E: NinjaRMM recently expanded to support 12 languages. Beyond English, which languages are the fastest-growing opportunity for NinjaRMM and its partners?
Yeck: German and French are some of the fastest-growing opportunities for NinjaRMM as the two countries have the largest and most mature IT services market. For the last two years, we’ve seen double-digit growth in these markets and we think there are still plenty of opportunities for growth. Other European countries like the Netherlands and Italy are markets we’re seeing a lot of promise, as well as in Northern Europe.
