Datto has hired Splunk veteran Brooke Cunningham as chief marketing officer. The move comes as the MSP-focused technology company extends beyond its storage appliance heritage towards additional cloud-based software and security solutions for MSPs.
Cunningham most recently was area VP for global partnering marketing and experience at Splunk. Earlier, she held key posts at Qlik, CA Technologies (formerly Computer Associates International Inc., now owned by Broadcom) and SAP.
During her time at Splunk, Cunningham was part of an executive team that built partner relationships and scaled the business from $650 million to more than $2.5 billion, the Datto announcement noted. A portion of that partner ecosystem involved MSPs and MSSPs leveraging Splunk for data analysis, full-stack observability and unified security.
Cunningham also is a member of Chief, an organization designed for women executive leaders to strengthen their leadership journey and effect change from the top-down. And Splunk is widely known for embracing diversity as a key component of business success.
Datto Business Evolution: Cloud and Security Expansion for MSPs
Ahead of Cunningham's arrival, Datto has been extending from its cloud-managed storage appliances, RMM (remote monitoring and management) and PSA (professional services automation) software toward more public cloud solutions.
The effort includes launching Datto Continuity for Microsoft Azure, and acquiring BitDam to further secure Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other systems from ransomware, malware, and phishing.
On the security front, Datto CISO Ryan Weeks and the security team have aggressively addressed MSP industry security threats and continually educate the market about risk mitigation. One recent example: The company released a tool to protect MSPs from the Log4j vulnerability when that software risk surfaced in December 2021.
Datto Ownership, Financial Performance, Competition: Datto has been publicly held since October 2020, and private equity firm Vista Equity Partners remains a major shareholder in the business.
Datto's revenue was $157.9 million in Q3 of 2021, up 21 percent from $130.7 million in Q3 of 2020, the company announced in November 2021. At the time, the company said it supports 18,000 MSPs. Datto over the past decade has built and expanded an MSP partner organization. Senior VP of Business Development Rob Rae has been instrumental in that strategy and execution.
Datto generally competes against entrenched MSP technology suppliers such as ConnectWise, Kaseya and N-able; growing platform providers such as NinjaOne; MSP software upstarts such as Atera, SuperOps.ai and Syncro MSP; and dozens of data protection and security companies that now engage MSPs.
Related: Datto veteran Emily Glass Named CEO of Syncro MSP
Datto Hires Cunningham as Chief Marketing Officer: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about Cunningham joining the company, Datto CEO Tim Weller said:
“I’m pleased to welcome Brooke to the Datto leadership team. She brings extensive experience in security technologies and scaling businesses globally. Brooke has guided companies through various phases of growth - from product portfolio and brand expansion, international growth, partner ecosystem maturation, and operationalizing for scale. We’re excited for the skills and leadership she will provide as Datto continues to grow and expand.”
Cunningham added:
“There are three main reasons I decided to join Datto - values, purpose, and alignment to my passion for partners. The company’s core values, partner-first approach to business, and commitment to the MSP community and channel align very closely with the beliefs and outlook that have guided my career. Datto is primed for accelerating growth and I look forward to enabling the marketing team and our valued MSP ecosystem to be major contributors to the Company’s continued success.”
Meanwhile, Splunk has been undergoing a business evolution of its own. CEO Doug Merritt stepped down in November 2021 amid the company's transition toward more cloud-centric services -- and more competition from pure cloud rivals.
