An Exclusive Interaction at The Catalyst with Grant Taylor, General Manager, Middle East, Exclusive Networks.
In this insightful interview, the industry veteran shares the latest technological developments and the company’s robust cybersecurity practices. The discussion explores into their strategic approach to channel and vendor management, highlighting how Exclusive Networks collaborates with partners to deliver cutting-edge solutions.
As a leader at Exclusive Networks, one of the leading cybersecurity providers in the region, what are the major trends driving cybersecurity demand from your point of view?
In keeping with the changing times, we continue to lead focused projects that require a stronger cybersecurity framework. It is imperative that digital transformation drives innovation and sales of solutions in today’s world. For example, in Saudi Arabia, Neom, is a significant Giga project which aims to redefine the northwest region of the country. Digital transformation inherent in these large-scale initiatives demands advanced cybersecurity measures to protect vast and complex digital ecosystems.
From an information security perspective, we are still seeing significant adoption from these environments. In addition to such demands, I am also observing several trends in cybersecurity, such as the adoption of generative artificial intelligence and human-centric security design practices, as well as resilience-driven investments.
How has remote work affected the demand for cybersecurity solutions?
Post-Covid, the growth of remote work culture has undoubtedly accelerated the demand for cybersecurity solutions, but the underlying concepts aren’t new. We have discussed for a long time how the network is evolving into a more dispersed or edge-based architecture. This shift has been years in the making, with technologies like ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) now gaining more recognition. The real change we’ve observed is in the capacity to deliver these solutions effectively on a larger scale.
The idea that the edge of the network extends to remote access points, whether through phones, laptops, or tablets, isn’t a novel one. We’ve been addressing these scenarios for quite some time. Today, we view all these devices such as a phone or a laptop or an iPad, as integral parts of the network, moving away from the traditional notion of a centralized, perimeter-based network. Now, the entire network extends across the whole environment, requiring a more comprehensive and adaptable approach to security.
According to you, which industries or sectors are experiencing a surge in cybersecurity demand and why?
Well, I think one of the big ones we’ve seen is IoT. It has traditionally been a case of an air gap network where factories, manufacturing plants, or utilities plants are completely isolated from the Internet.
What we see now is that, to keep these machines updated and to understand their status, we need to connect in extremely complex environments in a highly secure manner. Therefore, when I look at the Internet of Things, I see it as one of the areas where what was once a highly specialized, industrial machine environment is now becoming highly IT-centric. Therefore, we are witnessing a collision between those two factors.
That is an interesting aspect, because that is driving some of the growth in those areas in which manufacturing meets the demands of this world in Saudi Arabia, for instance, or in Jebel Ali (UAE) and rest of Middle East. As IoT expands, we see the need for information security solutions too.
With your extensive experience in sales and product marketing, what strategy has been most effective for driving sales and growth in today’s competitive landscape?
In my opinion, it is always important to get the people right. It is my firm belief that no matter what we take to market, if we do not have the right people, it will never succeed. We pride ourselves on a high retention rate, so for me, this is our most important process and most important achievement.
Furthermore, it is essential to have the right people in the right positions, capable of delivering value. For me, the best sales strategy is to hire the right people and then give them the authority and capability to deliver results.
Exclusive Networks is known for its Vendor Alliances, especially if we look at the longstanding partnerships with Fortinet, F5, and SentinelOne. How do you manage to maintain and grow these partnerships over a long period of time?
Maintaining strong relationships with vendors is essential to ensure seamless collaboration. To achieve this, open communication, mutual trust, and regular updates regarding security requirements and industry standards are necessary. Once again, it is a matter of finding the right individuals. When I think about our vendor relationships, we work very hard on making sure that we are putting the right people into the right vendors and understanding that sometimes you may not be the most appropriate person to manage a specific vendor.
Vendor management is a priority for us, but we recognize that it only works effectively if the vendors themselves see value in the relationship. We’ve dedicated a lot of time to understanding what truly matters to our vendors—what drives their behavior and how we can support their goals. This insight has led us to tailor our approach, particularly during our quarterly business reviews. We’re moving away from a one-size-fits-all strategy and focusing on customizing our interactions to meet each vendor’s unique needs.
How do you build and maintain successful relationships with channel partners? What key factors do you consider when selecting channel partners?
We maintain a very strong connection with our channel partners to expand our reach and deliver effective solutions. A key component of this process is regular communication, providing partners with the latest training and resources, and ensuring they have a thorough understanding of the company’s products and services. By aligning on strategic goals and providing continuous support, we help channel partners meet customer needs while navigating the evolving threat landscape.
The choice of a channel partner can be challenging. As we work with such a diverse ecosystem of partners, I suppose, in the end, the decision as to what is right or wrong would be left to those who wish to enter a partnership with us. This is a partnership rather than a transactional relationship. Those are the ones where we have the greatest success. We do, however, have partners who have a transactional relationship and are very successful at doing so. In this regard, I believe we as a distributor must be malleable enough to mold ourselves into whatever the partner needs.
Please share your views on upskilling Channel Partners.
We are constantly looking forward to upskilling our partners to keep up with the changing times. This includes providing new solutions to them, encouraging them, and training them. We have just launched an initiative in the form of Channel Vendor Managers.
These people are not aligned solely with the vendor but aimed at the their partners so they can assist them in reaching out to end users and explaining technology. They will help drive channel-led sales as well as partner-initiated opportunities. This upskilling effort fosters a knowledgeable and confident partner network that can effectively deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions.
Please share some insights into your role as the General Manager for Exclusive Networks in the Middle East?
Keeping my team together, working in sync and proactively is my responsibility. In my role, I oversee all those moving parts. Our success is largely due to having the right people on board.
To some extent, my role is relatively easy as we have the right people in place. If I had a square peg in a round hole, then my role would be more challenging. If I was to use an analogy my job is simply to steer the ship, however, the effort, or the hard work, is done by the people around me who are excellent at what they do.
What are some of the biggest challenges organizations are likely to face in meeting the growing demand for cybersecurity solutions?
Market analysts will tell you that trained technical expertise is in short supply. The application of artificial intelligence tools in this context is what we are seeing. However although this makes products such as Fortinet SIEM more intuitive it will not entirely bridge the gap in terms of a lack of skilled workforce which remains the primary challenge for companies today.
Are businesses in major markets in the Middle East investing in cybersecurity as part of their tech strategy or is it on an adhoc basis?
Looking back at the Shamoon attacks targeted against the Middle East and the GCC by bad actors, thousands of computers were destroyed in the attack, affecting companies supply chain, transportation, and contracts significantly.
As a result, this led to the concept that they were not separate from anything. The region took several steps to establish an intelligent IT infrastructure and speed up their security practices. I think across the GCC, businesses here are very much ahead of the game. They are increasingly integrating cybersecurity as a core component of their technology strategy, rather than approaching it ad hoc. As digital transformation accelerates in the region, organizations recognize that robust cybersecurity measures are essential to protect their operations, data, and reputation. With the evolving threat landscape and the need for comprehensive, proactive security frameworks, this strategic shift reflects a growing awareness.
Over the next year, the uptake of public cloud domains in GCC and Middle East countries will drive the next phase of information security into how we secure public clouds. This is where vendors with hybrid models, such as Fortinet or Nutanix, will become increasingly relevant.
The interview sums up the growing technological landscape of Exclusive Networks, emphasizing their commitment to innovation and excellence in cybersecurity. With a forward-thinking mindset, Grant outlines how the company is poised to navigate future challenges while empowering their partners and customers with the latest advancements in technology.
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