Stephan Mesguich joined Netskope as SVP of Sales, EMEA & LATAM in June 2024, after previously holding roles at Palo Alto Networks, Tufin, and Verdasys. Read on to learn more about what drew Stephan to Netskope, his vision for his role, and what has impressed him the most about Netskope so far.
What drew you to this role at Netskope?
I started working in the cybersecurity industry alongside the birth of the internet. Having worked in this industry for more than 30 years, I’ve created a standard criteria for what I am looking for from a company I want to join. You need to have a strong target addressable market; you need a disruptive technology; you need a company backed by strong VCs, who ideally have a strong track record; and you need to have people you want to work with. The people element is essential for me. If I work with the right people then I will enjoy the adventure. Ultimately, you’re looking for a company, where there’s very little politics and a “can do” attitude, and an opportunity to do something truly exciting. The magic of this kind of culture and the people is really what drove me to Netskope.
What are some of your goals coming into this role?
In my career, I have always liked the challenge of building out the processes and infrastructure to enable a sales team to get products out in fresh ways. Here at Netskope, my first task is to make it easier for my team to unlock the value proposition of the technology. This includes helping them build a deep understanding of our technology, but also making sure they share insights we collect from customers around different use cases. And of course I will be helping keep one eye on the competition so that they can keep both eyes on their customers.
I will also be identifying gaps in our existing sales strategy to determine how I can help to clear up these gaps. For example, this could mean re-evaluating deal structures to better appeal to customers
Finally I am always making sure we have the correct routes to market, from the service providers, to the security boutiques, to the GSIs. Netskope has some excellent relationships with its channel partners, but these need constant maintenance. The right mix of partners means we can serve major accounts down to enterprise and mid-market.
How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
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