McAfee hires former Apple exec Kathleen Curry as global channel boss

The McAfee company logo hung above the entrance to company offices
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McAfee has announced the appointment of former Apple sales executive Kathleen Curry as its new global channel chief, as the cybersecurity vendor looks to better accommodate remote workers through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Curry officially takes the role of senior vice president of global enterprise channels, OEM and strategic alliances, and is tasked with and pulling together McAfee's channel, operations, alliances and OEM teams, as well as expanding its partner program to tackle the increase in remote workers.

She will also oversee the development of a strategic vision and approach for go-to-market initiatives for the firm's multi-tier global channel organisation, it said.

"Kathleen's experience leading mobile transformation initiatives comes at an invaluable time as we look to support our partners who are quickly mobilising remote sales teams as our traditional ways of working and selling move digital," commented Ken McCray, McAfee's head of Americas channel sales and operations.

"We're thrilled to welcome her to the team and are looking forward to tapping into her 20-plus years of channel experience at leading technology companies."

Curry joins the business following a five-year stint as a sales executive at Apple, where her responsibilities included global client development, as well as a period supporting global alliances.

Prior to her time at the Cupertino giant, she spent three-and-a-half years at retail software firm NCR Corp, where she was tasked with overseeing global retail channels and North American retail and financial services channels. She also spent over seven years at Motorola's channel organisation, where she eventually ran the company’s enterprise channel sales in North America.

Curry will now front McAfee's global channel in a role that had been vacant since her predecessor Richard Steranka left the business back in August 2018.

"I thrive off the opportunity to lead high-performing channel teams, and I am excited about the opportunity to join McAfee during such a pivotal moment of growth," Curry said. "I'm passionate about building relationships and aligning channel systems to deliver unprecedented value to partners and customers alike."

Daniel Todd

Dan is a freelance writer and regular contributor to ChannelPro, covering the latest news stories across the IT, technology, and channel landscapes. Topics regularly cover cloud technologies, cyber security, software and operating system guides, and the latest mergers and acquisitions.

A journalism graduate from Leeds Beckett University, he combines a passion for the written word with a keen interest in the latest technology and its influence in an increasingly connected world.

He started writing for ChannelPro back in 2016, focusing on a mixture of news and technology guides, before becoming a regular contributor to ITPro. Elsewhere, he has previously written news and features across a range of other topics, including sport, music, and general news.