Biography

I have +20 years' experience in IT and InfoSec field, I’ve been one of the youngest in my origin country to get certified on heterogeneous environments, and one of the few in implementing/integrating heterogeneous environments and providing security controls for it. In the last 15+ years I've been working on sales and business development for InfoSec technologies and vendors in Middle East and Africa with a track record of achievements and awards for my employers and myself, Also I’ve been usual a public speaker and spokesperson in all my employers, employers include:

  • IBM Security, a leading Security Vendor.
  • Kaspersky Lab, a leading InfoSec vendor and the largest InfoSec private company.
  • Computerlinks-Arrows MEA, a leading distributor with over 21 branches world-wide.
  • ValueSYS, a specialized Disti/SysIntegrator in security products with operations in NEA.

As MEA Region Leader at IBM Security Since Oct-2016 till end of 2018, started with developing and managing all the aspects of IBM Resilient business in MEA from scratch, over achieved all set goals and objectives and we got “The Most New Logos – Globally 2017” Award. Then prompted to manage all the threat management portfolio that includes Resilient, QRadar, Watson Cyber Security, XForce, CP4S Hybrid Multi-cloud Security Platform and leading the team and operations for the segment in MEA for a business of $45M a year.

As Director, Sales and Business Development for 36 Months at Kaspersky Lab - MEA, I was responsible to develop the new enterprise security portfolio (non-endpoint) leading sales, business development and channel management operations which started with 7 talented professionals and grow to 30 team members with key achievements such as The Best Newcomer Global Award in 2014, selling the first deals globally for Anti-Fraud, Security Intelligence Services and Industrial Cyber Security and becoming the No1 office for enterprise-bookings globally. By mid of 2014 I become responsible for all B2B $32M business and achieved growth of 35% YoY (average YoY was 12%).

As Regional Sales Manager for 26 months in Computerlinks-Arrows, I was responsible for a $12M business and leading a team of 6 professionals for managing RSA Enterprise Security Portfolio in MEA, this included developing business plans', reporting, managing sales, channel, product and operations. For first time, Computerlinks-Arrows awarded as Distributor of The Year for EMEA for the first time ever for my employer, achieved 32% growth for total revenue, 200% growth for incremental business, overachieved all sales targets, and I was the only official certified instructor for RSA Sales Professional Curriculum in MEA.

As Sales and Presales Manager for ValueSYS for around 6 years, I demonstrated high level of achievements by maintaining a growth rate of 40%+ on yearly basis, permanently over-achieving the assigned targets, earned many awards for the products I manage, led a team of 8 sales and presales professionals, and I was a usual speaker in all ValueSYS events in North East Africa.

As Sales and Presales Manager for ValueSYS for around 6 years, I demonstrated high level of achievements by maintaining a growth rate of 40% on yearly basis, permanently over-achieving the assigned personal and team targets, earned many awards for the products I manage, lead a team of 18 sales and presales professionals, and I was a usual speaker in all ValueSYS events (Seminars, Exhibitions, ..etc) in Egypt and North Africa.

My areas of expertise, professional experience along with qualifications as detailed in the following articles:

 

In my journey, I took many courses and studies in different fields such as business management, development, business plans, professional sales and marketing, people management, cyber security, high technology products, negotiation, advanced sales techniques, project management, sales and marketing, in addition to a bachelor degree of computer science.

In my journey, I have accomplishted many certifcates and awards, some of the below certifications and awards achieved while I was 18 years old and I was considered the youngest in Egypt and the region that achieved those certifications, others achieved during my professional employment.

All the awards for myself and my employers won for the products I manage in Middle East and Africa region.

It has been quite a journey, from technical, to presales, to business development and management with key milestones and achievements that really made what I am today. 

I started my career as a technical consultant for Linux, Open Source and Microsoft systems that capable to implement and integrate heterogeneous environments with no ambitions for business management :), then business grow bigger, team grow bigger and I got invovled in managing business for security products in North East Africa and manage quite a revenue and an excellent team, then moved to Dubai to lead the distribution of one of the leading security products in Middle East and Africa and since then my key expertise is to develop and drive and manage business for InfoSec productsion, solutions and services across a diverse and interesting region like Middle East and Africa.

Here's briefly the key milestones in my career, with employers that I was like to enjoy working for and have the passion to achieve success and make an outstanding journey with each one of them:

I have been involved in many different types of Information Technology/Security projects, project planned and performed to serve different industries and different size organizations, my role varied from just an implementer or Technical Consultant to a Project Manager responsible for all the project activities management. Some of the projects are as following:

As a summarization for my areas of expertise, the following includes all products, projects, technical experience that I had involved in starting from an implementer, project manager, planner, designer to my current position.

I grow up in Cairo, Egypt., and lived there till end of my twenties before moving to Dubai, as many of middle-class families they raise their kids to be self-dependent and that was the case, in every school break I used to work, that really helped me to gain many experience early in my life, my two brothers used to play chess and that became a hobby for me since 5 years old beside football which is the favorite sport for almost all the kids and every Egyptian man, as I am the youngest, my older brother used to read me novels at bedtime which something I really enjoyed and tricked him many times acting awake so he continues reading while I was half or full-sleep :) reading became a hobby I cannot stop as well and I am very proud that I raised up reading Nabil Farouk’s and Ahmed Khaled Tawfik’s novels, that shaped big part of my character and still influencing me till today and I am really grateful to that!

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Ashraf's Biography