Acronis names Prakash Panjwani as Chief Executive Officer

Acronis has appointed Prakash Panjwani as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Jan-Jaap "JJ" Jager with immediate effect.

The leadership change comes as Acronis seeks to strengthen its position in the managed service provider market, where more than 21,000 service providers use its products worldwide.

Panjwani joins the cyber protection and IT management company after serving as Chief Executive Officer of WatchGuard Technologies and SafeNet. He is best known in the sector for his decade at WatchGuard, where he led the company's shift from a firewall-focused business to a broader cybersecurity platform.

During that period, WatchGuard added endpoint detection and response, extended detection and response, and managed detection and response tools. Acronis said his experience in channel sales and the managed service provider market would be central to its next phase.

Jager is stepping down from the top role but will remain a shareholder. No further details of the transition were disclosed.

Based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Acronis sells software that combines cybersecurity, data protection, IT operations, and hybrid infrastructure management. Its reach is largely channel-based, with service providers using the platform to support more than 750,000 businesses across 150 countries.

Board backing

The appointment was announced by Warren Adelman, Chairperson of the Acronis Board of Directors, who linked the decision to the company's next stage of expansion.

"I want to thank Jan-Jaap for advancing the product platform with AI-based innovations, driving partner growth, and positioning the company for future success," said Warren Adelman, Chairperson of the Acronis Board of Directors.

"As we move forward with Prakash, we have an experienced executive to build on the momentum and lead the company through the next phase of growth. Prakash brings deep cybersecurity expertise and a proven track record in scaling global security platforms. His product and go-to-market expertise, knowledge and experience in the MSP market, and proven ability to drive organic growth and M&A activity make him the right leader at the right time for Acronis."

The appointment signals a continued emphasis on service providers as a route to market. Managed service providers have become an increasingly important distribution and support channel for security and infrastructure software vendors, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses that prefer outsourced IT and security operations.

Acronis said Panjwani would focus on uniting cybersecurity, data protection, infrastructure management, and service automation in a single integrated platform. That reflects a broader market trend as vendors try to reduce the number of tools service providers must manage across customer estates.

MSP focus

Panjwani's background is closely tied to that market. At WatchGuard, he oversaw a business that expanded beyond network security appliances into broader managed security offerings, including endpoint and detection services that could be sold and operated through partners.

For Acronis, which has built much of its business around the managed services channel, that experience may help sharpen its partner strategy as competition increases. The market includes established cybersecurity vendors, backup and recovery specialists, and platform providers seeking to combine those functions with IT management tools.

The company has also placed increasing emphasis on artificial intelligence in product development and operations. The board credited Panjwani's predecessor with advancing AI-based product work, and the incoming Chief Executive Officer is expected to continue that direction while trying to turn product development into broader commercial growth.

Panjwani set out his view of the company's position in the market and the role of service providers in its growth plans.

"Acronis has built a unique AI-native cyber platform with an MSP-focused approach that is highly scalable. I am excited to join this team to build upon that foundation, accelerate innovation and deliver even greater value to our partners," said Prakash Panjwani, Chief Executive Officer of Acronis.

"In a highly dynamic market that is fueling the need for enhanced cybersecurity, MSPs have an excellent opportunity to adopt platforms that are built from the ground up for cyber protection, with AI-based automation to simplify operations and reduce the cost of delivering the best solution to their end users. Acronis not only has that platform in place, but also a clear opportunity to continue to build on it."