Cato Networks appoints Tristan Elder as EMEA Channel Chief

Cato Networks has appointed Tristan Elder as Vice President of EMEA Channel, expanding the cyber security company's senior regional leadership team.

Elder will lead channel activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a mandate to grow the partner programme among global systems integrators, managed service providers, consulting firms and resellers.

The appointment comes as vendors and channel firms position themselves to meet demand from businesses seeking advice on AI governance, security risk and the deployment of AI tools. Organisations across the region are relying more heavily on partners for implementation and ongoing management.

Elder joins from ExtraHop Networks, where he led the EMEA channel business. Earlier in his career, he was part of the early leadership team at CrowdStrike, helping build the company's EMEA operations during a period of rapid expansion.

His background includes driving channel growth across financial services, government and large enterprise customers.

Regional push

The move reflects a broader effort by Cato to deepen its indirect sales reach in the region. Channel leaders have become increasingly important for cyber security suppliers that rely on partners to reach large enterprises, deliver services and navigate local market requirements across a fragmented EMEA landscape.

Cato has been building its position in secure access service edge, or SASE, which combines wide area networking and network security services in a cloud-delivered model. It is also looking to strengthen its standing in AI-related security as customers assess how to govern employee use of AI systems and protect data flows linked to those tools.

That backdrop gives added weight to a senior hire focused on partners. Many enterprise customers buy cyber security through resellers, service providers and integrators that can combine products with advisory, migration and managed support.

Commenting on his arrival, Elder pointed to early engagement with partners.

"From the first day, I am already seeing huge demand for strategy meetings with existing and new Cato partners," said Tristan Elder, Vice President of EMEA Channel, Cato Networks.

"Coming into a fast-growing channel ecosystem is both wonderful and challenging, and I look forward to working with our partners to make sure we grow together even faster," he said.

Growth metrics

Cato linked the appointment to its recent business growth, saying it ended 2025 with annual recurring revenue of more than USD $350 million, up 43% from a year earlier.

It added that a Series G funding round of USD $409 million pushed its valuation above USD $4.8 billion and took total investment in the business to more than USD $1 billion.

The expansion has also included dealmaking. Cato acquired Aim Security to add technology designed to protect AI interactions, reflecting a wider shift among cyber security firms as they adapt product portfolios to customer concerns over generative AI use.

Channel experience

Karl Soderlund, Cato's Global Channel Chief, said Elder's experience scaling partner businesses was a key factor in the appointment.

"We are pleased to welcome Tristan to Cato Networks as our new Vice President of EMEA Channel," said Karl Soderlund, Global Channel Chief, Cato Networks.

"What stood out about Tristan is not just his experience, but that he has been through this kind of journey before: building a channel business in a high-growth environment, working closely with partners, and helping teams scale. That perspective is exactly what we need as we continue to grow and invest across the region," he said.

The hire adds to signs that cyber security vendors are continuing to invest in route-to-market leadership despite tighter scrutiny of spending across the technology sector. For companies selling into large and regulated organisations, experienced regional channel executives can influence how quickly products move through partner networks and into customer accounts.

EMEA presents particular challenges because supplier strategies often need to account for differences in language, regulation, procurement models and partner maturity across multiple countries. Vendors also face competition for partner attention as customers consolidate suppliers and demand more integrated platforms.

Against that backdrop, Cato is tasking Elder with expanding relationships across a mix of partner types, from global integrators to managed service providers and strategic resellers, as it seeks a larger share of enterprise security spending in the region.

Elder said he had already seen strong demand for strategy meetings with both existing and prospective partners.