Cambridge, MA | February 09, 2021
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM, news, filings), the world’s most trusted solution for securing and delivering digital experiences, today announced an organizational realignment that is intended to position the company to become even more agile in delivering its market-leading solutions for making the internet fast, intelligent and secure for major enterprises. The goal of these changes is to facilitate continued strong growth for Akamai’s $1 billion security business, make it easier for developers to take advantage of the power of serverless computing on the largest internet edge platform in the world, and give customers easier access to Akamai’s full portfolio of solutions.
Effective March 1, Akamai will be anchored by two newly created business groups, Security Technology and Edge Technology, both of which will be supported by a single global sales organization.
- The Security Technology Group will unify the company’s market-leading security solutions for protecting customers’ web properties, mobile apps and APIs, in addition to providing infrastructure protection and access control. Under the leadership of Rick McConnell (currently Akamai’s president and general manager, Web Division) as president and general manager, Security Technology Group, the group will focus on driving core security business growth and innovation and expansion into attractive market adjacencies.
- The Edge Technology Group will bring together Akamai’s media delivery, web performance and edge computing solutions as well as Akamai’s Intelligent Edge Platform, to help businesses deliver immersive online experiences with performance, scale, reliability and simplicity across diverse application architectures. The group will be led by Adam Karon (currently Akamai’s executive vice president and general manager, Media and Carrier Division) as chief operating officer and general manager, Edge Technology Group.
- The unified Global Sales Organization will provide streamlined access to the full breadth of Akamai’s portfolio, as Akamai customers and prospects have increasingly sought to buy the full range of Akamai’s edge delivery and security offerings. Under the leadership of PJ Joseph (currently Akamai’s senior vice president, Global Media and Carrier Sales) as executive vice president, Global Sales, the sales team will focus on driving revenue acceleration, improving channel partnerships, increasing security product adoption while prioritizing flexibility and customer responsiveness.
The company also announced it has re-established the role of chief technology officer to further advance its innovation strategy. In his new role as chief technology officer, Dr. Robert Blumofe (currently Akamai’s executive vice president, Platform, and general manager, Enterprise Division) will develop a cohesive innovation strategy that positions Akamai to capitalize on growth opportunities in areas such as 5G, IoT and other emerging technologies.
The company’s services organization and other corporate functions, including finance, human resources, legal and IT, will continue to support the organization across all businesses.
Marketing will continue to support revenue growth and drive Akamai’s leadership in security under the leadership of Kim Salem-Jackson (currently Akamai’s senior vice president, global marketing and corporate communications), who will succeed Monique Bonner as chief marketing officer, in a planned transition. Bonner will move into an executive advisor role, which will allow her to spend more time with her family while still ensuring the success of key marketing initiatives currently underway.
“I want to thank Monique for her leadership over the last four years, during which she successfully led the transformation of our marketing organization – establishing digital-first marketing capabilities and an organization focused on accountability and contribution to the business,” said Dr. Tom Leighton, co-founder and chief executive officer, Akamai Technologies. “I am excited to welcome Kim and PJ to our executive leadership team, and I look forward to working with all of our leaders in their new roles to drive Akamai’s next phase of growth.”
Commenting on the organizational realignment, Leighton added, “Akamai’s tenacious commitment to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing and expanding demands of digital business for 22 years has helped transform the way the world operates online. In 2020, it became quite clear how critical the internet is to work, commerce, education, entertainment and government. In 2021 and beyond, we believe our collective reliance on the internet will increase further as more businesses move online, more employees work remotely over the long term, and cyberattacks continue to increase in volume, frequency and sophistication. With Akamai’s new organizational structure, I am confident we will be able to more nimbly support the dynamic needs of our customers and partners, and more effectively capitalize on emerging growth opportunities.”
Q4 2020 Earnings Call and Investor Summit
The company will discuss the strategic organizational changes during its Q4 2020 earnings call which will be held today, February 9, 2021 at 4:30pm EST. The executive team will also expand upon Akamai’s strategy at its Investor Summit on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 8:30am Eastern Time. Details for both events can be found on Akamai’s Investor Relations page.
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