Security vendor Sophos has appointed Ciaran Rafferty as vice president for the firm’s UK and Ireland operations.

Rafferty, who previously held the position of director at reseller Seidor, will be responsible for growing the data protection side of Sophos’s business.

He will also play a key role in developing the firm’s global sales partner programme, following its revamp earlier this year.

“Data loss prevention, compliance and encryption will remain the top priorities for UK businesses throughout the next 12 months,” explained Rafferty. “This represents a great opportunity for VARs to grow revenue and increase customer retention rates.

“My job will be to ensure that existing Sophos partners have access to the right solutions and support in order to make the most of these opportunities, as well as meet our aggressive partner recruitment targets over the next 12 months.”

Chris Doggett, director of global channel programmes at Sophos, added: “Our business is built on high-value partnerships and our complete commitment to achieving joint success with our partners.

“Ciaran brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of the needs of our partners to our own organisation, both of which are key to ensuring continued growth and profitability for our partners and for Sophos.”