Cybersecurity firm Darktrace is significantly bolstering its executive leadership by appointing Suman Raju as Chief Financial Officer and Hein Hellemons as Chief Revenue Officer. This strategic move aims to leverage the new executives’ deep industry expertise as the company focuses on scaling its operations and accelerating its transformation initiatives.
CEO Jill Popelka expressed enthusiasm for the appointments, emphasizing that the incoming leaders’ experience is critical for the next phase of growth. Popelka stated that Hellemons leads with a strong focus on customer excellence, while Raju offers exceptional global finance experience from high-growth software businesses.
New Executive Expertise Drives Scale
Suman Raju steps into the CFO role, bringing a wealth of leadership experience from the technology sector. He served most recently as CFO at enterprise spending management company Ivalua, a role he held for nearly five years. His extensive background also includes financial leadership positions at high-profile companies like Crownpeak and SAP Ariba. Raju succeeds Cathy Graham, who served as CFO since 2020.
Hein Hellemons assumes the position of CRO, where he will succeed Denise Walter. Hellemons possesses over 25 years of senior leadership experience across global cybersecurity and technology firms. Before joining Darktrace, he most recently served at human risk management platform KnowBe4.
His résumé also includes key positions at SecurityScorecard, VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, MCI Worldcom, and Compaq, demonstrating a long track record of driving revenue and operational excellence.
Raju and Hellemons will both report directly to CEO Jill Popelka, joining the executive team at a pivotal moment as the company continues to expand its footprint, particularly within the government contracting sector.
