Meet Avast

Avast is dedicated to creating a world that provides safety and privacy for all,
no matter who you are, where you are, or how you connect.

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Faster, smarter artificial intelligence

Avast is one of the largest security companies in the world using next-gen technologies to fight cyber attacks in real time. We differ from other next-gen companies in that we have an immense cloud-based machine learning engine that receives a constant stream of data from our hundreds of millions of users, which facilitates learning at unprecedented speeds and makes our artificial intelligence engine smarter and faster than anyone else’s.

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Scalable,
cloud infrastructure

Avast has created a scalable cloud-based security infrastructure that sees everything that happens on the internet. We have a view into everything online, good and bad, giving us the unique advantage of being first to inspect and analyze potential threats. When new malware is discovered, we can quickly deploy new security features to protect our users.

Avast prevents 2 billion attacks every month

We use advanced threat protection to keep
you and your business safe from cyber attacks.

Dedicated cybersecurity research experts

Avast’s innovative security approach comes from some of the most talented and experienced security engineers on the planet. Headquartered in Prague – a center of excellence for engineering and computer science –we attract the best and the brightest with over 45% of our employees in R&D. Our scientists, engineers, and mathematicians are from some of the most highly respected institutions, including Stanford, MIT, Oxford, and NASA. Our growth is fueled by our passionate culture of wanting to win and “beat the bad guys.”

Our growing patent portfolio is focused on these 5 key areas

Malware Detection and Blocking
AI and Machine Learning
Internet
of Things
Location
Technologies
Device Optimization and Cleaning

Leadership team
Board of Directors

Vince Steckler

Chief Executive Officer

Vincent Steckler

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Steckler has served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Avast since January 2009. Through his leadership and business strategies, Mr. Steckler grew billings 35X, reaching $811M in 2017, and has developed an executive leadership team that has consistently delivered industry leading profits to the bottom line. Prior to joining Avast, Mr. Steckler was the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Consumer Sales at Symantec Corporation, where he was in charge of multi-channel international consumer sales valued at $2.0 billion. Mr. Steckler also served over two years as Symantec’s Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan and was responsible for all enterprise and consumer business in that region. Prior to joining Symantec, Mr. Steckler had 20 years of experience in software development, systems analysis and engineering, and business development. Mr. Steckler holds two B.S. degrees from the University of California, Irvine, one in Mathematics and the other in Information and Computer Science.

Phil Marshall

Chief Financial Officer

Phil Marshall

Chief Financial Officer

Phil Marshall joined Avast in 2018, bringing a wealth of global experience, having successfully led finance groups in a variety of public and private companies. Before Avast, Mr. Marshall served as CFO for Exova Group PLC, CFO for Wood Mackenzie, CEO of the $2B General Electric Consumer & Industrial Solutions group for the EMEA region, and various other positions throughout his seventeen-year career at GE. He has also served on the boards of several companies. Mr. Marshall holds a BA in Accounting Studies from the University of West London.

Ondrej Vlcek

Executive Vice President & General Manager, Consumer, & CTO

Ondrej Vlcek

Executive Vice President & General Manager, Consumer, & CTO

Ondrej Vlcek serves as our EVP and GM for the Consumer business & CTO leading our largest business at Avast. Through his strategies and vision, Mr. Vlcek has architected our cloud based security network for the newly announced IoT security solutions and has led his team to dramatic growth by re-inventing how we protect people online. In his prior role at Avast as CTO, he pioneered Avast's transformation from a traditional PC antivirus vendor into the leading next- gen provider of security solutions it is today. In 2003, Mr. Vlcek became a chief developer at Avast and led the team that developed one of the first antivirus program for Windows. He holds an MS in Mathematics from Czech Technical University in Prague.

Robin Selden

Chief Marketing Officer

Robin Selden

Chief Marketing Officer

Robin Selden joined us as CMO in October 2015. Since joining Avast Ms. Selden has revitalized Marketing launching a new brand strategy and growing customer engagement and awareness across key regions. Prior to that, Ms. Selden was CMO at NETGEAR, where she helped take the company to its number- one position in the worldwide market. Before joining NETGEAR, she held positions as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Dolby and VP/GM of the Streaming Media Business at Logitech. Robin has over twenty years’ experience in general management and marketing, consumer products, and business products. Ms. Selden has served on the Board of Advisors for Santa Clara University Graduate School of Business. She holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BS with honors from California Polytechnic State University.

Gagan Singh

Senior Vice President & General Manager, Mobile

Gagan Singh

Senior Vice President & General Manager, Mobile

Gagan Singh is SVP and GM for our Mobile business. Since joining Avast, Mr. Singh has positioned the mobile business for continued growth expanding its Carrier business outside the US and initiating our entry into the fast growing IoT Smart Home security market. Prior to joining Avast, Mr. Singh was VP of Mobile Strategy, Engineering and Solutions at Moovweb, a SAAS company focused on cloud-based mobile experience optimization. From 2012 to 2014, he was EVP and Chief Technology Officer at VIZ Media; and prior to that, he was founder and CEO of West Side Labs, Inc., with offices in New York City and Tokyo. Mr. Singh has more than fifteen years’ experience leading product, engineering, and marketing teams in both enterprise and consumer software companies. Mr. Singh holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley.

Kevin Chapman

Senior Vice President & General Manager, SMB

Kevin Chapman

Senior Vice President & General Manager, SMB

Kevin Chapman is SVP and GM for our SMB business. Since joining Avast, Mr. Chapman has significantly streamlined the operations of our SMB Business for efficiencies and has expanded his product portfolio into new markets adding network security to provide more comprehensive solutions for larger SMBs. Mr. Chapman has over twenty years’ IT industry management experience leading both regional and global teams in the driving, transforming, and scaling of enterprise, SMB, and consumer businesses. Mr. Chapman has worked with Marconi's, Apple, and Symantec in a range of posts sales, marketing and general management. Mr.Chapman holds a BSc Hons in Mechanical and Production Engineering from University of Hertfordshire and an MBA from Warwick University, both in the UK.

Jim Holden

Senior Vice President & General Manager, Platform

Jim Holden

Senior Vice President & General Manager, Platform

Jim Holden has served as SVP and GM for our Platform business since September 2016. Since joining Avast Jim Holden has further strengthened our relationships with major partners and has initiated a new growth strategy including innovative new Browser and Commerce product lines. Prior to joining Avast, Mr. Holden was Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Google, Inc., where he developed and led relationships regarding the distribution of desktop and mobile products, syndication of search and monetization services, and strategic content acquisition. He established Google’s first partnerships with global mobile carriers and OEMs. Prior to joining Google, he worked for twenty years in consumer software services, technology strategy, corporate and business development, investment banking, and law. Mr. Holden holds a BA from Amherst College and a JD from University of Virginia School of Law.

Alan Rassaby

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Alan Rassaby

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Alan Rassaby has served as our General Counsel and Company Secretary since February 2013. At Avast, Mr. Rassaby has developed a best-in-class legal team, and has led the effort with R&D to build a modern and rich patent portfolio. From 2000 to 2012, he was General Counsel of RightNow Technologies, Inc., where he also spent several years as Company Secretary and Senior VP of Global Human Resources. Before that, Mr. Rassaby was SVP and General Counsel both of Powerhouse Technologies, Inc. and Anchor Gaming, Inc. Mr. Rassaby practiced law in Australia, receiving his initial law degree from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science of London University in England. He is a member of the State bars of NSW and Victoria (Australia) and Oregon (United States).

Glenn Taylor

Chief of Staff

Glenn Taylor

Chief of Staff

Glenn Taylor is Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer, having joined Avast in 2011 as VP of Sales. As our Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer Mr. Taylor has been instrumental in multiple successful acquisitions including the purchase of AVG Technologies in 2016 which resulted in Avast becoming the largest consumer security company in the world. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Taylor ran the eCommerce online retention program at Symantec Corporation. From 2000 to 2006, he led the U.S. State Government and Education Sales teams at Symantec. Prior to Symantec, Lieutenant Colonel Taylor served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Taylor holds a BS in Operations Research from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MSSM from the University of Southern California.

Steven Scheers

Chief Human Resources Officer

Steven Scheers

Chief Human Resources Officer

Steven Scheers is our Chief Human Resources Officer. Since joining Avast Steven has successfully brought in top tier talent in both R&D and Leadership through innovative recruiting strategies and led the successful integration of Avast and AVG. Prior to joining Avast in September 2016, Mr. Scheers was Chief People Officer for AVG, and prior to that, he was Chief People Officer and member of the Management Board for TNT Express. He has more than twenty years’ experience across executive leadership roles at companies such as NXP Semiconductors, Inbev, Sony Ericsson Mobile, and Siemens. Mr. Scheers holds a degree in Applied Economics from University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Detlef Steinmetz

Chief Information Officer

Detlef Steinmetz

Chief Information Officer

Detlef Steinmetz joined Avast as Chief Information Officer in January 2017. Since joining Avast Mr. Steinmetz has re-designed its IT infrastructure creating strong efficiencies while improving the customer experience online. Prior to his current role at Avast, Mr. Steinmetz served as CIO of Swiss telco operator Sunrise, where he adapted the company’s IT infrastructure to the complex requirements of a highly competitive market, modernizing and improving it to support network and customer services. Mr. Steinmetz has also held Senior Operations, IT, and CTO roles at NETnet, Telegate, and T-Mobile. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Armed Services University, Munich.

John G. Schwarz

Chairman of the Board,
CEO, Visier

John G. Schwarz

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Visier

John G. Schwarz joined our Board in December 2011, and became Chairman of the Board in 2014. Dr. Schwarz has served as co-founder and CEO of Visier LLC, a business analytics software firm, since 2010. Previously, Dr. Schwarz served on the Executive Board of SAP AG. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Business Objects S.A., a provider of business intelligence software and services. Before joining Business Objects, Dr. Schwarz served as President and COO of Symantec Corporation, after serving as President and CEO of Reciprocal Inc. Prior to Reciprocal, Dr. Schwarz worked at IBM Corporation as GM of the Industry Solutions unit. Dr. Schwarz serves on the Board of Directors of the Information Technology Association of America's Software Board. A native of Prague, he has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Manitoba, a diploma in Business Administration from the University of Toronto, and an honorary PhD from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Erwin Gunst

Former COO, SAP

Erwin Gunst

Former Chief Operating Officer, SAP

Erwin Gunst has served on our Board since October 2012. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Gunst served as COO and a member of the Executive Board of SAP AG, where he was responsible for global operations, information technology, human resources, and the management of all SAP Labs worldwide. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Gunst served as a Corporate Officer of SAP AG and President of Customer and Solutions Operations for EMEA. Prior to that, Mr. Gunst served in a variety of positions with SAP, including Managing Director of SAP AG subsidiaries in Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Gunst holds an MS in Commercial Engineering from the Free University (Solvay) in Brussels, Belgium.

Ulf Claesson

Partner, BLR & Partners

Ulf Claesson

Partner, BLR & Partners

Ulf Claesson has served as one of our directors since October 2012. In 2009, Mr. Claesson became a Partner at BLR & Partners AG, a private equity firm located in Zurich, Switzerland. From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Claesson built up and ran one of HP’s product divisions as a GM and VP. From 2002 to 2006, he was Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverwire Group (now a Hewlett-Packard Company). Prior to that, he founded Whitecap GmbH and Whitecap LLP, where he also serves as Managing Director to this day. From 1977 to 1997, Mr. Claesson served in various positions at IBM, where he built up its OEM business in Continental Europe. He also serves as a member of the board of the Swiss Federal Commission for Innovation and Technology and is a lecturer, teaching Entrepreneurship at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Mr. Claesson holds an MS from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Warren Finegold

Former Group Strategy and Business Development Director,
Vodafone Group

Warren Finegold

Former Group Strategy & Business Development Director, Vodafone Group

Warren Finegold joined our Board in February 2015. He has been a member of the Vodafone Group Executive Committee and is a former Group Strategy and Business Development Director. Previously, he was a Managing Director of UBS Investment Bank, where he held a number of senior positions, most recently as Head of the Technology Team in Europe. Before that, he was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs International in New York and London. He began his career as an Executive in the Corporate Finance Department of Hill Samuel and Co. Ltd. Mr. Finegold holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a Masters degree in Business Administration from London Business School.

Belinda Richards

Global Service Line Leader at Deloitte LLP

Belinda Richards

Global Service Line Leader at Deloitte LLP

Belinda Richards joined the Avast Board in June 2018. Her background includes a 30-year career in Finance, M&A, and strategy development and implementation. Previously, Ms. Richards served as a Senior Corporate Finance Partner at Deloitte LLP where she held the position of Global Head of Deloitte’s Merger Integration and Separation Advisory Services business. Currently, Ms. Richards also sits on the Boards of WM Morrison Supermarkets plc, Phoenix Group Holdings plc, The Monks Investment Trust PLC and Schroder Japan Growth Fund plc. She is a member of FRC’s Advisory Group of Audit Committee Chairmen and a member of the Governing Council of CSFI, a not-for-profit think tank based in London. She has a first class honours degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury and a PhD from University College, London.

Vince Steckler

Chief Executive Officer