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 1.5 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 4 key areas

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

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 worldwide multi-channel 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

President, Consumer

Ondrej Vlcek

President, Consumer

Ondrej Vlcek serves as President for the Consumer business leading the largest business at Avast. He was part of the executive team that took the company public on the London Stock Exchange in May 2018, and also led the successful integration of the consumer business after the acquisition of AVG in 2016. As the leader of the Consumer business, he has created dramatic growth through strategy and vision, re-inventing how Avast protects people online. In his prior role as CTO, Mr. Vlcek architected Avast’s cloud-based security network for the newly announced IoT security solutions and led a technology transformation of Avast from a traditional PC antivirus vendor into the leading global AI driven provider of security solutions it is today. Mr. Vlcek started at Avast in 1995 as a developer and through his ingenuity and passion, has risen through the organization making a significant impact on the company’s results. 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 & Chief Product Officer, Consumer

Gagan Singh

Senior Vice President & Chief Product Officer, Consumer

Gagan Singh is SVP and Chief Product Officer of our consumer business. In his prior role at Avast as SVP & General Manager of Mobile, Mr. Singh 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, Avast Business

Kevin Chapman

Senior Vice President & General Manager, Avast Business

Kevin Chapman is SVP and GM for Avast Business, part of Avast. Since joining Avast, Kevin has significantly streamlined the operations within Avast Business. He has also expanded the product portfolio into new markets, adding network security to provide more comprehensive solutions for small and medium businesses. Kevin has over twenty years’ IT industry management experience leading both regional and global teams dedicated to transforming and scaling small, medium, and consumer businesses. He has worked with Marconi, Apple, and Symantec in a range of post-sales, marketing, and general management roles. Kevin holds a BSc Hons in Mechanical and Production Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire and an MBA from Warwick University, both in the UK.

Jim Holden

Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development

Jim Holden

Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development

Jim Holden is our SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development. In his prior role at Avast, he served as SVP and GM for our Platform business. 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

Chief of Staff & Company Secretary

Alan Rassaby

Chief of Staff & Company Secretary

Alan Rassaby joined Avast in 2013 and was appointed as our Chief of Staff in November 2018. He has also served as our Company Secretary since 2013. As Chief of Staff and Company Secretary, he is responsible for the Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology and Security Departments, and for supporting our Board of Directors. From 2013 till November 2018, Mr. Rassaby was our General Counsel. In that role, Mr. Rassaby 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

Senior Vice President, Special Projects

Glenn Taylor

Senior Vice President, Special Projects

Glenn Taylor joined Avast in 2011 and is our SVP of Special Projects. In his prior role at Avast, as Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Taylor was 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 through innovative recruiting strategies and was instrumental in 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.

Peter Turner

Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer, Consumer

Peter Turner

Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer, Consumer

Peter Turner joined Avast in 2016 and is our SVP & and Chief Revenue Officer, Consumer. Prior to this position, Mr. Turner was our Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for our Consumer business. Prior to joining Avast, Mr. Turner was General Manager, Consumer for AVG. He has also held positions in a variety of organizations including Experian, Orange, Freeserve, Sainsbury’s, Dixons, and GE. He holds an HND in Business and Finance, with merit, from Humberside Polytechnic and a postgraduate diploma in Marketing Management from Staffordshire University, both in the UK, and completed training in International Executive Management from EMLYON Business School, France.

Kelby Barton

General Counsel

Kelby Barton

General Counsel

Kelby Barton joined Avast in 2014 as Deputy General Counsel and was appointed as our General Counsel in 2018. In this role, he is the principal source of legal advice to the Board and Management. While at Avast, he led or was integral to such projects as the acquisition of AVG, the implementation of GDPR, and our listing on the London Stock Exchange. From 2008 to 2012, he was Assistant General Counsel of RightNow Technologies, Inc. (RNOW: NASDAQ), and after its acquisition by Oracle in 2012, was a managing counsel at Oracle Corporation. Mr. Barton began his career in 2002 with Thomson Reuters. Mr. Barton received his law degree from the University of Colorado, and is a member of the State bar of Colorado (United States).

John G. Schwarz

Chairman of The Board;
Chief Executive Officer, Visier

John G. Schwarz

Chairman of The Board; Chief Executive Officer, Visier

John G. Schwarz has been a member of our Board of Directors since 2011 and the Chairman since 2014. He is currently the co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visier Inc., a business analytics software firm. Previously he served on the executive board of SAP AG from 2008 to 2010, and as a Chief Executive Officer of Business Objects S.A. from 2005 through its acquisition by SAP in 2008. Mr. Schwarz has also served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Symantec Corporation from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Schwarz previously worked 25 years at IBM Corporation, ultimately as the General Manager of IBM's Industry Solutions division. Mr. Schwarz has served as a director at Synopsys Corporation since 2007, and at Teradata Corporation since 2010. Mr Schwarz hold degrees from the Canadian universities of Manitoba, Toronto and Dalhousie.

Erwin Gunst

Independent Non-Executive Director

Erwin Gunst

Independent Non-Executive Director

Erwin Gunst joined the Board of Avast in 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. Mr. Gunst started his career in audit, finance and controlling. He was SAP’s Managing Director in various countries and was its Regional President for EMEA before joining the SAP Board. Mr. Gunst holds a M.S. degree in Commercial Engineering from the Free University (Solvay) in Brussels, Belgium.

Belinda Richards

Independent Non-Executive Director

Belinda Richards

Independent Non-Executive Director

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 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.

Ulf Claesson

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ulf Claesson

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ulf Claesson joined the Board of Avast in October 2012. In 2009, Mr. Claesson became a Partner at BLR & Partners AG, a private equity and advisory firm located in Zurich, Switzerland. He is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and built a dozen technology companies to-date, most of which have been acquired by larger enterprises including Hewlett Packard, ESRI and Husqvarna. From 2002 to 2006, he was Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverwire Group; subsequently, on its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard Company, Mr. Claesson built up and ran one of HP’s product divisions from 2006 to 2009. Earlier in his career he held corporate executive positions at IBM, responsible for developing IBM’s European CAD/CAM/CAE business, and thereafter for building IBMs OEM business in Europe and later worldwide. Mr. Claesson serves as a member of the board of the Swiss Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation, and teaches Technology Entrepreneurship at ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He holds an M.Sc. from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

Maggie Chan Jones

Independent Non-Executive Director

Maggie Chan Jones

CEO, Tenshey

Ms. Maggie Chan Jones is a widely recognized industry thought leader in marketing and technology. Named one of the world’s most influential CMOs by Forbes, Ms. Chan Jones broke new ground as the first woman to be appointed Chief Marketing Officer at the world’s largest enterprise application software provider SAP. She specializes in brand and cloud transformation and has been instrumental in this role during her tenure at Level 3 Communications (now CenturyLink) and Microsoft. As an Asian-American woman, Ms. Chan Jones recognizes the barriers facing women in today’s corporate culture. Determined to change this, she founded and currently is CEO of Tenshey, a leadership development startup with a mission to advance gender diversity through executive coaching.

Warren Finegold

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Warren Finegold

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Warren Finegold joined the Board of Avast in February 2015. He was a member of the Vodafone Group Executive Committee for 10 years, serving principally as 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. Mr. Finegold is an independent non-executive Director OF Inmarsat PLC. He holds a M.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a Masters degree in Business Administration from London Business School.

Tamara Minick-Scokalo

Independent Non-Executive Director

Tamara Minick-Scokalo

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms. Tamara Minick-Scokalo is an experienced Non-Executive Director Board member with a career spanning over 30 years specializing in Fast Moving Consumer Goods and international markets. Most recently at Pearson plc in London, as President, Growth Markets and a member of the Executive Committee for top 20 emerging markets, she directed acquisitions and developed businesses in Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. She also co-founded high tech unicorn Trax Retail and was CEO, then Chairman of this fast growing, image recognition tool for shelf management, the leader in its category. She led significant change management, as President Chocolate Europe with the integration of the Kraft/Cadbury business, and also as Cadbury President Global Commercial in moving to a category-led, scaled innovation organization with award winning marketing in a digital age. Her deep experience in consumer brands includes positions at Elizabeth Arden, Procter & Gamble, E & J Gallo Winery Europe and Coca Cola.

Vince Steckler

Chief Executive Officer