Erin Malone ─ Leading high-achieving cybersecurity sales teams with strong partner relationships…
September 23, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Erin Malone
Senior Vice President,
Americas Sales
Sophos
Are you looking for an award-winning sales leader who leads high-achieving sales teams with strong partner relationships in the cybersecurity industry? We know the person – Erin Malone!
Erin Malone is the Senior Vice President for Americas Sales at Sophos. She is responsible for driving sales across North and South America, and leads a robust team of over 250 people. With more than two decades of leadership experience, Erin is passionate about maximizing partners’ next-generation cybersecurity to eliminate risk of cybercriminals, and works closely with partners to build strategic relationships and revenue opportunities. She is an award-winning sales leader, and was named to CRN’s “Power 100 Elite List of Extraordinary Women” in 2020.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Erin Malone!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I’m a pool shark. I learned how to run the table in high school, and still practice regularly on the pool table in my living room.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
I’ve definitely put in my fair share of miles to earn platinum status with a number of airlines. I used to travel visit customers and partners, to Sophos’ UK headquarters and also visit our regional North American offices quite often. I miss it and can’t wait to get back out there soon.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Reindeer. I moved to Sweden for my first job after college, and I tried the meat during a dinner with work colleagues. I don’t eat red meat, ironically, but I wanted to be polite. To this day, I still cringe during the holiday season when I hear “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Sorry, Rudolph.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
Changes brought on by the pandemic have shaped me as a leader in unexpected ways. As if the sudden shift to remote working wasn’t challenging enough, I led the launch of an entirely new U.S. salesforce in Dallas during the height of the pandemic, which required finding new ways to hire and quickly train and ramp up these new remote employees.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
My father always told me, “I don’t care what job you’re doing in life; you do the best job you can possibly do and that will carry things.” This was the best advice I’ve ever received, and I’ve carried it with me throughout my career.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Yes, the small stuff matters, but don’t get too caught up in the minute details that you lose sight of the big picture.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I’m passionate about helping young professionals break into the workforce, and I always try to find opportunities to be a helpful resource. I spend as much time as possible with mentees, both inside and outside of Sophos, and recently participated in an internship panel.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Sophos has long led the industry with best-in-class cybersecurity solutions, so we were entering into a completely new market when we launched Sophos Managed Threat Response as our first fully-managed service offering in 2019. Introducing the new service to our channel partners and educating them on the tremendous opportunity it provides them to grow their businesses without risky investments was game changing.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
At Sophos, we have been learning about the importance of diversity and inclusion and have been putting this to practice in all of our offices. It is extremely important to challenge ourselves to be thinking differently, especially as a leader.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
I have never worked so fast and hard during my career, but this is a good challenge to have. Finding new ways to balance all of the fantastic opportunities in front of us, and helping partners find new ways to be successful, all while adapting to today’s new “normal.”
