SEATTLE – November 5, 2025 – WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity and Vector Capital (“Vector”) portfolio company, today announced the appointment of Joe Smolarski as Chief Executive Officer. Vats Srivatsan, who had been named interim CEO since May 2025, will continue to serve as a member of WatchGuard’s board of directors, advising the company on growth & strategy.
Under Vats’ leadership, WatchGuard re-energized innovation, strengthened operational execution, and accelerated AI adoption. The company also modernized its hardware and software delivery model for partners, launched a major refresh across its network security portfolio, and delivered a record-setting third quarter in both performance and growth. These initiatives have materially lifted WatchGuard’s top-line and bottom-line growth trajectories, driven record financial performance, grown global market share, and increased momentum across its Unified Security Platform® and MSP-focused business model.
Joe brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across technology, operations, and strategy. Known as a results-driven, partner-centric operator, he has led global organizations through periods of transformation, scale, and integration. Most recently, he helped drive a ten-fold revenue increase and multi-billion-dollar valuation growth for Kaseya by uniting teams, technologies, and partners around a single, customer-first platform vision. Joe will work closely with WatchGuard’s executive leadership team and Board to continue driving the company’s strategic initiatives, operational excellence, and global partner success.
“I want to thank Vats for stepping in as interim CEO and architecting such rapid performance acceleration in such a short time. I am happy that Vats will continue to guide future growth and strategy as a Board Member” said Alex Slusky, Founding Partner of Vector Capital and Chairman of WatchGuard. “In Joe, we have the right leader to build on this momentum to drive WatchGuard through this next chapter of growth. Joe has a proven track record of delivering phenomenal growth in MSP-focused technology organizations through both organic and M&A investments. Joe’s ability to integrate teams and technologies at scale while staying focused on partner success makes him uniquely qualified to accelerate WatchGuard’s operational and innovation momentum.”
Joe has been instrumental in leading Kaseya through its hyper-growth phase - building the company’s MSP platform for comprehensive IT management, integrating more than a dozen acquisitions into a cohesive, scalable ecosystem that delivered stronger outcomes for partners, employees, and investors. That experience translates directly to WatchGuard’s cybersecurity mission, where the company’s Unified Security Platform® brings together advanced protection technologies, automation, and simplified management to give MSPs the power to deliver enterprise-grade security at scale. Joe’s proven ability to turn complexity into clarity and platforms into growth engines positions him to accelerate WatchGuard’s next phase of innovation and partner success.
“WatchGuard has an incredible foundation, a world-class technology platform, an MSP-first business model, and a reputation for trust and performance that stands out in the market,” said Joe Smolarski, CEO, WatchGuard Technologies. “Cybersecurity has become central to every MSP’s growth strategy, and WatchGuard is perfectly positioned to lead that evolution. I’m excited to build on the company’s strong trajectory and make WatchGuard the cybersecurity vendor synonymous with the MSP community.”
Recognized by Industry Analysts, Trusted by IT Professionals
WatchGuard is consistently recognized by leading industry analysts, independent testing organizations, and peer review platforms for innovation and leadership in cybersecurity.
Recent highlights include recognition in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Hybrid Mesh Firewall, Champion in the Canalys Cybersecurity Leadership Matrix, and a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape for Hybrid Firewall. WatchGuard was also named a Leader and Outperformer in GigaOm Radar Report for EDR and a Leader in the SPARK Matrix for NDR.
Independent validation through MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluations and other testing further demonstrates the strength of WatchGuard’s advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities.
Customers on TrustRadius and Gartner Peer Insights consistently praise WatchGuard for ease of deployment, reliability, and exceptional support, reinforcing its commitment to delivering enterprise-grade security that’s accessible and trusted worldwide.