ONE of Derry’s most prominent tech industry figures is to step down as chief executive of cyber security firm MetaCompliance.
Robbie O’Brien, who founded the company in 2005, has stepped aside after almost 18 years leading the business, which focuses on software and content for the cyber security and compliance market.
He has been succeeded by James Mackay, who had served as the chief operating officer at MetaCompliance.
Mr O’Brien is set to remain on the company’s board and take on a new role as ‘chief evangelist’.
The announcement comes just a few weeks after MetaCompliance announced a “transformational” year, that saw the tech firm’s revenue increase 32 per cent to £16.6m million for the year ending March 31 2023.
That helped MetaCompliance record a pre-tax profit of £5.1m, a 39 per cent jump on its 2022 performance.
The company has been on a significant growth trajectory since taking private equity investment from London-based Tenzing at the start of 2021.
Although based on Derry’s Patrick Street, MetaCompliance now has offices in Dublin, London, Birmingham, Atlanta, Porto and Copenhagen, employing 127 people.
Announcing the appointment of its new CEO on Tuesday, the Derry firm said James Mackay “will lead MetaCompliance in its mission to communicate the company's unique personalised security awareness message to the cyber security market”, and “guide the company through its continued successful scaling and in executing its global go-to-market strategy”.
“I am honoured to assume the role of CEO and lead MetaCompliance into its next phase of growth,” said Mr Mackay.
“Our team remains dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that empower organisations to protect their people and data while executing on our global go-to-market strategy.”
Mr O’Brien also expressed his enthusiasm for his new role.
“I'm excited to take on the role of Chief Evangelist for MetaCompliance,” he said.
“This change allows me to focus my efforts on advocating for the importance of supporting employees and management in navigating today's digital risk landscape.
“I am confident that James’s leadership will drive MetaCompliance to new heights.”
The company said its outgoing CEO will continue to share his practical insights and engage with industry leaders, customers, and stakeholders to promote the significance of cyber security vigilance.
