Forcepoint Announces Key Leadership Appointments

Forcepoint, a global data security company, has announced three key leadership appointments aimed at accelerating its AI-driven Data Security Everywhere strategy. Guy Shamilov has been named Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Bakshi Kohli as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Head of Global Engineering, and Naveen Palavalli’s role has expanded to Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer (CPO and CMO). These strategic moves are designed to strengthen Forcepoint’s vision to unify visibility and control across all stages of the data security lifecycle, from discovery and classification to monitoring, prioritization, and risk mitigation.

As data continues to spread across hybrid environments and generative AI (GenAI) introduces new risks, Forcepoint underscores the need for dynamic, adaptive data security solutions. With automated, AI-powered platforms, businesses and governments can protect sensitive information and intellectual property from increasingly sophisticated AI-driven threats. Legacy security tools that operate in silos are no longer enough, and Forcepoint’s platform aims to simplify the management of security policies, reduce risk, and enhance compliance by unifying data protection strategies.

Ryan Windham, CEO of Forcepoint, emphasized the importance of AI in simplifying security management. “Our mission is to embed AI automation into every aspect of data security,” said Windham. “With AI Mesh at the heart of Forcepoint’s insights and adaptive controls for risk, we provide full-lifecycle data security across hybrid and AI environments. Guy, Bakshi, and Naveen’s leadership will play a critical role in accelerating innovation and strengthening customer security.”

Guy Shamilov brings over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and will lead Forcepoint’s global security strategy. Before joining Forcepoint, Shamilov held key roles as CISO at Varonis, Tata Consultancy Services, and Traiana. He has been recognized for driving security innovation and risk management, earning the CISO of the Year award in 2023. Shamilov stated, “With AI-driven attacks on the rise, businesses are struggling to adapt to evolving threats. Forcepoint’s AI-powered platform offers end-to-end visibility and control to simplify management and mitigate risk.”

Bakshi Kohli, with over 30 years of experience, will lead Forcepoint’s global engineering teams and drive the company’s architectural vision for its Data Security Everywhere platform. Kohli previously helped Zscaler grow its recurring revenue 15x and played a key role in its IPO. Kohli emphasized, “GenAI is transforming security, and organizations must understand both the data fed into AI models and the insights they produce. Forcepoint is the only vendor delivering such a comprehensive, AI-powered data security platform.”

Naveen Palavalli, who has nearly 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, now oversees product strategy, roadmap, and marketing at Forcepoint. Since joining as CMO in April 2024, Palavalli has played a key role in launching solutions such as Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and Data Detection and Response (DDR). Palavalli remarked, “Security must evolve as rapidly as emerging threats, and this is essential for businesses to thrive in the AI era.”

Forcepoint is also expanding its AI-driven data security capabilities with the planned acquisition of Getvisibility, a leader in AI-powered security solutions. This acquisition will integrate Getvisibility’s DSPM, DDR, and AI-Mesh solutions into Forcepoint’s existing portfolio, further strengthening its unified Data Security Everywhere architecture. By integrating these capabilities, Forcepoint enhances its ability to identify and protect sensitive data across cloud, web, and endpoint environments, providing customers with real-time protection without the complexity of managing multiple security tools.