Interim Chief Executive Officer — Cybersecurity Integration

The mandate

The acquisition of a managed detection specialist closed as both founders confirmed they would leave, eliminating the planned integration leadership. Customers are seeking roadmap and analyst-continuity assurances, while duplicate detection, response and services propositions compete for investment.

The interim must begin within four weeks and hold the chief executive seat for fifteen months. The board will initiate permanent recruitment after the combined product and operating model is approved in month six; the final eight weeks are reserved for succession within the fixed term.

Handover is complete when the combined portfolio has one approved roadmap, renewal retention meets the board floor across two cycles, duplicate operating functions are resolved, synergy and integration costs reconcile to the deal case, and the permanent CEO has presented the next annual plan.

The interim may choose product investment within the approved portfolio, appoint time-bound integration leaders, harmonise operating processes and commit contracts within a ₹35 crore delegation. Product closures affecting more than 10% of recurring revenue, permanent C-suite appointments, site exits, acquisitions and spend beyond the integration envelope require board approval.

Re-trading the acquisition, launching consumer security products and moving core intellectual property outside India are out of scope. The interim will integrate what was purchased and cannot rewrite shareholder economics.

Why this seat is open

The planned founder-led transition disappeared at legal close. Neither legacy executive team can neutrally decide which overlapping capabilities and leaders remain. The board needs a temporary CEO with cybersecurity and integration depth before appointing a long-term strategic leader.

What you will own

• Decide the combined product portfolio using customer use, detection efficacy, recurring economics, technical debt and migration risk.
• Establish one renewal command plan for overlapping customers with named product, service and commercial assurances.
• Choose the target operating model and present permanent role, location and cost decisions above delegated thresholds.
• Reconcile revenue retention, synergy, integration spend and one-time customer concessions to the acquisition case.
• Protect threat-research and analyst continuity through explicit retention, knowledge and succession decisions.
• Deliver two stable renewal cycles and one integrated annual operating plan accepted by the board.
• Transfer customer commitments, portfolio choices, synergy evidence, leadership assessments and unresolved strategic options to the permanent CEO.

Candidate qualifications

• Previously served as CEO, business-unit president or COO of an enterprise cybersecurity or infrastructure software company.
• Integrated an acquired product and managed-services portfolio after founder or key-executive departures.
• Held P&L accountability for recurring software revenue, security services and enterprise renewals.
• Made portfolio closure and leadership choices where both legacy organisations had credible claims.
• Can assess detection, response and threat-research capability sufficiently to govern investment.
• Has completed a board-led transition to a permanent CEO after a fixed integration mandate.

Non-negotiables

• Available for Bengaluru-based leadership within four weeks.
• No continuing advisory relationship with the seller, acquisition advisers or direct cybersecurity competitors.
• Will protect regulated customer and threat-intelligence confidentiality during integration.
• Accepts that acquisition economics and future M&A remain board-reserved.

1. 49 words maximum. Confirm availability and disclose any cybersecurity portfolio or seller conflict.
2. 49 words maximum. Describe an acquisition integration you led after founder departure and the retention outcome.
3. 49 words maximum. Which evidence would support retiring an overlapping security product?