Business Unit Lead - Cyber Security

ROLE DESCRIPTION

The Business Unit Lead is responsible for leading the Cyber Security business to achieve and exceed sales revenue, gross margin, vendor growth, partner recruitment, and partner management targets. The role provides strategic and operational leadership to the Cyber Security team, ensuring effective execution of business plans while fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and customer-focused culture.

The Business Unit Lead is accountable for coaching, developing, and motivating the team to deliver outstanding business results. This includes organising and prioritising workloads, monitoring performance, and ensuring operational excellence across all business activities. The role also maintains direct involvement in the execution of the Cyber Security business strategy, contributing personally to business growth and key initiatives.

Leading the Cyber Security Business Practice, this role drives profitability and sustainable growth in alignment with the company's vision, values, and strategic objectives. The incumbent has full ownership of the Cyber Security vendor sales budgets and is responsible for delivering against agreed financial and operational targets.

The Business Unit Lead works closely with sales, pre-sales, marketing, finance, and vendor management teams to ensure seamless execution of business objectives. The role is responsible for establishing, monitoring, and achieving annual and monthly sales objectives, aligned with the Cyber Security business plan, while strengthening vendor relationships and driving partner success.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Business Leadership

• Develop and execute the Cyber Security business strategy, ensuring alignment with Westcon's strategic objectives and vendor priorities.
• Own the business unit P&L, driving sustainable revenue growth, gross margin, profitability, and market share.
• Develop annual business plans, budgets, forecasts, and go-to-market strategies to achieve commercial objectives.
• Analyse market trends, competitive activity, and emerging technologies to identify new business opportunities and drive business transformation.
• Provide regular business performance reporting and strategic recommendations to the Westcon Cybersecurity Director.

Sales & Commercial Leadership

• Lead the Cyber Security sales unit to achieve and exceed revenue, gross profit, vendor, and profitability targets.
• Develop and execute sales strategies that accelerate pipeline growth, partner acquisition, and customer success.
• Drive solution-selling across the Cyber Security portfolio, promoting integrated solutions and cross-selling opportunities across the wider Westcon business.
• Ensure accurate sales forecasting, pricing governance, margin optimisation, and commercial performance.
• Support strategic customer engagements, executive presentations, proposals, RFP responses, and complex commercial negotiations.
• Develop additional value-added services and go-to-market initiatives that enhance Westcon's competitive position.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with Cyber Security vendors and strategic partners.
• Develop and execute joint business plans that maximise revenue growth, vendor investment, rebates, incentives, and market development funding.
• Drive partner recruitment, segmentation, enablement, and business development programmes across the Cyber Security portfolio.
• Communicate vendor strategies, programmes, and value propositions to internal teams and channel partners.
• Collaborate with vendors to identify new market opportunities, launch new technologies, and accelerate partner success.

Cyber Security Business Development

• Maintain a strong understanding of the Cyber Security market, emerging technologies, and industry trends to position Westcon as a trusted value-added distributor.
• Drive adoption of key Cyber Security solution areas, including Network Security, Cloud Security, Endpoint Security, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Security Operations (SOC), XDR/MDR, Data Protection, Compliance, and Zero Trust architectures.
• Promote best practice frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, CIS Controls, and other recognised security standards where appropriate.
• Identify opportunities to expand Westcon's Cyber Security portfolio and strengthen market leadership.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage business unit budgets, financial performance, profitability, and return on investment.
• Monitor key business metrics, analyse performance trends, and implement corrective actions where required.
• Ensure effective governance across pricing, rebates, vendor funding, compliance, and operational processes.
• Optimise business operations through effective resource planning, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop and monitor KPIs that support strategic objectives and continuous business improvement.

Leadership & People Development

• Provide inspirational leadership that creates a high-performing, engaged, and accountable team culture.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain top talent, building capability across sales, pre-sales, and business development teams.
• Conduct regular coaching, mentoring, performance reviews, and succession planning to support individual and team growth.
• Foster collaboration across Sales, Marketing, Professional Services, Finance, and Operations to achieve shared business objectives.
• Champion Westcon's values, diversity, inclusion, and ethical business practices.

Stakeholder & Executive Engagement

• Build trusted relationships with executive stakeholders, customers, vendors, and partners.
• Represent Westcon at vendor meetings, customer engagements, industry events, and executive forums.
• Deliver high-impact executive presentations and business reviews.
• Influence strategic decision-making through effective communication, commercial insight, and data-driven recommendations.
• Collaborate across regional and global teams to execute strategic initiatives and deliver business outcomes.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education/Certification

• Matric.
• Business Management Degree or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Relevant Cyber Security vendor certifications are advantageous.
• MBA or Postgraduate Business Qualification is advantageous.

Preferred Certifications

• CISSP
• CISM
• CCSP
• Microsoft Security Certifications
• Palo Alto Networks Certifications
• Fortinet NSE Certifications

Key Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities

• Proven strategic and commercial leadership within a technology distribution or Cyber Security environment.
• Strong understanding of the Cyber Security market, technologies, channel ecosystem, and vendor landscape.
• Executive-level vendor and partner relationship management skills.
• Strong solution-selling and channel sales leadership capability.
• Excellent commercial negotiation, financial analysis, and business acumen.
• Ability to lead organisational change and business transformation initiatives.
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, stakeholder management, and talent development skills.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multiple business functions to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Knowledge of channel ecosystems, including Systems Integrators, Value Added Resellers (VARs), Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and other partner types
• Strong Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capability.
• Deep understanding of customer needs, partner engagement, and market dynamics.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong commercial judgement and business acumen.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to identify and qualify growth opportunities.
• Passion for Cyber Security technologies and emerging market trends.
• Ability to develop strong internal and external partnerships.
• Proven ability to develop and execute successful sales strategies.
• Highly self-motivated with strong planning and execution skills

Desired Experience

• 8–10 years' experience in cybersecurity, technology distribution, vendor management, or channel sales.
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role with direct P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated success in P&L management, revenue growth, profitability, forecasting, and business planning.
• Proven track record of achieving revenue, margin, and growth targets.
• Experience managing strategic vendors and channel partner ecosystems

Values

Demonstrates and embraces Westcon-Comstor values of Partnership, Integrity, Accountability and Ambition.

Operating Environment

• Fast-paced global technology distribution environment.
• Collaboration with vendors, partners, and customers.
• Attendance at customer, partner, and vendor events.
• Travel as required.

Measures Of Success

• Achievement of Cyber Security vendor targets.
• Delivery of revenue, gross margin, profitability, and growth objectives.
• Achievement of annual and monthly sales budgets.
• Growth in partner recruitment, enablement, and sales performance.
• High-performing, engaged Cyber Security team.
• Strong customer and vendor satisfaction.
• Delivery within approved operating budgets.
• Sustainable revenue and market share growth.

* Recruitment and Selection of candidates will be according to the Company's Employment Equity Targets*