Brennan appoints first-ever director of cybersecurity
This move is a part of several leadership changes within the systems integrator.
Systems integrator Brennan has appointed Peter Soulsby as its first-ever director of cybersecurity, in a move to show that cyber has become a boardroom priority for the company.
Soulsby will also be on the executive leadership team for Brennan.
Dave Stevens, managing director at Brennan said cybersecurity has become a frontline issue for every Australian organisation.
“For Brennan, our security operations centre has become a mainstream part of our strategic capability that underpins everything we do,” he said.
“By elevating the cybersecurity function to the key decision-making table, we are ensuring that we not only help our customers to remain secure but we also embed secure-by-design principles in all of our solutions.
Stevens told CRN Australia that creating this role, “Reflects Brennan’s belief that trust, resilience and sovereignty are essential for Australian businesses operating in an increasingly complex threat landscape.”
“The role of director of cybersecurity was created to ensure we integrate security thinking into every decision, be it infrastructure and cloud management to digital transformation and managed services,” he explained.
“While security has always been at the forefront, the elevation of cybersecurity to the executive leadership was made to ensure that our own security posture continue to meet best practice.
“That we maintain secure-by-design frameworks into every customer engagement and we are recognised as Australia’s most trusted systems integrator in the sovereign cybersecurity space.”
Stevens noted that the role will help customers achieve their goals confidently.
“Knowing that every Brennan solution is grounded in protection, compliance and operational continuity,” he said.
Cybersecurity is viewed as core to Brennan’s business model and value proposition, Stevens explained.
“It’s not seen by us as a reactive or isolated service, but rather a fundamental part of digital transformation, cloud operations, AI-driven service delivery and managed services,” he said.
“For all of our customers – and in particular the federal government and critical infrastructure sectors - being cybersecure is essential to building trust, meeting regulatory expectations and safeguarding national capability.”
Stevens noted that the cyber threat landscape has evolved to a point where every IT service provider should treat security as a leadership priority, not just a technical one.
“Having a director of cybersecurity or an equivalent executive role ensures accountability, visibility, and strategic integration. It demonstrates that they are serious about risk management, governance, and the integrity of their solutions,” he said.
Stevens said the creation of this role is part of their evolution as a business, with cybersecurity now having a voice at the highest level of strategy and operations.
“In practice, it will lead to greater proactive cybersecurity governance across all business units and closer integration of cyber into all of our functions,” he told CRN Australia.
Further appointments
The company has also appointed former Macquarie Technology Group COO, Robert Hanimyan, as its director of digital.
Brennan has also hired Karen Murfett as branch manager of the newly established Tasmania office, and Mathew Cremen as branch manager of the Newcastle office.
Both Murfett and Cremen are well-established IT professionals in their respective regions, with a combined 45 years of experience in the industry.
Stevens said these appointments comes at a pivotal time for Brennan, as the company accelerates its growth by focusing on cybersecurity, AI innovation, federal government engagement, and managed services leadership.
“By strengthening its executive team and expanding its footprint in key markets like Tasmania and Newcastle, Brennan is building the scale, expertise and governance required to deliver trusted, high-performance outcomes for customers nationwide,” he ended.