Kordia consolidates cloud and cyber teams, makes key new hires

Kordia has merged its cyber security and cloud divisions to better serve customers by offering complete solutions across the range of services it offers.

Established with the acquisition of boutique cloud consultancy EMRGE in 2020, Kordia’s cloud division has since become one of the company’s fastest growing business units.

“Kiwi businesses are navigating a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, while simultaneously trying to shift workloads to the cloud and leverage new technologies like AI,” said says Glen White, now the company’s executive general manager of cyber security and cloud.

“Maintaining a strong cyber security posture and resilience against incoming attacks has never been more important, and proper governance and implementation of cloud environments is a major factor in achieving that.”

In late August, Kordia reported revenue of $149.1 million, up from $144.9 million.

However, profit fell from $7.3 million to $339,000 after direct costs surged by $13.5 million, with work on a major new public safety network proving to be financially disappointing.

That engagement has since been “refined”, Kordia reported, and a better commercial result was expected in 2025.

State-owned Kordia has also made two new senior appointments to its cyber security business, with former Spark executive Patric Balmer and CCL’s Elaine McCarthy joining as head of cyber managed services and head of delivery for cloud and cyber security respectively.

White said the new appointees’ depth of experience in cyber security and delivering services to customers would help drive the success of Kordia’s managed security offering.

“Kordia’s approach is to help businesses stay secure with effective support across all aspects of information security, from risk and governance to 24/7 x 365 monitoring and incident response,” he said.

“That’s why we look for the best cyber talent in New Zealand to ensure our customers stay secure.”

Balmer brings over 25 years of experience in the ICT and cyber security industry, having also previously held senior roles at Dimension Data, NTT and Liquid IT.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with the talented cyber professionals working in Kordia’s cyber defence operations and cloud teams, as well as the consultants at Aura Information Security, as we continue driving innovation and excellence in the cyber space for New Zealand organisations,” he said.

McCarthy, most recently CCL’s as the head of IT managed services, has experience leading high performing technology teams and was a finalist in the Reseller News awards for management excellence in 2022.

She will be responsible for developing delivery for Kordia’s managed cyber security and cloud divisions, as well as Aura Information Security.

“What attracted me to Kordia was the passion and sense of purpose the team has for what they do – helping businesses stay safe and secure against cyber threats and navigate complexity in the cloud is truly impactful work,” she said.