Sophos strengthens cyber security: Jan Willeke heads Channel sales in DE!

Sophos strengthens cyber security: Jan Willeke heads Channel sales in DE!

In the dynamic world of cyber security, Sophos has taken a crucial step: With the appointment of Jan Willeke as a new manager Channel Sales for Germany, the company starts an offensive that is to significantly further develop the partner ecosystem in the field of managed services. Willeke, who started his new role on July 1, 2025, brings an abundance of experience from leading positions such as Cradlepoint, Fortinet and Vodafone. His goal? To optimally position Sophos as a provider for Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and to significantly expand the market position in the area of cyber security. Connect Professional reports that Willeke directly to Stefan Fritz, Director Channel Sales EMEA Central and will take responsibility for the national dating business.

A central aspect of Willke's strategy is the integration of third -party solutions, in particular secureworks solutions. He wants to provide a broader IT security architecture for partners and ensure proactive protection against cyber threats. The aim is also to strengthen the resilience of customer infrastructures. At a time when cybercriminals are becoming more and more sophisticated and technologies such as artificial intelligence to optimize their attacks, it is crucial that companies not only rely on reactive measures, but also protect their strategies.

The role of Managed Detection and Response

What exactly is Managed Detection and Response (MDR)? MDR services combine different technologies, including network, identity and cloud security, to recognize threats in real time and react to them. According to Truesec, organizations benefit from the diverse advantages that MDR offers. This includes the frequent challenge of hiring qualified personnel in the area of cyber security and the need to reduce training costs. With progressive monitoring and expert analysis, MDR can ensure effective defense against threats.

MDR differs from traditional security measures by its proactive approach and the integration of human expertise. It includes AI and machine learning to the threatening processes in order to be able to react to possible attacks at an early stage. The core components of MDR include continuous monitoring, quick reaction strategies and the use of global threat information to predict and prevent attacks.

Current challenges and trends in cyber security

The challenges that companies stand in front of are great. Medium-sized companies in particular see a lack of IT security experts and a complex threat situation under pressure. A Report by Indevis emphasizes that companies often fight with overload and insufficient decisions from their IT managers. In short: The demand for solutions such as SOC and MDR services is increasing, as companies try to master the security threats and to significantly improve their cyber defense.

The forecasts are clear. The global turnover of MDR solutions will grow by 24% per year by 2029. For Sophos and will, this means both a challenge and an opportunity to assert themselves in a competitive market and to make progress. The connection between IT and OT security, the use of log data for attack detection and the proactive development of AI-based safety approaches are more than ever in demand.

The integration of these trends in Sophos ’strategy is crucial in order to effectively combat not only current but also future threats. In this way, Willeke and his team do everything they can to strengthen the resilience of companies through innovative approaches, while at the same time expanding the market position of Sophos in the field of cyber security.