Christian & Timbers

04/03/2026

Maury Tiller has joined ExaGrid as Director of Systems Engineering for the Americas West, bringing one of the deepest pre-sales and solutions engineering careers in enterprise technology to this role.

Maury joins ExaGrid from Palo Alto Networks as Manager of Sales Engineering. Previously, he spent four years at Pure Storage in roles including Director of Solution Architects for Cyber-Resiliency, leading a team focused on promoting data protection and cyber-resiliency solutions. His earlier roles as Senior Manager and Data Architect provided him with extensive experience in AI/ML, data analytics, and enterprise data protection.

Before Pure Storage, Maury spent 20 years at NetApp, including eight years as Senior Manager of Solutions Engineering in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Two decades at one of the world's leading data infrastructure companies is a rare foundation, and few professionals in this field have such experience.

ExaGrid offers Tiered Backup Storage with a disk-cache Landing Zone, long-term retention, a scale-out design, and security features such as AI-Powered Retention Time-Lock for ransomware recovery.

Congratulations to Maury Tiller and the ExaGrid team on this appointment.

Read more ▶️ https://lnkd.in/d34NiCX6

01/08/2026

We are pleased to share that Derek Maki has joined Proofpoint as SVP of Product, leading the Data Security business, including AI Data Security and AI DLP.

Derek brings a rare combination of founder, advisor, and operator experience focused on AI-driven product transformation at enterprise scale.

Derek founded Longbow Security, which Veracode acquired in April 2024. He then became SVP, Head of Product, integrating Longbow into Veracode and developing Risk Manager to handle AI-generated code risk in large organizations.

Earlier, Derek served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey, advising more than 25 Fortune 500 executives on technology and product transformation.

At Proofpoint, Derek will shape product strategy in data security as AI changes data movement, access, and risk management across cloud, email, and collaboration.

Congratulations to Derek and the Proofpoint team.

Read more ▶️ https://www.christianandtimbers.com/successful-placements/derek-maki-appointed-svp-of-product-at-proofpoint

12/15/2025

Christian & Timbers released the AI Compensation Study, a synthesis of compensation across AI frontier, AI orchestration, and AI application layer companies, structured by company stage and role.

Coverage covers CEO, CFO, CRO, CMO, CTO, CPO, CISO, CHRO, and VP roles across foundation models, agent platforms, evaluation and safety, infrastructure and inference, data and content, applied AI, model security, and GenAI products. Stages range from Series A to Series C, $50M to $1B ARR, and include private AI companies with over $1B.

Elite technical roles include Top Research Scientists earning a $320K to $720K base salary, Senior Principal AI Engineers earning a $300K to $710K base salary, and a target bonus of up to 35%. Sign-on bonuses typically range from $50K to $20M, with occasional market rumors of up to $1B. Equity stakes range from 0.20% to 1.20% in early-stage deals, decreasing to 0.01% to 0.23% at valuations over $1B.

Read the full PR release: https://lnkd.in/dc8mtDgq
Download the AI Compensation Study: https://lnkd.in/dBRBw24r

11/07/2025

Thanks to the organizers and partners who made the 2025 Action Against Hunger Gala such a meaningful evening. The event brought together leaders committed to measurable progress in addressing global hunger. More than 400 guests joined in New York to support programs that reached over 26 million people last year.

The evening raised more than two million dollars to fund community-based models with a ninety percent recovery rate among children affected by malnutrition.

Christian & Timbers was proud to take part in this initiative and support Action Against Hunger with multiple board placements! Leadership that combines purpose with accountability defines the type of impact we aim to advance across all sectors. Recognizing individuals such as Alecia Moore (P!NK), whose humanitarian work continues to inspire global action, reinforces the value of conviction and long-term commitment.

Our engagement with organizations such as Action Against Hunger reflects our broader goal of applying executive search as a catalyst for sustainable change.

07/25/2025

Christian & Timbers placed Jyothi Gorti as Chief Digital Officer at SiTime. A former CIO at Analog Devices, she brings strong digital transformation expertise.

SiTime, with 3B devices in 300+ applications, grew 41% YoY in 2024.

Read more ▶️

SiTime names Jyothi Gorti Chief Digital Officer to lead enterprise digital strategy. A pivotal hire aligned with SiTime’s growth in AI, 5G, and automotive sectors.

07/21/2025

Christian & Timbers is dedicated to giving back each year to causes we deeply care about. Our efforts should extend beyond business outcomes and contribute to shaping a more equitable future through access to education, investment in human potential, and contributions to global health and development.

In 2024, one example of this commitment was our collaboration with Action Against Hunger USA. Several team members dedicated their time to a board refresh initiative aimed at identifying two new board members. Ultimately, we placed four exceptional leaders who bring essential expertise to one of the world’s premier humanitarian organizations.

We see this kind of engagement as core to our mission, using executive search as a tool for lasting impact. Whether in the boardroom, classroom, or community, we are proud to support organizations driving meaningful change.

Nicholas Noviello is a seasoned executive with a global track record in transformation and disciplined growth.
Jager McConnell, the CEO of Crunchbase, possesses deep expertise in enterprise platforms and product ecosystems.
Rob Arditi, a partner at BVP Forge and former GP at Norwest, provides a sharp perspective on sustainable scaling.
Rachel Lam, co-founder of Imagination Capital and former head of Time Warner Investments, contributes strategic insight from decades of board service and corporate innovation.

Their appointments come at a pivotal time. In the past year alone, Action Against Hunger reached more than 14 million people and helped save 407,000 children under five.

We also want to thank the three partners who led this project: Pravesh Mehra, JC Christian, Jeff Christian, and Nicoleta Ionașcu, the Project Manager, who oversaw every step. The outcome reflected their care, talent, and commitment to the mission.

05/21/2025

Christian & Timbers analyzed executive compensation data from over 100 privately held cybersecurity companies, from Series A to $1B valuations. The report examines compensation patterns across eight executive roles, including CEO, CFO, CRO, CAIO, and CPTO.

Three trends shaping cybersecurity leadership in 2025:
1️⃣ CROs with both strategic insight and executional depth are outperforming. These leaders sit in the 95th percentile and are closely tracked by investors and PE firms.
2️⃣ CAIOs are gaining influence. GenAI and LLM adoption have made the CAIO role central to product and enterprise strategy, with compensation rising 9 percent year over year.
3️⃣ CPTOs are driving AI product integration. These hybrid leaders are critical to scaling platforms and aligning cross-functional teams, with total compensation outpacing most peers.

Overall, cybersecurity executive compensation has climbed by 4.3 percent in 2025, reflecting intensifying competition for transformative leadership.

Read more ▶️ https://bit.ly/4ms8wpX

05/16/2025

We’re excited to announce that James C. Foster has joined NightDragon as an Operating Partner.

Foster is a seasoned leader in the cybersecurity industry, best known as the founder of ZeroFox, where he served as chairman and CEO from 2013 to 2024. Under his leadership, ZeroFox achieved more than 30 consecutive quarters of ARR growth, completed five strategic acquisitions, and scaled into a multi-hundred-million-dollar public company protecting thousands of organizations worldwide.

His leadership has been widely recognized, he was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Mid-Atlantic winner and CEO of the Year by The Daily Record, with additional honors from The Baltimore Sun and SmartCEO.

In his new role at NightDragon, Foster will help accelerate the growth of portfolio companies, drawing on over two decades of experience building and scaling cybersecurity market leaders.

NightDragon is a growth-stage investment firm focused on cybersecurity, safety, and privacy, partnering with companies advancing solutions to meet today’s most urgent digital threats.

Read more ▶️ https://lnkd.in/etQfJj7v

05/02/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined Christian & Timbers, GreatPoint Ventures, and ’s “AI Chiefs and Chairs” gathering for an engaging evening with top AI-native founders, cybersecurity CEOs, board members, investors, and other top industry leaders.

The energy in the room, the quality of conversation, and the strategic alignment on display reflect the momentum building across and .
We appreciate everyone’s contributions to a memorable evening.

One of the highlights of the evening was the uncorking of a Methuselah Special 1986 Vintage Freemark Abbey Cabernet, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.