Axcient Taps Webroot Exec David Bennett As CEO

Backup and business continuity specialist Axcient has named Webroot's chief revenue officer as its new CEO, effective March 4, Axcient announced on Tuesday.

David Bennett, a tech veteran and seasoned channel executive, will be driving Axcient’s MSP-centric approach. The CEO announcement comes less than a week after Carbonite, a fellow backup provider, announced it will acquire Webroot for $618.5 million.

Justin Moore, Axcient's former CEO, left the company in 2017 and was replaced with Matt Nachtrab, who stepped down in July, leaving the CEO seat empty.

[Related: eFolder, Axcient Merge, Form Powerhouse Data Protection, File Sync/Share Powerhouse For MSPs]

Mountain View, Calif.-based Axcient in 2017 merged with eFolder, a data protection and file sync company, which was committed to an indirect sales model. Together, the company now has an 100 percent channel-focused sales model, according to Eric White, president of Axcient.

Specifically, Axcient is focused on MSP partners that can offer a fully-managed delivery of its business continuity services. The company is working with more than 3,000 MSPs today.

"The experience I've had at Webroot in building an MSP business is going to help accelerate the progress Axcient has already made," Bennett, CEO-elect, told CRN. "I want to reinforce the message that Axcient is the business availability provider purely focused on MSPs."

Prior to his eight-year career with Webroot, Bennett held international leadership roles within IT companies such as Lenovo, Sony and Kingston.

Axcient has made a lot of progress over the past year as its worked through its eFolder acquisition, and Bennett will help the company continue to accelerate that growth, White said.

"Bennett's already brought a few ideas to us that have been helpful in executing on our growth goals," he said. "Our fortune is linked with the MSP. Our ability to grow as a company is 100 percent based on our ability to serve MSPs and help them grow."