Why KnowBe4's New Sales Structure Signals APAC Cybersecurity Shift
KnowBe4 appoints four senior sales leaders across Asia Pacific, signaling a major shift in how cybersecurity vendors approach human risk management as APAC firms boost spending 25% in 2026.
KnowBe4, a human risk management platform provider, has appointed four senior sales leaders across Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), building a fully segmented sales structure covering enterprise, mid-market, small business, and channel partner routes simultaneously.
Four Appointments Cover Every Customer Tier
The new hires are Daniel Nguyen as Senior Director of Sales, Steve Lee as Director of Enterprise Sales, Manish Wali as Director of Sales for SMB and mid-market, and Alex Low as Director of Channel Sales.
Nguyen will lead regional direct and channel sales strategy. Lee will focus on large enterprise accounts across Asia. Wali will oversee expansion into smaller and mid-sized businesses. Low will manage the company's network of channel partners, systems integrators, and managed service providers.
"APJ represents one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving cybersecurity markets," said David Bochsler, VP of International Sales at KnowBe4. "This leadership bench enhances our ability to scale in APJ, and help customers embed human risk management into their long-term security strategies."
Appointments Arrive as Cybersecurity Tops the APAC Risk Agenda
The Institute of Internal Auditors' 2026 APAC Risk in Focus report places cybersecurity at the top of the regional risk agenda, cited by 62% of respondents. Business resilience ranked second at 58%, followed by human capital at 56%.
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The overlap between human capital risk and cybersecurity risk creates a receptive audience for KnowBe4's positioning. The company frames its platform not as a training product but as a human risk management system, addressing employee behavior around phishing, cloud applications, and generative AI tools.
KnowBe4 is also extending its platform into agentic AI risk management, helping organizations manage risks created by autonomous software agents and the people who interact with them. APAC firms are planning cybersecurity spending increases of 25% or more in 2026, providing direct commercial tailwind for the expansion.
Established Regional Footprint Supports New Sales Structure
KnowBe4 enters this expansion with an existing installed base across the region. More than 500 Japanese organizations currently use its platform. NEC Corporation received KnowBe4's Honorary Partner Award 2025 for securing the largest single product deal in Japan and achieving top growth among Japanese partners.
In the Philippines, Cebu Pacific deployed KnowBe4 enterprise-wide across subsidiaries covering 2,000 or more users to build a cybersecurity culture across the organization.
KnowBe4 also opened a new office in Bangalore, India in November 2025 to serve APAC customers and support product development. The company offers training content localized in 35 languages, including custom content developed for the Japanese market.
Forrester recognizes KnowBe4 as a Wave Leader in security awareness training, and the platform has held G2's number one ranking in the category for 20 consecutive quarters.
The four APJ appointments sit within a broader global leadership structure following the appointment of Keith Bird as Executive Vice President to lead global growth including Asia-Pacific and Japan.
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