Keeper Security is setting up its first EMEA office in Cork city.
Security and password management firm Keeper Security officially opened its first European office on Parliament Street in Cork city today (7 March).
The office will staff 50 employees over the next two years and the company will be seeking to fill positions such as sales director, office manager, and training and pre-sales engineers. Sales representatives to support the UK, Ireland, northern Europe, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the Middle East will also be hired.
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, TD, said: ”This decision by Keeper Security to open its first European office in Cork with the creation of 50 new, quality jobs, is a very exciting project.”
Humphreys noted that the ICT sector has made “extraordinary advances in recent years but these advances bring their own challenges, and password protection and encryption are becoming very significant issues”.
She described Keeper Security as a firm “at the forefront of technologies to combat crime in this area”, adding: “The Government warmly welcomes investing companies who have expertise in new, high-tech, niche areas of the ICT sector.”
Choosing the right people
John Maher, director of sales for EMEA at Keeper Security, said the company’s focus would be “to choose the right people and provide the right environment to significantly grow the business into Europe in 2018”.
Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security, said: “John and the European team will be a vital connection to our customers overseas.”
Guccione noted that the vast majority of data breaches are “due to weak or poor password management, and Keeper Security plans to be the first line of defence to protect thousands of businesses across EMEA over the next several years”.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “Keeper Security adds to the dynamic cluster of cybersecurity companies choosing to serve their customers in the EMEA market from Ireland.”
Cork as a cybersecurity hub
Shanahan emphasised Cork in particular as being something of a cybersecurity hub, with “an established cluster of online security firms in place. The city’s tech infrastructure, talent pool and supportive academic network have created a compelling business environment which will continue to attract investment from companies operating in this space.”
Commenting on the news, Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO, said: “Keeper Security’s decision to choose Cork as their new European base is hugely positive. Already, Cork is proud to have a thriving cybersecurity sector, which has found a compelling home in our city due to the combination of our excellent tech and IT infrastructure, availability of leading IT talent, and an unparalleled quality-of-life offering.”
Updated, 5.50pm, 7 March 2018: A quote was removed from the article by request of Keeper Security.
