Commvault has announced pivotal alterations to its executive team as it continues to pursue its growth strategy. Effective immediately, these new leadership roles report to Commvault's President and CEO, Sanjay Mirchandani. Gary Merrill steps into the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), while Geoff Haydon has been named President of Customer and Field Operations.
Leadership Changes and Financial Expertise
Gary Merrill, who boasts over two decades of experience at Commvault, including a previous tenure as CFO from 2022 to 2024, will once again assume the CFO role. His past achievements include steering the company's finance department and facilitating its shift towards a high-growth subscription and SaaS business model. Merrill's prior role as Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing Sales and Partnerships, endows him with a robust customer-focused approach.
Customer Experience and Security Expertise
Geoff Haydon, recently the CEO of Ontinue, now heads the Customer and Field Operations at Commvault
Geoff Haydon, recently the CEO of Ontinue, now heads the Customer and Field Operations at Commvault. His responsibilities will encompass the complete customer experience, from sales and partnerships to customer support and success. Haydon's background includes strategic roles at VMware and Secureworks, bringing significant security expertise to Commvault. He previously served on Commvault’s Board of Directors and will resign to focus on his new operational responsibilities.
Driving Growth and Operational Success
Sanjay Mirchandani commented on the appointments, saying, "Gary has a long tenure with Commvault and a unique understanding of what customers need to be resilient in the AI era. He will drive disciplined financial execution that supports our growth strategy and advances long-term value for our customers, partners, and shareholders." He further added, "I've known Geoff for years. He is a proven executive with decades of experience building and scaling global security and technology companies."
Commitment to Innovation and Resilience
Merrill expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the CFO role, stating, "I’m honored to return as CFO of Commvault as we embark on our next chapter of innovation for our customers. The company has a strong foundation with thousands of customers and a rapidly expanding Subscription and SaaS revenue base." Meanwhile, Haydon highlighted Commvault's role in cyber resilience, saying, "With an extensive background in AI-native security, international markets, and cross-functional leadership, I’m excited to roll up my sleeves in the field."
Commvault, a global pioneer in unified resilience at enterprise scale, announces two leadership appointments, effective immediately, to support the company’s continued growth strategy. Both roles report to Commvault’s President and CEO, Sanjay Mirchandani.
Gary Merrill has been named Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With more than two decades of experience at Commvault, Merrill spent 15 years in the finance organization, including as CFO from 2022–2024. As CFO, Merrill utilised his financial expertise to transform the company’s finance organization, accelerate its successful transition to a durable, high-growth subscription and SaaS business model, and build relationships with the investment community.
Customer-centric mindset
Merrill spent the last two years as Commvault’s Chief Commercial Officer, leading the Sales and Partner organization, and brings this unique customer-centric mindset to the CFO role. Geoff Haydon has been appointed President of Customer and Field Operations and will oversee the end-to-end customer experience, from Sales and Partnerships through Customer Support and Success.
Haydon most recently was CEO of cybersecurity company Ontinue, a provider of AI-powered managed extended detection and response (MXDR) services which spun out of Open Systems in 2023. Haydon also held go-to-market leadership roles at VMware and Secureworks, focused on revenue and customer operations. He brings deep security expertise to Commvault as the company gains momentum with security-focused customers. Haydon, who has served on Commvault’s Board of Directors, will leave the Board to focus on this operating role.
Disciplined financial execution
Sanjay Mirchandani, Commvault’s President and CEO, said, “Gary has a long tenure with Commvault and a unique understanding of what customers need to be resilient in the AI era. He will drive disciplined financial execution that supports our growth strategy and advances long-term value for our customers, partners, and shareholders.”
Mirchandani continued, “I’ve known Geoff for years. He is a proven executive with decades of experience building and scaling global security and technology companies. His international experience, go-to-market and leadership expertise, customer focus, and understanding of Commvault’s business position him well to accelerate our operational success.”
AI-native security
Merrill said, “I’m honored to return as CFO of Commvault as we embark on our next chapter of innovation for our customers. The company has a strong foundation with thousands of customers and a rapidly expanding Subscription and SaaS revenue base. I look forward to working with Sanjay, Geoff, and leaders across the company to deliver sustainable growth and profitability in FY 2027 and beyond.”
Haydon said, “Commvault has never been more relevant in cyber resilience. With an extensive background in AI-native security, international markets, and cross-functional leadership, I’m excited to roll up my sleeves in the field, lead the customer and partner operations teams, and deliver greater value for enterprises globally with a customer experience that is best-in-class.”
