Commvault Bolsters Cyber Resilience Strategy with New Partner-Focused Leadership

Commvault is tightening its grip on the enterprise data protection and cyber resilience market with a strategic double-down on partnerships and co-innovation. The hybrid cloud security firm has appointed tech industry veteran Alan Atkinson as its first-ever Chief Business Development Officer, while bringing in seasoned partner leader Michelle Graff as Senior Vice President of Global Partners and Channel.

The moves reflect Commvault’s sharpened focus on building out a modern partner ecosystem capable of delivering next-generation cloud, AI, and cybersecurity solutions in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Both roles will operate within the Business Development organization led by Chief Trust Officer Danielle Sheer—an alignment that underscores the company’s vision to tightly integrate trust, innovation, and go-to-market execution.

Strategic Shift Toward Ecosystem Co-Development

Alan Atkinson’s new role marks a shift from traditional sales enablement toward strategic technology alliances and ecosystem orchestration. Tasked with forging deep partnerships, Atkinson will lead co-development initiatives that link Commvault’s data protection portfolio with emerging tech stacks—think cloud-native resilience, zero trust architectures, and AI-integrated defense layers.

“Cyber resilience is a shared challenge, and no single vendor can solve it alone,” Atkinson said. “With Michelle leading our global partner organization, my new role will focus on extending Commvault’s capabilities across a broader partner ecosystem. I’ll also focus on creating new co-development opportunities that deliver exceptional value to customers and partners alike.”

His appointment signals Commvault’s intent to grow beyond a point-solution vendor into a platform collaborator—one that plays well in multi-cloud environments and builds tailored solutions with hyperscalers, MSSPs, and security-first ISVs.

Graff Brings Channel Expertise and AI-Forward Mindset

Michelle Graff steps into her new role with a 25-year track record in channel leadership at names like Palo Alto Networks, Pure Storage, and most recently, Securiti.ai. There, she helped build and scale the company’s indirect revenue engine, preparing her to navigate Commvault’s global network of resellers, service providers, and technology alliances.

Her mission? Refine the company’s partner programs, enable AI-centric solution delivery, and drive predictable, scalable growth through co-selling and joint innovation.

“As more companies move to the cloud, embrace AI strategies, and adopt industry-leading cyber resilience solutions, Commvault and our partners are more relevant than ever,” said Graff. “I'm excited to collaborate with our partners to deliver even more value to enterprises globally, accelerate customer acquisition, and create opportunities for business growth.”

Graff’s appointment also comes as channel ecosystems face mounting pressure to adapt to AI-fueled disruption. With more buyers demanding integrated solutions, and fewer willing to stitch together siloed products, Graff’s experience at security-native and AI-first companies positions her to modernize Commvault’s channel architecture fast.

Orchestrating a Unified Growth Engine

Commvault is clearly aiming to harmonize trust, innovation, and go-to-market motion under one tightly coordinated business development umbrella. With Sheer at the helm of the broader strategy, and Merrill anchoring the commercial execution, the new appointments create a flywheel that blends long-term innovation with near-term revenue goals.

“With Alan and Michelle in these pivotal roles, we can boost partner success, extend our reach, and delight customers with co-developed solutions that keep enterprises resilient,” said Gary Merrill, Commvault’s Chief Commercial Officer.

In a market crowded with data protection vendors racing to stake claims in the AI and cloud frontier, Commvault appears to be playing the long game—building a future-ready partner ecosystem that’s less about logos and more about outcomes.

If the company can translate this leadership shake-up into real-world co-innovation and faster partner wins, Commvault could solidify its place not just as a vendor, but as a cyber resilience orchestrator for the enterprise era.