Former Microsoft “Channel Chief” and Diversity Champion Gavriella Schuster Joins Open Systems’ Board of Directors

Redwood City, Calif. - December 7, 2021 - Open Systems, the mission-driven cybersecurity services provider, today announced the expansion of its board of directors with the addition of Gavriella Schuster, a highly regarded executive recognized for her numerous achievements during her more than 25-year career with Microsoft.

“Gavriella’s impressive professional career has spanned more than 25 years at Microsoft, including five years leading its One Commercial Partner (OCP) Team,” said Open Systems Chairman of the Board Dr. Bernd-Michael Rumpf. “Her deep expertise in building successful channel businesses and transforming business, her network in- and outside of Microsoft, as well as her inspiring approach to leadership will help Geoff and the team execute an exciting growth path for Open Systems.”

As a corporate vice president and “Channel Chief,” Schuster was the driving force behind the rapid growth of Microsoft’s OCP, a global ecosystem of over 300,000 engaged channel partners that collectively achieved $1 trillion in partner revenues. Another of her notable accomplishments was growing Microsoft’s U.S. Cloud and Datacenter business; achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 35% CAGR in three years.

“I have been a fan of Open Systems since being introduced to the company two years ago and seeing firsthand how their use of repeatable security missions can dramatically improve an organization’s security maturity,” explained Schuster. “The company’s secure access service edge (SASE) and managed detection and response (MDR) services are compelling and complementary solutions for enterprises faced with the perfect storm of a talent shortage, increased attack surface, and tool proliferation. There’s a growing number of enterprises taking a new approach to managing their security, consolidating dozens of potentially misaligned and misconfigured tools by leveraging Microsoft’s integrated security suite. Open Systems is an ideal partner to assist companies in these efforts thanks to its deep technical expertise as a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) and a recipient of the coveted Advanced Specialization certification for Threat Protection. I’m eager to assist Open Systems in scaling their ‘go to market’ and customer success investments to reach more customers with even higher levels of service.”

“I am thrilled to welcome Gavriella to Open Systems,” said Geoff Haydon, CEO of Open Systems. “Her deep experience in ‘go to market’ strategy, channel partnerships, digital transformation, and diversity will be invaluable to Open Systems, as we expand our position as the leading provider of connectivity and cybersecurity services to Microsoft customers globally.”

Open Systems’ MDR service employs a unique mission-driven approach that goes beyond individual tactics, such as detection and response, to holistically include assessment, prevention, and recovery practices. These security missions improve maturity and truly deliver outcomes.

“The MDR market has exploded as organizations of all sizes embrace the need for additional resources and expertise supporting threat detection and response program objectives,” said Dave Gruber, Principal Analyst for ESG. “MDR providers who take the time to deeply understand and align their offerings to the security journey of individual companies will be well positioned to win in this highly competitive market.”

About Open Systems

Open Systems is an AI-first SASE platform company delivering secure access and networking to help enterprises connect users, applications and infrastructure across complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Its proprietary platform combines SSE capabilities, including ZTNA, SWG, CASB and FWaaS, with SD-WAN, end-to-end connectivity, unified policy management, and advanced analytics in a single architecture.

While many cybersecurity providers focus primarily on advancing technology capabilities, Open Systems combines its AI-first SASE platform with an execution model designed for real-world operability, ensuring services are not only deployed, but continuously run, adapted and improved through a combination of AI-enabled operations and NOC-based expertise (Mission Control), built on decades of operational experience, helping organizations reduce complexity, increase visibility and strengthen security outcomes at global scale.

Founded in Switzerland in 1990, Open Systems generates more than USD 100 million in annual revenue and supports global enterprise customers operating in more than 180 countries. Since 2024, the company has been part of Swiss Post, combining Swiss trust and stability with global reach. As a European alternative to US- and Israel-based cybersecurity providers, Open Systems is guided by strong principles around sovereignty requirements, regulatory alignment, transparency and shared responsibility - taking clear ownership for security, performance and operational outcomes, helping organizations maintain control in an increasingly complex digital landscape.