25 A month into his new role as chief revenue officer, we sat down with Peter Brennan to get his impressions and expectations of Scality — as well as the future of enterprise data storage. Call us biased, but we’ve always known how “hot” S3 file and object storage is — it is, hands down, the foundation of any modern cloud infrastructure, even on-premises. Peter agrees, and his fervent support of and belief in the power of Scality has led him to his new role. Peter has big plans to extend the reach of Scality’s storage software deeper into the channel and to bring value to organizations of all types and sizes seeking modern hybrid-cloud data solutions. Here’s what he had to say. Of all the companies to choose from, why Scality? Look, Scality has amazing customers. I don’t think many people realize the impressive roster behind the scenes. Think of companies putting rockets into space or teams building AI solutions to optimize travel for every single person who purchases a flight across the world. Think about too-big-to-fail banks that require the highest levels of security and performance. Think about hospital systems, national libraries, and critical government institutions. That’s where Scality plays. There’s a reason Scality’s customer base is so strong and has stood the test of time. A decade of delivering the most robust enterprise-grade, software-defined solutions gives customers significant advantages in terms of scalability, efficiency, data management and visibility — not to mention unbreakable security. And the future is bright. So that’s why I joined Scality. I came for the customers and the potential to help more of them. My vision is clear: Empower more customers to achieve the “Goldilocks principle” with a “just right” offering that delivers the most economical, simple and secure infrastructure possible. I have personally witnessed the relief of customers who, after struggling for years to achieve the perfect balance, find success with Scality. I’ve also seen an increasing move toward a hybrid-cloud approach. More customers are looking to repatriate data back from the cloud. Why? Aside from wanting control over their own data, they’re being smacked in the face by the exorbitant and unpredictable costs of the public cloud. Without question, there is a better way. I’ve seen Scality bend over backwards to help customers achieve balance with hybrid solutions that deliver the best of public cloud and on-prem infrastructures. For organizations that need flexibility and want to avoid cloud vendor lock-in, especially once they realize just how much they’re being charged, the value of Scality is undeniable and extremely attractive. Oh, and let’s not forget the Scality team. Smart, solid, thoughtful people who truly give a damn — the type of people you want in a foxhole alongside you in battle — and I love that. Scality’s culture as a learning organization attracts the best and brightest minds in the industry — people who are determined to shape the future of storage by challenging the present. The entire team is focused on delivering exceptional solutions and services to make life easier for those who do business with us. Innovation can’t be forced; it’s fostered in the right environment — and Scality has magically created the ideal environment. So, yes, I’ve laid my bets down here. It’s a safe bet for myself and our customers. You told CRN you’re ready to “pour gas on the fire” — can you elaborate? It’s been like a controlled burn. The fire is smoldering with steady growth, and now it’s time to add fuel for expansion. Our ability to expand will be driven by creating maximum value for customers within the global channel. We’ve already seen our alliance and channel partner business grow 42% year over year. And the software-defined storage market is rapidly growing to the tune of an anticipated $207.6 billion by 2033. Scality is the only option for an enterprise-grade, software-only solution. No one else has what we have. So the growth opportunity is huge. Organizations need these solutions, they want these solutions, and Scality is uniquely suited to deliver them. But core to our success are our partners. Partners are our future. We must expand to build strong alliances in more focused areas. That begins with 100% world-wide channel focus and strong strategic alliances with software companies like Veeam. Our longstanding partnership with Veeam and status as an inaugural launch partner is only the beginning. (Read more about our Veeam partnership.) With Scality ARTESCA, we continue to expand into the mid-market. ARTESCA’s growth is impressive, and we’ll be sharing more on that soon. How does this impact customers during uncertain economic times? What excites me is Scality’s ability to address current customer needs now — not sometime down the road, but today. When you’re facing uncertainty and having to do more with less, it’s not the time to make big bets on unproven unicorns. Pure and simple: Customers need well-founded, enterprise-grade solutions that work, and they need a trusted source to turn to when challenges arise. It’s impossible to predict the future, but one thing is certain. Your data storage infrastructure must be capable of adapting to handle the challenges of today and tomorrow — at the lowest possible cost and highest level of service, durability and cybersecurity. Scality delivers all of the above. Our customers rest easier knowing that Scality is storing and protecting their data. They don’t fret about where their data lives or whether it’s adequately protected. They’re proactively reducing risk and achieving their goals with the lowest possible impact to their budget and bottomline. Then there’s the client engagement component. Engaging directly with our clients and partners has never been more important. Our partners have really strong service lines that are able to wrap around our enterprise solution sets and provide value to our customers. That’s really exciting to me. What experience will you lean into? For Scality, the most important skill set I bring is the ability to grow business within a lesser-known brand. Of course, Scality has been an object storage leader for 10+ years with a fantastic customer base, but to get to the next level we have to expand as an independent software company with predictable recurring revenue. My experience at Commvault and LeftHand Networks will come in handy as we scale the business. Building a high-velocity, recurring revenue growth model and the ecosystem of our partner relationships will be key. This is something I have experience in, most notably from my time at HPE, where I had a hand in transitioning their multi-billion dollar business from a pure-play infrastructure sale into an as-a-service model. Accomplishing such a transition will be much easier at Scality as we build upon the recurring revenue subscription model with ARTESCA. Scality is already well underway and is very flexible. I see the ramp for Scality much like I did when I was at VMware. That business grew to over 20,000 customers and became the second-fastest billion-dollar run rate solution during my tenure there. I’m looking to replicate that kind of success here. Can you share a little of your personal backstory? I was born in the Bronx. The borough, and New York City overall, was and is a melting pot of society. My early upbringing there instilled a core value within me — the importance of the individual. Respecting each individual for their unique contributions has been reinforced throughout my years as a leader. This value is a perfect fit with Scality’s “come as you are” culture. Another key learning experience was playing basketball in high school and later in college in Maryland. I gained a deep understanding of the importance of a team and the critical role each person plays. It’s an invaluable lesson I carry with me in my daily life, inside and outside of work. As much as east coast living made an impact on me, I couldn’t keep California from pulling at my heartstrings. During a college break to visit my family in the Golden State, I got hooked. Say what you will about California, but for me the beach, the weather and the lifestyle just can’t be beat. I moved to southern California after graduating and never looked back. I couldn’t ask for a better place to raise my twins with my wife, who’s a San Diego native. What do you like to do in your spare time? Since my weekdays are packed, I spend every weekend minute I can with my family. Both kids play sports, so I’m often attending their events. Watching their development has been an amazing experience. I also love to golf — but if you see me play, you’ll realize I work too much.Oh, and yet another thing that drew me to Scality — it’s a company full of foodies! I love connecting with friends and enjoying great meals. Every part of our motto “Work hard, play hard, eat well and amaze the customer” speaks to me. To state the obvious, Peter is a powerhouse addition to the Scality team. If you’d like to learn more about him and his new role, take a look at the full press release announcing his appointment.
