2^nd April 2025

Chillisoft is bolstering its presence in Australia. Leveraging 25 years of success providing leading cybersecurity solutions in the Oceania region, Chillisoft has differentiated itself in the market through its high focus on technical excellence, providing services such as 24/7/365 white-labelled MDR, and IDR, as well as vendor level pre-sales and partner support. Chillisoft’s ability to provide vendor-level presales demo’s and POC’s for SMB and Mid-market businesses has benefitted partners and vendors whose resources are often more focused on enterprise customers. 

Several factors combined to create the perfect timing for expansion in Australia, beginning with the welcoming of industry veteran Gavin Lawless as CEO of Chillisoft Australia and a shareholder in the business. Gavin recently left NEXTGEN after spending 6 years as the Australian Managing Director. Gavin brings extensive experience in building and scaling cybersecurity distribution businesses, having played a key role in the success of Avnet (2005–2012) and Nextgen, where he was instrumental in growing the Australian operations. Now, Gavin aims to achieve more success with Chillisoft in Australia.

“Gavin will be a fantastic leader for our Australian operation, and addition to our ANZ senior team, sharing our ambition, experience, and values. Welcome aboard Gavin.” – Geoff Cossey, Chillisoft Founder & Director.

Chillisoft’s existing New Zealand vendor portfolio features a strong lineup of cybersecurity leaders, including ESET, Netskope, Mimecast, CyberArk, Thales (Imperva), ExtraHop, WatchGuard, Exabeam, and Qualys. These partnerships have allowed Chillisoft to deliver cutting-edge security solutions to the local market, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted distributor. With a long-term vision of strengthening and expanding these relationships beyond New Zealand, Chillisoft has been strategically assessing the right time and approach to establish a dedicated presence in Australia. This expansion is not only about extending existing vendor partnerships but also about identifying and onboarding complementary vendors that align with its commitment to delivering best-in-class cybersecurity solutions.

“We are excited to ignite our focus in serving the Australian market. With over three decades of IT industry experience—spanning Vendors, Distributors, and some of the biggest names in the business – Gavin has a proven track record of driving massive growth and building strong, scalable operations. His leadership, strategic vision, and deep understanding of the market make him the perfect fit to lead our Australian expansion.” – Alex Teh, Chillisoft Group CEO

Significant distribution consolidation has happened in ANZ recently, with companies like Orca Tech being acquired by Tech Data, Nextgen acquired by Exclusive Networks, and Wavelink becoming part of Infinigate. This consolidation has created a unique opportunity for Chillisoft to accelerate its Australian business with a differentiated value proposition, focusing on helping emerging and high growth cybersecurity vendors grow and scale across ANZ. While Chillisoft has serviced Australian partners for over a decade from New Zealand, this new phase marks the beginning of a dedicated, locally led operation under Gavin’s leadership. Chillisoft will be building a strong Australian business that delivers the same high-value services and expertise that have made it a trusted name in New Zealand.

 “Chillisoft in New Zealand has done a fantastic job over the past 25 years in building a business which is highly respected and differentiated. I have observed and respected Geoff and Alex from a distance as they have provided formidable competition in NZ. Now being able to start something special in Australia with them, and to build on the very solid NZ foundation is an excellent opportunity for us as a business and for me personally.” – Gavin Lawless, Chillisoft AU CEO.

About Gavin Lawless

Gavin has had over three decades in IT and holds vast experience, having worked for Vendors and Distributors. Gavin ran Avnet in Australia from 2005 to 2012 where he took the business from a $50 Mil company to a $250 Mil company with organic growth – and then a $500 Mil company after the completion of the acquisition of ITX at the end of 2010. Prior to Nextgen Gavin led Enterprise Sales and the Channel business for Infor. He then became a Sales Director at Oracle before making his way back into Distribution when he joined Nextgen in 2018.

As the Australian Managing Director at Nextgen, Gavin was instrumental in the significant growth of the Nextgen Australia business before the acquisition of Nextgen by Exclusive Networks in April 2024. Gavin believes in ensuring a business has a solid foundation on which to grow. He has a high focus on operational excellence and ensuring the systems, processes and structure are optimal to support a high growth business.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ashton Russell
0272200645
ashton.russell@chillisoft.net