MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Our success is driven by our leaders, who are among the finest in the industry. We believe a strong team is built on exceptional leadership.
MANOJ ARORA
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Manoj Arora, Difenda’s Founder and CEO, has always been ahead of the curve in technology and cybersecurity. After securing his engineering degree in Computer Science, he wrote his first mobile banking application at just 23 years old. This accomplishment set him apart from the crowd and prepared him for a lifetime of innovation and success in his field. At 25 years old, he was selected as the youngest Cybersecurity Officer for one of the largest banks in Asia.
DEREK NUGENT
VICE PRESIDENT, REVENUE
Derek Nugent, Vice President of Revenue, lives by the motto “Be early, be better.” Derek leads our Revenue team and is responsible for the customer’s journey with Difenda. His high energy level and creativity have built high-performing teams, whether at the Herjavec Group, CDW, or in his current leadership role at Difenda. After earning a Bachelor of Administration and Management degree from the Academy of Learning, Derek started in the information technology industry in 2004 and transitioned to the cybersecurity industry in 2014.
ANDREW HODGES
VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY
Andrew prides himself on building high-performing teams that operate with a high degree of teamwork to achieve very ambitious goals. As Vice President of Service Delivery, he strives to continuously evolve our organization through the support of our people and teams. In this role, he is responsible for working with the C3 Delivery team to develop and deliver innovative and operationally effective services designed to secure our customers and exceed their expectations.
IAN MIERSCH
VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS
Ian has energy to spare and uses his eclectic background to make a positive mark on the cybersecurity industry. As Vice President of Business Development & Operations, Ian Miersch is responsible for overseeing scalable business growth as Difenda expands throughout North America. What sets him apart is how he accomplishes this. By leveraging his engineering background and critical thinking skills, he has developed unique strategies that balance the company’s current business needs with its long-term growth plans.
MIRANDA MCCURDY
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING
Miranda McCurdy brings over a decade of experience to her role as Vice President of Marketing at Difenda, where she leads global marketing and communications functions. Her responsibilities include brand management, corporate communications, media relations, and marketing operations. Her strategic vision and leadership have been pivotal in positioning Difenda as a leader in cybersecurity solutions.
FAISAL ILAHIE
VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS, CYBER RESEARCH & RESPONSE
Faisal brings a wealth of experience and a dynamic vision to the forefront of cybersecurity innovation. His journey in cybersecurity began after a successful tenure in IT networking, where his expertise with Cisco products and an array of certifications like CCNA, CCNP, and CCVP laid a strong foundation for his career shift. His pivot to cybersecurity was driven by a desire for a fast-paced and constantly evolving field, leading him to roles such as Senior Director of Customer Success before joining the Difenda team.
AMARDEEP JAGPAL
VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT & SERVICE DELIVERY
With a career that spans over two decades across pivotal sectors like telecommunications and financial services, Amardeep Jagpal, Vice President of Product and Service Delivery at Difenda, brings a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic insight to Difenda’s leadership team. With a passion for tackling the evolving challenges of cybersecurity, Amardeep pivoted into cybersecurity after witnessing the critical role of security in protecting business operations and customer data.