Darktrace Strengthens Product and Technology Leadership with New Executive Appointments
Darktrace appoints Issy Richards as Chief Product Officer and Stephen Pickman as Chief Technology Officer to lead product strategy and R&D, following a security review that found no compromise after LockBit’s claims.
Darktrace has completed a security review after LockBit claimed to have compromised its internal systems, confirming no breach occurred. The company states its services remain fully operational with no disruption to customers. No evidence of compromise was found, and LockBit’s claims lack any linked compromised data. Darktrace continues monitoring the situation while asserting confidence in the security of its systems and customer data protection.
Darktrace announced the appointments of Issy Richards as Chief Product Officer and Stephen Pickman as Chief Technology Officer to its Executive Leadership Team. Both report directly to President and CEO Ed Jennings and will lead product strategy and research and development respectively. Their roles focus on strengthening Darktrace’s behavioral security platform and advancing capabilities for securing enterprise AI and agents.
Richards and Pickman were instrumental in developing and launching Darktrace / SECURE AI™, which helps security teams monitor AI use, understand user and agent behavior, and mitigate risks. They accelerated the product’s delivery by combining new capabilities with existing technology and refining it based on early customer feedback. Richards previously served as Interim Senior Vice President of Product, while Pickman progressed from Software Engineer to Senior Vice President of Engineering over nine years at Darktrace.
Richards brings nearly a decade of leadership experience in AI-driven software companies, including Ocado Technology and Faculty AI, and has advised start-up accelerators. Pickman led the development of Darktrace / EMAIL™ and created proofs of concept now part of the company’s product portfolio. Both executives emphasize Darktrace’s decade-long expertise in AI-driven behavioral security as critical to addressing evolving cybersecurity challenges.