JEFF CASTILLO Fortinet Assistant Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Hong Kong, Country Manager Philippines

Jeff Castillo belongs to an industry that provides network security to organizations in both the private and public sectors. His extensive industry knowledge and selling experience in providing end-to-end hardware and software solutions to key verticals are solid foundation in technology implementation.

Combined with the innovative cyber-security technology what Fortinet has brought into the country is a sure formula for success.

This explains why Fortinet is making all the headwinds in this digital space in the country.

FORTUNATE

Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a global leader in high performance cyber-security solutions. It secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world.

Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network – today and into the future.

Only the Fortunate Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud or mobile environments.

More than 290,000 customers worldwide trust Fortinet to protect their businesses.

CYBERSECURITY

“Because we are now in this age of interconnectivity where cyberattacks are becoming more and more sophisticated, I believe that enterprises must adapt to this development,” says Castillo.

Since threats and attacks against an organization’s network happen, Fortinet assists companies in addressing this problem by providing them proven and effective end-to-end network security solutions that are designed to defend against threats of all kinds.

“We ensure to bring quality products and services for any size of enterprises and several institutions in different areas. We are aligned to delivering security solutions including advanced threat protection, data center security, application security, secure access, cloud security, and IoT (Internet of things) security,” adds Castillo.

Castillo cited Fortinet’s latest innovation – Security Fabric – an integrated, collaborative, and adaptive security suite that weaves together highly sophisticated hardware and software for a unified and rapid response to attacks.

It is capable of protecting the network from threats brought by the increased usage of devices, which transmit vast amounts of data, through both public and private networks, and across traditional and cloud infrastructures.

In fact, Fortinet’s Security Fabric is the only seamless network security architecture there is in the market today.

It extends across the entire network to detect any malicious behavior from various security sensors and tools, then responds to the issue in real time.

It offers a complete approach to network protection against advanced threats with its dynamic scalability, actionable threat intelligence, automated adaptable response, and an ability to interoperate within two or more systems.

Using its array of best-in-breed solutions and end-to-end security infrastracture, Fortinet helps organizations achieve consolidated security in its network.

FIT Having landed a job at Fortinet was not by chance.

Castillo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Castillo started in the industry as a sales and marketing director of the Infrastructure Division of a systems integrator company – Leverage Systems Technologies, Inc. – for almost 10 years before joining Fortinet.

His professional experiences are all associated with technology as they are advantageously in line with his degree IT background.

He joined Fortinet as country manager for the Philippines in 2009.

As head of the Philippine operations, Castillo boasts of having a dedicated Philippine team that will provide solutions to companies in the country, as well as in other countries, that prevent threats and attacks.

“Our solutions and products do not only provide end-to-end security, but are also capable of working seamlessly together across ecosystems to counteract cyberattacks,” says Castillo.

The company recognizes that instant connectivity, user mobility and cloud computing expose an organization to threats that may come from three different layers: Infrastructure, users and applications.

“Our security solutions addresses all these layers as we provide strong control and security from each endpoint to the data center and cloud,” he adds.

Over the years, Fortinet has consistently proven its leadership and performance in the cybersecurity space.

In fact, Fortinet is recognized as the leading technology innovator globally in accordance to more than 300 patents that the company has been granted, Gartner citations, and third-party accreditations.

In the Philippines, some of the biggest projects Castillo’s team has been working on benefit both public and private organizations across disparate industries like food and beverage, finance, education, telecommunications and mass media.

The ultimate goal is to help organizations boost their operations and produce growth in the long run, keeping them up in this advanced market setting.

“But on top of our endeavor to deliver solutions, we contribute towards a world that is safe from cybercriminals by collaborating with governments, or the Philippine National Police’s AntiCyber Crime Division, to be specific,” says the technical engineer.

GROWTH Fortinet has nothing to prove anymore. Its strong financial stability in the IT security industry can be seen in its cash flow, which shows a positive impact on sales for more than seven years. The company generated strong revenue for the last fiscal year and recorded huge year-on-year growth.

In 2016, Fortinet experienced another growth in terms of earnings compared to the previous year.

Fortinet reported a 34 percent increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2016, and a 30 percent increase during the second quarter.

“We are expecting revenue growth to continue in the quarters ahead, given our strong business momentum,” says Castillo.

In the Philippines, Frost & Sullivan’s network security market tracker for Q1 2016 named Fortinet as No. 1 vendor due to its market share, which is recorded at 30 percent.

“Overall, we have been successfully closing deals valued at the hundreds of thousands to over a million US dollars,” says Castillo.

They have been trusted by more than 500 companies from several industries such as finance, telecommunications, education, and public agencies among others,” he adds.

In order for the company to sustain an excellent performance, Castillo said they make sure that business operations keep on improving and that products and solutions remain relevant to the times and to the needs of its customers.

“Our game plan is to continue developing and innovating our solutions so we can meet our clients’ ever-changing demands and address the growing sophistication of the threats out there. Moreover, our team is upholding its strong relationship with customers as we give value and importance in bringing them a gratifying, proficient service,” he adds.

“I make sure that our solutions and services surpass the expectations and demands of our clients. One essential factor to win their trust is solutions that exhibit efficiency, performance and reliability.”

More importantly, he said, is ensuring strong customer relationships.

“That is the ultimate key to our success. Presence and leadership of our major accounts managers in every deal that we close, and superior customer service help us build strong relationships with our clients,” he adds.

The Philippine operation has been undergoing aggressive expansion to meet the demands of enterprises in the country.

Globally, Fortinet has been fortifying its foundation to be able to continue secure organizations years from now.

“As of now, we are continuously doing research and innovation to stay on top of advance threats that have been rapidly expanding and aggravating. I must say, that five years from now, Fortinet will still be protecting organizations against evolving threats, but even more effectively and comprehensively,” he adds.

OPPORTUNITIES Castillo sees a lot of opportunities in the local market considering that the country is in this era of technology emergence.

“I see the value of high performance and reliable network security, especially since organizations are putting their business processes on the cloud,” he adds.

However, alongside businesses’ usage of technology in their operations is the increased number of cyberthreats.

This is why Fortinet makes sure it delivers high-performing security solutions that provide end-to-end protection, enabling businesses to have full visibility and control over their networks.

Castillo has been thankful for the industry that he has chosen. Blessed, he makes it a point to share by supporting some of his relatives in their educational and other financial needs.

“I am sincerely satisfied and happy with my achievements in my current work,” says Castillo. This is the reason he does not think of moving to another company.

“I see myself staying in this industry in the long run,” he adds.

Even on retirement, he still sees himself around the industry working as cybersecurity consultant where he could share experiences with organizations.

He looks forward to mentoring young cybersecurity professionals.

SUCCESS

To a certain extent, Castillo is already successful. But he would always say there is always room for improvement.

“I have encountered and experience a lot of things, which made me grow and be the person I am right now. I still believe, however, that there are still new knowledge I may obtain along the way as I continue my journey in this career,” says Castillo.

His journey in the digital space has not been a bed of roses. But encountering snags along the way is a normal thing in life.

“What matters is how you overcome those obstacles and learn from your experiences,” he adds.

As an executive of a global brand, Castillo always face challenging situations head on.

During those situations, Castillo’s experiences showed it is important to think strategically and make the right decisions.

In order to be successful, Castillo believes that one has to follow the desires of his heart and constantly upgrade his skills in that area.

“That’s what I did. Knowing exactly what I want in life, I was able to be in the place where I know I can excel,” he adds.

To the young professionals, he urged for dedication and love of career.

“Sure, you’ll face myriad of challenges along the way. These difficulties will test your patience and drive, but I learned that these difficulties also equip you with the knowledge and strength to take on even greater challenges,” adds.

For the young and aspiring IT practitioners, he suggests will power to learn, hard work and the courage to take risks.

“Sometimes, all that matters is taking that leap of faith and pursue whatever your heart calls you to do. Do not be afraid to ask questions and strive for excellence in whatever captivates you,” says Castillo, who started from the bottom before attaining his current post.

“I started at the bottom just like the others,” says Castillo, who can now afford to travel with friends perhaps to get away from his techie life at times.

That is the reason he makes a point to provide his team clear and long-term vision.

“I always motivate my subordinates by letting them know which traits they should maintain and which traits they should set aside,” adds Castillo, who also makes time to bond with his mother and sisters.

“Having my goals realized gives me an overwhelming feeling. These achievements make me even more thrilled if I know that I was able to contribute to the betterment of my team and inspire other people.”

Looking back, Castillo relishes at the thought that the hardships and tough times made him what he is today.

More than that, Fortinet helps make the digital world safer and more secure.