Sophos appoints Clarissa Peterson as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Sophos has appointed Clarissa A. Peterson as senior vice president and chief human resources officer. Peterson brings Sophos more than 20 years of experience as a senior leader within diverse global organizations.

Peterson joins Sophos from Abt Associates, a global research and program implementation organization with projects in more than 50 countries. During her five years as chief human resources and ethics officer at Abt Associates, Peterson led and implemented global talent acquisition, total rewards, staff development, and diversity and inclusion programs.

Prior to Abt Associates, Peterson was chief people officer at DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms, where she led domestic and international HR functions. Peterson has held several HR executive positions during her career, including a first tenure at Abt Associates from 2000 to 2005 as the vice president of human resources and at Vialog Corporation from 1998 to 2000.

“I am delighted to welcome Clarissa to our senior management team,” commented Kris Hagerman, chief executive officer at Sophos. “Clarissa brings to Sophos extensive experience and a passion for building and supporting successful global organizations at scale. As Sophos drives to achieve $1 billion in billings by the end of FY2020, Clarissa’s focus on employee engagement will be critical in helping us maintain and enhance our winning culture and further develop our world-class talent.”

As a former chair of the board of directors of the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) Peterson co-authored the book Maximizing Your HR Efforts (Thomson Reuters /Aspatore, 2009) and is a co-author of the e-book The Rise of HR: The Wisdom of 72 Thought Leaders (2015).

“I am thrilled to join the global team at Sophos,” Peterson said. “The senior management team shares my vision that HR should be a strategic lever that enables a company to build a great work environment and achieve its business objectives. Culture is the cornerstone of success for any company, and high-performing teams excel in environments that empower and support them to be the best that they can be. I am proud to become part of the talented team at Sophos and help support the company’s continued growth and success.”

Peterson is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She holds the Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and the Leading Professional in Ethics and Compliance (LPEC) certifications.

Peterson will be based at the Sophos office in Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S.A. and will report directly to chief executive officer, Kris Hagerman.