Kaseya CEO Shakeup Is A ‘Sea Change’ For MSPs

‘I wouldn’t have seen Fred stepping down on my 2025 bingo card. His departure marks the end of an era. But it also opens the door for Kaseya to build a better future for itself and its partners. It could be a sea change,’ says Jason Slagle, president of CNWR Inc.

Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola’s unexpected departure has sparked both shock and cautious optimism among MSPs. While some found his style “abrasive at times,” others appreciated his straightforward approach that helped drive a golden age of unprecedented growth for MSPs.

“Fred’s tenure at Kaseya was marked by a clear and consistent vision,” Jason Slagle, president of Toledo, Ohio-based MSP CNWR Inc., told CRN. “You knew where he stood at all times. His departure marks the end of an era. I wouldn’t have seen Fred stepping down on my 2025 bingo card. But it also opens the door for Kaseya to build a better future for itself and its partners. It could be a sea change.”

The move comes more than 10 years after Voccola took the helm of the Miami-based vendor and became the face of the company. Under Voccola’s leadership, Kaseya grew from a single product to a comprehensive platform provider for MSPs with more than $1.5 billion in annual recurring revenue.

Kevin Thompson, a Kaseya board member and CEO of software company Tricentis, will assist the leadership team in operating the company while the search for a new CEO begins. Thompson previously led SolarWinds for 15 years.

Despite being a PSA/RMM powerhouse with products many MSPs trust and rely on, Voccola and Kaseya have been polarizing cultural force for some in the channel community due to the former CEO’s no-nonsense style, which was not always warmly received by MSPs. The polarization ramped up when in 2022 Kaseya bought rival vendor Datto for $6.2 billion.

In a town hall meeting that same year with Datto employees post-acquisition, tensions grew between the employees and Voccola over the cultural differences between Kaseya and Datto.

While Voccola became the face of the company, Slagle hopes that the new leadership will address longstanding grievances with the MSP community. Under Voccola’s leadership, Kaseya faced criticism for its business practices, including billing mistakes and “aggressive sales tactics,” that have eroded trust within the MSP ecosystem, Slagle said.

“Kaseya has a very bad reputation in the industry,” he said. “Partners tend to not be very happy with them. They have a history of not being good stewards of our community. I’m hoping this leadership change will bring a sea change and make them better partners for their customers.

“The promise of what Kaseya offers is compelling,” he added. “But if it wants to win more of my business, they need to improve their business practices.”

With the MSP landscape evolving, he emphasized the need for Kaseya to adapt to emerging trends. He also highlighted the importance of fostering community trust and collaboration among MSPs.

“Many of us talk to each other,” he said. “We share information about pricing, support and products. Kaseya needs to realize they can’t operate in a vacuum. The way our industry is working is changing. There’s a decreased reliance on traditional RMM tools and a higher reliance on cybersecurity and integration between tools to increase efficiency and decrease labor costs.”

However, he is hopeful that the vendor will take this opportunity to repair its reputation and align with the needs of its partners.

Optimism Tempered by Uncertainty

Kaseya partner Dan Tomaszewski said he is cautiously optimistic about the company’s future direction under new leadership.

“This could be very good for Kaseya going forward," Tomaszewski, president of Jenison, Mich.-based Green Light Business Technology, told CRN. “Fred has done an incredible job of finding all the tech stacks that can be part of this large empire, allowing MSPs to essentially have a one-stop shop.”

And while the transition presents opportunities, the full impact depends on the strategic vision of the incoming leadership, he said.

“There’s a lot yet to be determined,” he said. “We need to know more about the primary objectives of this leadership change and who the next leader will be. And depending on the next leadership, this could help change the view that many people have about Kaseya.”

Michael Cervino, co-founder and CEO of Radnor, Pa.-based MSP Circle Square Consulting, believes the leadership change could be good.

"The leadership change needs to address their reputation,” he said. “I’d love for them to prioritize going back to what got them there—supporting their partners and actually showing value. Kaseya needs someone who understands the industry, an industry run by engineers. Sales and marketing strategies don't resonate with this audience, they need a leader who gets that."

‘Fred Took The Time To Hear Me Out’

Last year, Voccola took the time to personally meet with Paul Vedder, a West Palm Beach, Fla.-based MSP, to hear his frustrations.

“While I was openly critical of Kaseya, Fred took the time to hear me out,” Vedder, CEO of VXIT IT consulting and services, told CRN. “After that meeting, I had a newfound respect for him. He’s incredibly smart and was clearly building a business empire, even if some of his strategies were burdensome for us MSPs."

He described Voccola as "brave" for his bold decisions, noting, "You can't change the world without breaking a few eggs." However, he acknowledged a need for the company to repair strained relationships within the MSP community.

"Kaseya has done some damage in the community with their business practices, and I hope this leadership change brings an opportunity to mend those relationships with humility,” said Vedder.

Kaseya, known for acquiring a wide range of tools and platforms, has faced some criticism from MSPs for perceived stagnation in product development.

"One of the biggest complaints from the community is that after Kaseya acquires a product, its development often seems to stagnate, or worse,” Vedder said. "I hope the new leadership prioritizes enhancing their core platforms instead of trying to be all things to all people."

Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based LAN Infotech, said Kaseya is “500 percent committed to the MSP marketplace,” which he doesn’t believe will change.

“Their products are marketed to and for MSPs, and Fred really set the cornerstone in place for that to continue,” he said.

IPO Prospects And AI Innovation

Vedder expressed skepticism about Kaseya's potential IPO. “Private equity involvement has its downsides, but going public could bring its own challenges,” he said. “It remains to be seen."

Vedder would also like to see “a practical approach to innovation,” particularly around AI. "AI is a fantastic tool, but it’s not coming to save us,” he said. “I’d like to see Kaseya focus on practical, day-to-day applications that genuinely help us run our businesses, rather than flashy presentations about AI's potential."

While satisfied with Kaseya’s current offerings, Goldstein would also like to see improvement, particularly in AI-driven tools.

“I think they’ve been growing this with AI, like the enhancements already implemented with IT Glue,” he said. “The Cooper bots in products like Kaseya VSA and Datto RMM are groundbreaking. It’s hard to find another fit for something in my stack.

“The further integration of some of the products has started, like AI analyzing IT Glue for password suggestions,” he added. “That’s a good start. It’s hard to predict what we’ll need in the next three to four years, but AI is that big footprint.”

Looking forward, he said Kaseya’s focus on innovation will be key as well as further integrations of products.

“AI-powered tools, like password suggestions and analysis features in IT Glue, are already making an impact,” he said. "If I don’t have to look to another product to integrate and automate my processes, it works out great for me."

The more Kaseya invests in AI, the less MSPs have to develop custom solutions at their expense, said Jason Wright, CEO of Houston-based Avatar Managed Services. “That’s where their focus should be, enabling us to deliver better client engagement,” he said.

As Kaseya searches for its next CEO, Wright, and many MSPs, want the vendor to simply listen, engage and innovate.

“Fred positioned Kaseya as a one-stop solution for smaller MSPs, which make up the majority of the market,” Wright said. “That foundation is a strong one, but the incoming CEO must build on it carefully, ensuring continued alignment with partner needs. It’s about building engagement that drives real value, aligning with the goals of our businesses.”