Kaseya Taps Intuit, Google Vet Rania Succar As CEO

‘We’re going to invest in best-of-breed offerings and in an exceptionally integrated platform MSPs can run their businesses on,’ says Rania Succar, Kaseya’s new CEO. ‘AI and automation will play a massive role in improving profitability and identifying growth opportunities for our customers.’

Kaseya has tapped former Google and Intuit exec Rania Succar as its new CEO. Succar, who officially steps into the role Tuesday, brings more than a decade of experience building innovative technology solutions for small businesses.

Armed with a Harvard degree in economics, a Harvard degree from the Kennedy School of Government in international development and an MBA from Harvard Business School, she spent nearly five years at Google, including several years heading up brand solutions and innovation in North America.

In an interview with CRN, Succar outlined a bold vision for Kaseya’s future anchored on accelerating innovation, enhancing customer experience and strengthening company culture.

“I have spent the last nine years building innovative technology solutions for small businesses to fuel their success,” she told CRN. “Kaseya is incredibly well positioned to play a big role in small business success, given our deep partnership with MSPs. These providers are trusted advisors to small businesses and we’re here to supercharge their impact.”

The leadership announcement comes less than five months after former CEO Fred Voccola stepped aside unexpectedly.

As new CEO, Succar said she’s looking to create a culture defined by “bold ambition and tremendous speed.”

“We’ll be a company that sets big goals and moves quickly to achieve them,” she said. “We want our teams to operate without friction, to be highly accountable, customer-obsessed and relentlessly innovative.”

Partners To New CEO: ‘Connect With Your MSPs’

Mark Essayian president of KME Systems, an Irvine, Calif.-based MSP that partners with both ConnectWise and Kaseya, said he was heartened that the Kaseya board of directors “cast its net wide” and hired a top-notch executive with software experience at both Intuit and Google to lead the company.

“It’s going to be great to have someone from outside the industry with fresh, intelligent eyes look at Kaseya,” he said. “When I look at Intuit and Google I see profitable software companies headed in the right direction. I think Rania is going to be someone who is going to be driven to make everything better at Kaseya.”

Essayian said Succar needs to make sure she is sharply focused on how AI is impacting MSPs. “It is transforming us,” he said. “Rania knows AI is transforming every industry. I am looking forward to her bringing her AI acumen from Intuit and Google to the MSP business!”

"She isn’t clouded by all the history. She doesn’t know and she doesn’t care. To me the only path forward is up,” said Michael Cervino, CEO and co-founder of Doylestown, Pa.-based Circle Square. "I’m going to be cautiously optimistic.”

Kevin Damghani, founder and CEO of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based ITPartners, said Kaseya plays a “mission-critical role in our business,” and he’s excited to see what Succar will accomplish.

“Kaseya has started to do a solid job listening to partners and I’m looking forward to seeing Rania double down on that commitment,” he told CRN in an email. “We’re ready to work closely with her and help take Kaseya to the next level.”

David Stinner, president of USitek, a Buffalo, N.Y.-based MSP who uses seven Kaseya products in his business, said he is excited to see a talented, young woman with deep software industry experience leading Kaseya.

In fact, Stinner said, Succar’s experience at Intuit will be invaluable as she takes the helm at Kaseya.

“Intuit is one of the premier SaaS subscription model companies,” he said. “They dominate their market and moved their entire customer base to subscriptions. That is great experience for how Kaseya operates with its MSP customers.”

Stinner also praised Succar’s experience integrating Mailchimp with Intuit.

“That is the kind of integration that we need at Kaseya,” he said. “I hope she keeps [former CEO] Fred Voccola’s vision of integrating all of the Kaseya offerings seamlessly for MSPs. That is the only way MSPs will continue to give love to Kaseya.”

Stinner said he and his engineers recently noted some new, improved integration between some older Kaseya security offerings and its current portfolio, helping MSPs save time and money. “Often vendors promise this kind of seamless integration but don’t deliver,” he said.

As for advice for Succar, Stinner said: “Connect with your MSPs and make sure you know what is happening at the ground level. So often vendor CEOs have no idea what is happening at the MSP-customer level and how their decisions affect – and make and break – relationships with MSPs.”

Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of LAN Infotech, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based MSP and longtime Kaseya partner, said he is absolutely thrilled by the choice of Succar as the new CEO of Kaseya.

“Fred was one of a kind,” he said. “But Rania looks to me as someone that is going to provide a fresh, exciting perspective that will take Kaseya to the next level. The Kaseya board couldn’t have made a better choice.”

Goldstein said Succar’s industry experience at software highflyers Intuit and Google, her McKinsey roots and her Harvard degrees set her apart as a CEO.

“She grew up in the SaaS market with Intuit and Google,” he said. “That experience is going to be critical in helping MSPs move into the AI era. We see Kaseya bringing us a lot of AI innovation across their product set. We want to see that continue. Kaseya is experiencing a big upturn right now. I’m hoping she continues that and brings even more innovation to the MSP community.”

Goldstein said he is looking forward to meeting Succar and welcoming her to the MSP community.

“She is going to be joining a great community,” he said. “MSPs are the backbone of every small and medium business.”

‘We’re Going To Work Hand In Hand With You’

The future of Kaseya includes innovation, customer success and global growth.

“We’re going to invest in best-of-breed offerings and in an exceptionally integrated platform MSPs can run their businesses on,” Succar said. “AI and automation will play a massive role in improving profitability and identifying growth opportunities for our customers.”

She also highlighted the Miami-based vendor’s value proposition in cybersecurity, which includes deep integration across its platform.

Going forward, she signaled a deeper partner focus, rapid innovation and a fresh approach to how MSPs grow their businesses.

“You play a central role in fueling the success of small businesses and we’re going to work hand in hand with you to accelerate that success,” she said. “I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

Steven Burke and O’Ryan Johnson contributed to this article.