Breaches are a given. Recovery is the test.
I write and speak on cyber resilience, AI security, and what it takes to build technology businesses across emerging markets. Based in Dubai.
About
Johnny Karam is Vice President and Managing Director for the International Emerging Region at Cohesity, the AI-powered data security company, where he leads the business across eleven countries in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.
He has led regional operations for US enterprise software companies since 2006, across India, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, working with governments, financial institutions and critical-infrastructure operators on how they protect and recover their data.
He is a regular commentator on CNBC Arabia and in leading regional business and technology media on cyber resilience and AI security. He holds degrees in computer science and business administration, an MBA (valedictorian, with distinction), and completed Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
Speaking topics
- Recovery as the real measure of security
- Why boards should ask how fast the business comes back, not only how well it is defended.
- Agentic AI and the new attack surface
- What AI agents can reach, what happens when they act unexpectedly, and how to recover at machine speed.
- Data sovereignty in the Gulf
- How regulation in the UAE and Saudi Arabia is reshaping where data lives and who is accountable for it.
- Building technology businesses in emerging markets
- Two decades of lessons on teams, partners and trust across eleven countries.
In the media
Regular commentator on CNBC Arabia, and featured in Computer Weekly, TahawulTech, CXO Insight Middle East and other specialist technology and security publications.
Contact
For media, speaking and panel invitations: