Val Tsanev

CEO

New York, New York, United States22 yrs 6 mos experience
Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

  • Expert in CISO buying behavior and enterprise sales strategy.
  • Founded multiple successful startups in cybersecurity and B2B marketing.
  • Led significant financial transactions at Credit Suisse.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a Cybersecurity and B2B Marketing expert with a strong background in enterprise sales.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

B2b MarketingStrategy DevelopmentSales StrategyMarket Analysis

Other Skills

Corporate DevelopmentRisk ManagementBusiness DevelopmentVendor ManagementNetwork BuildingClient EngagementInvestment BankingBusiness StrategyEntrepreneurshipFinancial AnalysisFinancial ModelingValuationMergers & AcquisitionsManagement ConsultingAsset Management

About

Cybersecurity startups don't lose enterprise deals because of technology. They lose because they misunderstand how CISOs actually buy. I know this because I sit in the middle of those conversations — every week. As Founder of Execweb (part of CyberRisk Alliance), I work directly with Fortune 1000 CISOs and senior security leaders, facilitating real 1:1 conversations with cybersecurity vendors. Through hundreds of these meetings each year, I see patterns most founders never get access to: • Why "great" CISO meetings still lead to stalled pilots • What CISOs say publicly vs what drives internal decisions • Where GTM momentum quietly breaks in enterprise sales • Why interest ≠ urgency ≠ budget I share unfiltered insights from: → Live CISO conversations → Failed and successful GTM motions → Real buying behavior across budget cycles and security priorities. Former investment banker (Credit Suisse, $2B+ in transactions). Three-time founder. Cornell MBA. Now focused on one thing: helping cybersecurity vendors reach the right security leaders and close faster. If you sell into enterprise security or build for CISOs — follow my profile and let's connect.

Experience

22 yrs 6 mos
Total Experience
4 yrs 3 mos
Average Tenure
5 yrs 3 mos
Current Experience

Cyberrisk alliance

Managing Director

May 2025Present · 1 yr · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • In May 2025, Execweb was acquired by CyberRisk Alliance — one of the largest cybersecurity media and business intelligence companies in the industry. I joined as Managing Director to lead the integration and scale what we built.
  • What that looks like in practice:
  • Managing a network of Fortune 1000 CISOs and senior security leaders across industries
  • Driving vendor pipeline through curated 1:1 meetings, executive boardroom discussions, and GTM advisory
  • Scaling Execweb's appointment-setting model across CRA's broader platform and client base
  • Advising cybersecurity vendors on positioning, buyer psychology, and enterprise sales strategy
  • We facilitate thousands of CISO-vendor virtual meetings per year — giving security suppliers direct access to the decision-makers who matter, and giving CISOs a curated, no-noise way to evaluate solutions.
B2B MarketingStrategy DevelopmentCorporate DevelopmentRisk ManagementBusiness Development

Execweb (acquired by cyberrisk alliance)

Founder of Execweb

Feb 2021Present · 5 yrs 3 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Founded Execweb in 2021 with a simple thesis: the way cybersecurity vendors reach CISOs is broken — and there was a better way to fix it.
  • Built from zero to a category-defining platform facilitating thousands of 1:1 meetings per year between Fortune 1000 CISOs and cybersecurity vendors. Acquired by CyberRisk Alliance in 2025.
  • What we built:
  • A curated network of Fortune 1000 CISOs and senior security leaders willing to engage with vetted vendors.
  • An appointment-setting model that gave security suppliers direct access to real decision-makers, not marketing lists.
  • Executive boardroom discussions that created pipeline and accelerated enterprise sales cycles.
  • A GTM advisory practice helping cybersecurity founders understand how CISOs actually buy.
  • Scaled the business from zero to acquisition in under 4 years while maintaining a lean, high-output team.
  • The core insight that drove everything: CISOs don't avoid vendors because of bad technology. They avoid them because of bad targeting, bad timing, and a broken trust model. Execweb fixed that.
B2B Marketing

Introeq (formerly conferencepulse)

Founder/CEO

Nov 2016Jan 2021 · 4 yrs 2 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Built a B2B intelligence platform helping event organizers identify which exhibitors and sponsors had the highest propensity to convert — before they ever made a pitch.
  • Clients included O'Reilly Media, Opus Agency, and 67 others. On average, clients increased revenue by 58% by acting on IntroEQ's exhibitor intelligence.
  • Key milestones:
  • Selected as Best B2B Marketing Startup at IMEX 2017 — out of 100+ competing startups
  • Accepted into AngelPad, the #1 ranked accelerator in the US (sub-1% acceptance rate)
  • Built and led a fully distributed team across the US, Ukraine, and India
  • Grew from concept to 69 paying clients while serving top-tier events industry brands
B2B Marketing

Cityraven

Founder/CEO

Apr 2014Oct 2016 · 2 yrs 6 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Built a curated real estate marketplace connecting NYC buyers and sellers with vetted agents from top firms with no pay-to-play model, eliminating the conflict of interest that plagued competitors.
  • Took the business from concept to recurring revenue in 3 months
  • Grew average monthly sales 144% over the first 12 months
  • Built and led a founding team of 4 from day one

Credit suisse

3 roles

CFO COO | CFO Program Services - Vice President

Promoted

Oct 2012Mar 2014 · 1 yr 5 mos

  • Led operational strategy and regulatory restructuring for one of the world's largest investment banks during a period of significant regulatory change.
  • Developed target operating models for Credit Suisse's Capital Management Group across the Investment Bank and Private Banking & Wealth Management divisions
  • Designed and implemented restructuring of Credit Suisse's investment bank legal entities to meet post-crisis regulatory requirements
  • Built cost reduction programs and compliance initiatives deployed across Credit Suisse Group

Investment Bank Strategy Group - Vice President

Apr 2006Oct 2012 · 6 yrs 6 mos

  • Served as a senior strategy advisor to Credit Suisse's executive leadership across M&A, geographic expansion, and new business development.
  • Advised on Credit Suisse's ~$300M acquisition of Hedging-Griffo — led due diligence, financial modeling, and client management
  • Developed business plan for commercializing Credit Suisse's e-Fixed Income platform — projected $80M revenue and $60M operating income by year 3
  • Led development of Credit Suisse's Asia Pacific strategy across equities, fixed income, and IBD
  • Structured Credit Suisse's minority investment in a global multi-asset electronic trading platform

Investment Banking Analyst - Global Industrial Services Group

Jan 2004Apr 2006 · 2 yrs 3 mos

  • Executed M&A and capital markets transactions for corporate clients across industrials and aerospace.
  • $472M sale of Helm Holding Corporation — sole M&A advisor; led financial modeling, deal structuring, and client management
  • $284M secondary equity offering for B/E Aerospace — joint book-running manager; advised CEO on pricing and timing
  • Developed pitch books, offering memoranda, and investor presentations for new business origination

Ladenburg thalmann

Financial Representative, Assistant to Senior Vice President - Private Client Services

Apr 2003Sep 2003 · 5 mos

  • Pitched investment ideas to high net worth individuals (Net Worth $10 – $500 million). Cultivated existing client relationships in the state of New York. Developed and expanded client relationships in the state of California. Internationally established relationships in Greece and Bulgaria.

Education

Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management

Master of Business Administration

St. John's University

Bachelors of Science — Computer Science/Finance

AngelPad

Startup Accelerator

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