Business Wire

SoSafe hires former Smartly.io exec and SaaS leader Felix Fichtl as CFO to continue the firm’s recent growth

Share

SoSafe – a leading provider of cyber security awareness – has hired former Smartly.io exec and experienced SaaS operator Felix Fichtl as CFO.

Fichtl brings with him more than a decade’s experience in building and scaling finance organisations across the SaaS industry. From both his previous role as CFO at the global social media advertising automation giant, Smartly.io to his time spearheading finance operations for market leaders zoovu (formerly SMARTASSISTANT) and SAP Hybris (now SAP CX).

His appointment comes as SoSafe looks to build on its recent growth and bring its human-centric approach to cybersecurity to the assistance of even more companies on an international scale. SoSafe is currently the market leader in cybersecurity awareness in its home country of Germany, and is one of the leading providers across Europe.

In January 2022, the company closed a $73 million Series B financing round, led by Highland Europe, to help fuel expansion into new territories and establish the firm as the global market leader. Part of these plans involve further bolstering the strength, experience and expertise of the existing C-suite team, of which Fichtl will now play a pivotal role.

With its data-driven and human-centric platform, SoSafe takes a unique, behavioural science approach to cybersecurity. An approach pioneered by its founder and CEO, psychologist Hellemann. Founded on the idea that 85% of cyberattacks on companies and organisations can be traced back to a human factor, SoSafe embeds deep gamification elements into the workflows of employees to foster and scale effective corporate security cultures.

SaaS industry leader Felix Fichtl from Smartly.io strengthens SoSafe's leadership team

During his tenure at Smartly.io, Fichtl scaled the finance organization and played a key role in the sale of a majority stake of the company to Providence Equity in 2019. During his time at SAP Hybris, he managed the post-merger integration of the Hybris side before taking responsibility as Division CFO for SAP Hybris (now SAP CX).

"SoSafe has a crystal-clear value proposition that addresses a key concern for companies worldwide. The company is well on its way to becoming a global champion in the area of cyber security," says Fichtl. ”Smartly.io, while initially a European player, became a global market leader during my time there. We need more of these success stories and I feel SoSafe has the potential to see such similar success. I am impressed by the team and the investors behind SoSafe and look forward to working with them," he adds.

“SoSafe’s C-level is brimming with experienced industry leaders, broad-based and complementary competencies, clear lines of responsibility and transparent structures. With Felix, we have gained an outstanding executive who perfectly complements this team," says Hellemann. “His appointment not only demonstrates our growth and our commitment to our customers, but it showcases our ambitions and will help us cement SoSafe as a global leader in cybersecurity awareness,” says Niklas Hellemann, co-founder and CEO of SoSafe.

SoSafe is currently scaling internationally and has recently opened hubs in Amsterdam, London, and Paris to manage new markets.

_______________

About SoSafe

SoSafe empowers organizations to build a security culture and mitigate risk with its GDPR-compliant awareness programs. The company was founded in Cologne, Germany, in 2018 by psychologist and former BCG consultant Niklas Hellemann, Digitalization Expert and previous McKinsey consultant Lukas Schaefer, and seasoned software engineer Felix Schuerholz. Today, it serves more than 2000 customers worldwide and is the market leader in security awareness and training in the DACH region. As one of the leading second-generation awareness platforms, they are powered by behavioral science and smart algorithms and focus on user engagement and the needs of the customer. In doing so, SoSafe delivers engaging, personalized learning experiences and smart attack simulations that turn employees into active assets against online threats. The SoSafe team now consists of more than 350 employees at five locations: Cologne (headquarters), Amsterdam, Berlin, London, and Paris.

Website: www.sosafe-awareness.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sosafe-cyber-security/mycompany/

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Press contact
For further questions please contact
Mrs. Laura Hartmann via
press@sosafe-awareness.com

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

The Blind Sailor Takes the Stage at WEF: "HIRO’s CHOICE" Project to Set Sail13.1.2026 06:00:00 EET | Press release

“Blind Sailor Single-Handed Pacific Crossing Project 2027” is a world-first initiative in which Mitsuhiro Iwamoto, a completely blind Japanese yachtsman (blind sailor) based in San Diego, will attempt a solo, non-stop trans-Pacific crossing in the spring of 2027. Sailing a 28-foot yacht single-handedly, he aims to cross the Pacific Ocean from San Diego on the U.S. West Coast to Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, without making port. Iwamoto will speak about this project at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, to be held in January 2026. Project URL: https://hiros-choice.com/ This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260108087321/en/ Hiro Iwamoto / Global Keynote Speaker, First Totally Blind Sailor to Cross the Pacific The message he most wishes to convey at the WEF is the power of choice. He lost his sight at the age of sixteen—a moment when he nearly gave up on life itself. Nevertheless, he chose to live. In

MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version Released for Automotive Industry13.1.2026 02:00:00 EET | Press release

MarkLines Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Makoto Sakai; TYO:3901) announced its launch of the "MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version," the new feature for B2B users in the automotive industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112383839/en/ "MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version" can take questions in natural language and instantly give highly reliable, relevant data drawn from MarkLines’ extensive automotive database (Image: MarkLines Co., Ltd.) This AI-powered feature enables users to ask questions in natural language and instantly receive highly reliable, relevant data drawn from MarkLines’ extensive automotive database. Moreover, the system analyzes this information by leveraging the rich content across its platform and delivers clear, concise, text-based insights. By combining trusted data with advanced analytical capabilities through generative AI, this service represents a first-of-its-kind

Australian Defence Force Secures Satellite Communications on SES IS-2212.1.2026 23:30:00 EET | Press release

Satellite communications solutions provider SES will provide secure uninterrupted satellite communications to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for a minimum of 16 years thanks to a new extended agreement. The service will be provided via the SES Intelsat 22 satellite and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) military communications payload. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112137182/en/ Assistant Secretary Space Systems Branch, Michael Hunt, formalizes contract negotiations for the through-life support of the IS-22 satellite with Rory Welch, senior vice-president of service delivery at SES Space and Defense. Photos: Corporal Annika Smit Under the renewed arrangement, SES will reposition the IS-22 satellite to a new orbital slot specified by the ADF, continuing a mission that has been the cornerstone of Australia’s secure military communications since IS-22’s launch in 2012. SES will build a dedicated ground segmen

NetApp Appoints Paul Fipps to the Board of Directors12.1.2026 23:05:00 EET | Press release

NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that Paul Fipps, President of Global Customer Operations at ServiceNow, has joined its Board of Directors. The board now has ten directors, nine of whom are independent, and 50% of whom have been appointed within the last five years. Fipps brings more than 20 years of experience driving technology-enabled growth and customer transformation. At ServiceNow, he currently leads global sales, customer success, partner ecosystems, and field operations. He previously served as EVP of Worldwide Sales at ServiceNow and as President of Under Armour Connected Fitness and Chief Experience Officer at Under Armour, overseeing global direct-to-consumer, connected fitness, and digital experiences. He also previously served on the advisory board of Quantum Metric. Fipps holds a B.S. in Information Systems, an MBA from the University of Baltimore, and is a graduate of The Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program. “P

FDA Accepts New Drug Application for Pimicotinib for the Treatment of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor12.1.2026 21:00:00 EET | Press release

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company’s new drug application (NDA) for pimicotinib as a systemic treatment for patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). The application is based on the primary results and longer-term follow-up of the global Phase 3 MANEUVER study, which demonstrated deep and durable tumor responses and meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes with pimicotinib. “With pimicotinib, we have an opportunity to significantly advance care for people living with TGCT, a painful and debilitating disease that has few effective and well-tolerated treatment options beyond surgery,” said David Weinreich, Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer for the Healthcare business of Merck. “Based on clinical trial results showing not only a reduction in tumor burden, but also the ability to help alleviate symptoms like pain and stiffness in the global Phase 3 MANEUVER study

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye