Kaspersky Lab North America has tapped John Salamone as VP of SMB Sales, responsible for include managing all new sales activity to SMBs as well as state and local government, education and nonprofit organizations. Salamone also has been tasked with growing Kaspersky’s existing customer base by attracting new SMBs.

“John is a highly motivated, solutions-driven sales management professional,” said Chris Doggett, senior vice president of Corporate Sales, Kaspersky Lab North America, in a statement. “His experience in establishing and managing inside, direct and indirect sales teams focused on new customer acquisition is invaluable for Kaspersky Lab as we continue to take our SMB sales segment to the next level.”

Salamone has been in the software sales industry for the past 20 years, where he most recently held a position as the VP of Sales at Brainshark, a company specializing in providing cloud-based business presentation solutions for sales, marketing and training. Salamone also has worked in high-level positions at Mentor Graphics, Innoveda and PADS Software, among others.

Salamone’s appointment comes on the heels of a banner year for the company, with Kaspersky being named a “Leader” in the Gartner 2014 Magic Quandrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for a third time, according to the press release. The company said it anticipates double-digit sales growth this year and an increase in its overall partner growth by about 25 percent.

Salamone’s appointment as VP of SMB sales is strategic in helping the company achieve its projected growth.