Mastering momentum: A look back at HTB 2025 Revenue Kickoff event

From February 4-6, 2025, the HTB team gathered in Athens, Greece, for our annual Revenue Kickoff (RKO) event. This year's event was unlike any other, with over 120 attendees from across our revenue department and beyond. 

For the first time, we had expanded representation from departments across the business, including marketing, product, content, and operations—showcasing the growing collaboration across our organization.

The theme: Mastering momentum

Momentum isn’t just about speed—it’s about direction, consistency, and impact. This theme captured the essence of our RKO, as we focused on sustaining our growth, refining our strategies, and driving measurable outcomes for our customers in 2025 and beyond.

Key sessions and takeaways

A vision for 2025

We kicked off with an opening keynote by Haris Pylarinos, Founder and CEO at Hack The Box, who set the tone for the event and reinforced our commitment to our mission. This was followed by a deep dive into our 2025 strategy, mission, and vision, where our regional revenue leaders aligned everyone on our collective goals and market approach.

Product and content innovation

A session led by Gerasimos Marketos, SVP of Product at Hack The Box, along with various subject matter experts from the product and content departments, explored how our offerings will evolve, including new product developments and content innovations. As the cybersecurity landscape shifts, HTB remains at the forefront of practical, skills-based learning that empowers organizations worldwide.

Storytelling: Mastering impactful narratives

The ability to tell compelling, meaningful stories is a crucial skill in cybersecurity sales and engagement. This session helped attendees refine their storytelling skills to effectively communicate the HTB value proposition to customers and stakeholders.

Voice of the customer: Panel and Q&A

One of the most powerful moments of RKO came during our “Voice of the customer” panel discussion facilitated by Petros Perselis, VP of Customer Success at Hack The Box. We were honored to welcome:

• Andy Coles, Senior Cyber Security Research Lead at Microsoft

• Henk Meppelink, CEMA Officer at NLD ARMY (MOD)

• Phil Robinson, Cyber Security Manager at Lloyds Banking Group

• Ramine Etow, Security Consultant at NTT Security Holdings

These esteemed guests brought invaluable perspectives to our discussions, reinforcing our commitment to customer-centric innovation and cybersecurity excellence. With direct input from Andy, Henk, Phil, and Ramine, our teams gained critical insights into how our platform is perceived, the challenges cybersecurity leaders face, and how we can refine our offerings to deliver even more value.

RKO awards

One of the most memorable moments of the RKO 2025 was the gala dinner awards, where we celebrated the outstanding achievements of our revenue department members. From embodying our core values to excelling in their roles, these individuals have shown remarkable dedication and made a significant impact. 

Engaging, interactive sessions

In keeping with the theme of momentum, our RKO included several hands-on and dynamic sessions:

• The momentum battle: A journey through the box: A custom CTF competition, open to all employees, allowed teams to tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges, particularly blue-team exercises and investigative Sherlocks.

• HTB leadership speed dating: A unique opportunity for attendees to engage in rapid-fire discussions with senior leaders, promoting transparency and knowledge sharing in a casual, open format.

• Momentum marketplace: Choose your path to insight: An interactive session where attendees engaged directly with domain experts across the business. Each leader hosted a station to share key initiatives, test ideas, and gather feedback, ensuring cross-functional alignment for 2025.

Collaborative working sessions

Recognizing that success in 2025 requires both strategic alignment and executional excellence, we included collaborative workshops to refine critical skills:

• Winning the hard CISO conversations: Led by David Hua, Carlyle’s Portfolio CISO, this session equipped our teams with techniques to navigate complex cybersecurity discussions with senior decision-makers.

• Workforce development plan: X-functional collaboration: Delivered by Keith Gologorsky, SVP of Global Federal & SLED at Hack The Box, teams were guided through strategies to support workforce development, leveraging HTB’s capabilities to bridge skill gaps, particularly within the federal, government, and enterprise spaces.

• Dealmaking workshop: From pitch to close: Led by Russ Grant, SVP of Revenue, Americas, at Hack The Box, this hands-on workshop provided actionable frameworks for progressing deals effectively, from initial pitch to successful close.

Looking ahead

Our 2025 Revenue Kickoff was more than just an event—it was a launchpad for the next phase of our growth and impact. The energy, insights, and connections forged in Athens will propel us forward, driving the momentum needed to achieve our ambitious goals this year. 

As we return to our roles, we are more aligned than ever on our mission: Build and sustain high-performing cyber teams that keep organizations protected against real-world threats.

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