Mimecast opens new regional HQ in Singapore

The cybersecurity vendor has also appointed Nicky Choo as Vice President and General Manager to lead Mimecast’s APAC operations, go-to-market and customer success.

Mimecast has unveiled a new ASEAN regional HQ and an upcoming data center to offer advanced threat protection, data sovereignty, and AI innovation to organizations as the cybersecurity vendor looks to build its presence across the region. Mimecast has also appointed Nicky Choo as Vice President and General Manager, leading Mimecast’s APAC operations, go-to-market and customer success.

According to Marc van Zadelhoff, CEO, Mimecast, the regional HQ and forthcoming data center in Singapore are pivotal steps in our global growth strategy. Zadelhoff also stated that Choo’s role in the region will be vital as the vendor continues to grow.

“APAC organizations are operating at the forefront of AI adoption and digital transformation - and face an equally rapid evolution in data loss and cybersecurity threats. Strengthening our local presence enables us to build region-specific innovations and deliver a world-class platform for reducing human risk,” Zadelhoff said.

Based in Singapore, Choo’s new role will see him lead regional strategy, operations and growth. Mimecast already has a strong foundation in region with its Australia and New Zealand HQ in Melbourne and the expanding team ASEAN. Choo will build on this momentum and spearhead Mimecast’s ongoing geographic expansion.

With a proven track record of helping secure some of the world’s leading brands against cyber threats, Choo is well-positioned to advance Mimecast’s mission in the region. He has previously led APAC operations at Devo and held senior roles at Pegasystems and IBM, bringing deep expertise in cybersecurity and enterprise technology.

“Organizations across APAC are facing relentless, novel AI-driven attacks. The stakes have never been higher, and only the right security infrastructure can truly keep businesses safe. Mimecast’s platform is strongly positioned to leverage AI against these threats. Together, with our distribution partners, we’re ready to set a new standard for trust and security in the region,” Choo said.

Threats in APAC

Choo explained that AI is changing the speed and sophistication of cyberattacks. Threat actors can now generate convincing phishing emails, automate reconnaissance, and adapt attacks in real time. We’re also seeing the rise of Shadow IT, employees unintentionally exposing sensitive information through generative AI tools, which the latest Mimecast Global Threat Intelligence Report highlights as one of the fastest-growing risks.

Given that APAC organizations are particularly exposed because the region’s digital transformation has been both rapid and uneven, many companies operate across hybrid environments, distributed workforces, and complex partner ecosystems. This creates a broad attack surface that AI-enabled adversaries can exploit quickly.

“This is exactly why Mimecast has invested so heavily in AI innovation, including our AI Lab in India with more than 150 engineers building capabilities to defend AI-based threats. The challenge now is not only blocking malicious content but reducing human risk, helping organizations detect, prevent and respond to incidents at the same speed that attackers are using AI to launch them. APAC’s threat landscape is shifting fast, and only a combination of AI-powered defenses and strong human-centric controls can give organizations the resilience they need,” he said.

Singapore as regional hub

According to Choo, as Singapore is one of the most important cybersecurity hubs in the world, it sits at the center of the fastest-growing security market globally. At the same time, APAC already accounts for a quarter of the world’s cybersecurity spend, and organizations here are moving quickly into AI adoption, cloud services, and large-scale digital transformation. That pace also means the threat landscape is evolving just as rapidly.

“To support customers in this environment, it is ideal to be closer to them geographically, operationally and strategically. Establishing our new ASEAN regional headquarters in Singapore allows us to strengthen our presence across a region that is diverse, complex, and increasingly regulated. It also gives us the ability to deliver faster response times, more region-specific innovation, and capabilities that reflect local requirements around trust, compliance and data sovereignty,” said Choo.

“By having a local presence, we are able to deliver faster response times, more tailored support, and innovations that directly address the challenges faced by businesses here. The Singapore data center, built on AWS’s secure infrastructure, will also help organizations meet strict data sovereignty and residency requirements, which are becoming an increasing priority for many customers today,” he said.

The new data center is expected to be launched in January 2026 and will support rising demand for local data residency. The fully managed data center in Singapore will benefit from the scale and dependability of AWS, while ensuring local customers can meet strict local data residency requirements including Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act.

More importantly, Choo believes these investments give customers greater confidence that their cybersecurity partner understands their local needs, regulations, and threat landscape.

“It is about ensuring their data stays secure, compliant, and within national borders while benefiting from Mimecast’s global threat intelligence and AI-driven defenses,” Choo added.

For Choo, data sovereignty has moved from being an infrastructure preference to a core requirement for doing business in APAC. Governments across the region are tightening local residency rules, and industries such as financial services, healthcare, and the public sector need clear assurance that sensitive information stays within approved jurisdictions.

Choo believes that it’s not only compliance driving this shift. He highlighted that organizations want confidence that their cybersecurity controls are resilient, reliable, and aligned with how they operate locally. As such, hosting security workloads within the region reduces latency, strengthens incident response workflows, and helps businesses meet strict audit and reporting obligations.

“In a nutshell, local hosting is about trust. Companies want to know their data is protected, compliant, and under local control,” said Choo.

Opportunity for partners

As partners are central to Mimecast’s growth strategy in APAC, Choo also pointed out that the new regional HQ in Singapore allows them to work more closely with their partner ecosystem, providing them with deeper technical enablement, stronger go-to-market support, and faster access to Mimecast’s innovations, particularly around AI-driven threat protection and human risk management.

“We are investing in resources and programs that help partners expand their value to customers, whether through new managed services, tighter integration with Mimecast’s platform, or joint initiatives that address the fast-evolving AI and data sovereignty landscape. Ultimately, this new HQ represents a stronger, more connected Mimecast, one that is equipped to help our partners grow with us and jointly set a new standard for trust and resilience across the region,” Choo explained.

Mimecast’s growth in the APAC region is anchored by its AI Lab in India, where a team of 150 engineers is dedicated to building an innovative, AI-driven platform that protects customers worldwide from advanced AI-enabled attacks. This expanding team not only strengthens Mimecast’s technical foundation but also sets the stage for continued regional growth and innovation.