Cobalt CEO Sonali Shah Named Finalist for CRN Women of the Year

Audio By Carbonatix

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 24, 2025--

Cobalt, the pioneer of penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) and leader in offensive security services, is proud to share that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Sonali Shah as a finalist in the CEO category of the 2025 CRN Women of the Year Awards. The recognition affirms Shah’s influence as a growth-focused leader and her role in shaping the future of cybersecurity.

Since becoming CEO, Shah has led Cobalt through a phase of accelerated growth, scaling its platform to deliver more than 5,000 pentests annually for enterprises worldwide. She has also overseen the integration of AI into the Cobalt Offensive Security Platform to help customers prioritize risks, accelerate reporting, and unlock insights that give security teams more precision and agility. She has reframed offensive security as a board-level priority, making it clear that continuous testing and actionable intelligence are no longer optional, but essential to safeguarding customers and driving innovation at speed.

“It’s an honor to celebrate the finalists of the CRN Women of the Year Awards, whose exceptional achievements and unwavering dedication are driving meaningful change throughout the IT Channel,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor at CRN, The Channel Company. “These remarkable finalists inspire the channel ecosystem with their bold vision, leadership, and commitment to building a more inclusive and innovative tech landscape. We commend their contributions and eagerly anticipate the lasting impact they will make in shaping the future of our industry.”

​​This is the third annual CRN Women of the Year Awards, which spotlight extraordinary women, companies, and allies who demonstrate dedication to advancing the IT industry through their leadership and initiatives each day. The winners of the Women of the Year Awards will be announced at the Awards Gala on December 9, 2025 in New York City.

Under Shah’s direction, Cobalt has raised the bar for the entire industry, shifting expectations from one-off testing to measurable outcomes that directly improve resilience and business performance. She has also been a visible force in advancing diversity across technology, using her platform to mentor emerging leaders and ensure the cybersecurity industry reflects the communities it serves.

“This recognition underscores the decisive role security plays in business success,” said Sonali Shah, CEO of Cobalt. “Leaders can no longer treat resilience as a back-office function. At Cobalt, we are equipping organizations with the clarity and confidence to move faster, strengthen trust, and stay ahead of risk.”

The CRN Women of the Year program celebrates executives whose leadership drives tangible business impact, inspires transformation, and strengthens the broader technology ecosystem.

About Cobalt

Cobalt is the pioneer in pentesting as a service (PTaaS) and a leader in human-led, AI-powered offensive security services. We are focused on combining talent and technology with speed, scalability, and expertise. Thousands of customers and hundreds of partners rely on the Cobalt Offensive Security Platform, along with 450+ trusted security experts, to find and fix vulnerabilities across their environments. By enabling faster pentest launches, real-time collaboration with pentesters, and seamless integration with remediation workflows, we help organizations identify critical issues and accelerate risk mitigation so they can operate fearlessly and innovate securely.

Cobalt maintains an outstanding NPS of 9.12, reflecting its dedication to customer satisfaction. Read our reviews on G2 to see why customers love us. More at https://www.cobalt.io. Follow Cobalt on LinkedIn and X.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world's top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

Follow The Channel Company:LinkedIn, X

© 2025 The Channel Company, Inc. The Channel Company logo is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250924881633/en/

CONTACT: Cobalt Media Contact

Leslie Kesselring

[email protected]

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN SOFTWARE NETWORKS DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY APPS/APPLICATIONS CONSUMER SECURITY

SOURCE: Cobalt

Copyright Business Wire 2025.

PUB: 09/24/2025 08:00 AM/DISC: 09/24/2025 07:59 AM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250924881633/en