Checkmarx, the leader in agentic AI-powered application security testing, today announced the appointment of Kevin Hayes as Director of Federal Sales, strengthening the company’s commitment to serving the U.S. Federal Government’s cybersecurity needs. Hayes will lead Checkmarx’s federal growth strategy with a focus on the Department of Defense (DoD), Civilian Agencies, and FedRAMP-authorized opportunities.

A proven and decorated leader with more than 25 years of sales and leadership experience, Hayes brings a deep understanding of federal procurement, cybersecurity, and mission-critical IT operations. Most recently, he served as regional sales director for Intelligence and Law Enforcement at Splunk, overseeing a variety of DoD (US Cyber Command and Military Intel) and Civilian (HHS, DOJ/FBI, State, US Courts, Education, and Agriculture) agencies, helping them harness data to drive decisions and achieve mission success. His extensive experience also includes sales roles at FireEye, Brocade, and Metrocall.

A retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Hayes brings not only commercial expertise but also distinguished service experience, having held senior leadership positions including Deputy Commander, U.S. Military Sealift Command; Reserve Director of Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Deputy Commander, Surface Forces Atlantic. His unique blend of operational insight and business acumen positions him to guide Checkmarx’s expanding presence in the federal cybersecurity space.

“Kevin’s extensive federal background and leadership experience are exactly what Checkmarx needs as we continue to grow our federal business,” said Scott Walston, head of sales for the Americas at Checkmarx. “His proven ability to align technology solutions with mission outcomes will be instrumental in helping federal agencies secure their software supply chains and accelerate modernization efforts.”

In his new role, Hayes will oversee Checkmarx’s federal go-to-market strategy, drive strategic relationships with key defense and civilian agencies, and lead initiatives to expand the company’s FedRAMP-authorized offerings. His appointment reflects Checkmarx’s continued investment in supporting the federal government’s mission to protect critical systems and infrastructure through cutting-edge application security solutions.

“I’m honored to join Checkmarx at such a pivotal time in cybersecurity,” said Kevin Hayes. “Federal agencies are increasingly focused on securing the software that drives their missions, and Checkmarx is uniquely positioned to help them achieve that goal through innovation and trusted technology.”

Checkmarx recently achieved FedRAMP Ready at the High Impact Level for its Checkmarx One for Government application security platform, the most stringent baseline for FedRAMP cloud systems. This makes Checkmarx the first AppSec platform to reach the Ready status at the High Impact Level that includes full coverage for the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This designation signifies Checkmarx’s successful completion of the Readiness Assessment, making Checkmarx One for Government a candidate for full FedRAMP Authorization. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of security features, including Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), Malicious Package Detection, Infrastructure as Code (IAC) Security, Container Security, and Application Security Posture Management (ASPM).

For more information on Checkmarx’ public sector offerings, please visit the company’s website or the FedRAMP Marketplace.

About Checkmarx One for Government

Checkmarx delivers a FedRAMP High Ready cloud-native AppSec platform purpose-built for federal agencies to empower secure, compliant development from the first line of code to cloud deployment. The platform enforces consistent policies, reduces tool sprawl, and provides full lifecycle risk visibility. With support for SAST, SCA, IaC, Container Security, Malicious Package Detection, and ASPM, Checkmarx One for Government helps agencies meet Zero Trust, NIST, and executive order mandates while streamlining AppSec operations across hybrid environments.

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As Director of Federal Sales, Kevin Hayes will lead Checkmarx’s federal growth strategy with a focus on the Department of Defense (DoD), Civilian Agencies, and FedRAMP-authorized opportunities.