Vertali boosts global hiring amid mainframe security boom

Vertali has expanded its global workforce with a new round of permanent and contract hires as demand rises for mainframe security and operational support services.

Client requirements for mainframe security have increased in the wake of ransomware incidents and other cyberattacks. Demand has also grown for migrations, software work, business-as-usual support, managed services, and out-of-hours incident management.

The recruitment drive adds staff across delivery, programme and project roles, along with finance and sales administration. New appointments include Technical Consultants, a Senior Technical Consultant, a Programme Manager, a Project Manager, and support roles covering accounts and office functions.

Recent hires include Daniel Atherton, Technical Consultant; Julia Austin, Accounts Administrator; Krisztian Csomai, Technical Consultant; Sarah Daems, Sales Support Administrator; Richard Goldsby, Programme Manager; Tamas Kiss, Technical Consultant; Martin Knight, Technical Consultant; Vanyo Nikolov, Technical Consultant; Elitsa Popova, Technical Consultant; Mani Ravichandran, Senior Technical Consultant; Carol Siyapi, Project Manager; Sruthi Srinivasa Baba, Technical Consultant; and Amy Wilson, Sales Support and Office Administrator.

Vertali positions itself as a specialist provider of mainframe services for organisations with long-running systems that process core transactions and hold sensitive data. Many of these environments sit in regulated industries, including financial services, insurance, retail, and the public sector.

The company linked the additional hiring to changing risk and resilience expectations. Mainframe security work often includes access controls, privileged user management, configuration, monitoring, incident response, and audit preparation. Organisations also face pressure to maintain service levels while modernising applications and connecting older systems to cloud platforms and newer software.

Alongside security, Vertali highlighted ongoing modernisation and migration work. These projects often focus on updating development tools and processes, reviewing application portfolios, and improving operational practices, rather than replacing the mainframe outright. In many large enterprises, modernisation also ties into cost and skills planning, with an emphasis on keeping workloads stable while introducing new functionality.

Mainframe sentiment

Industry research suggests organisations remain confident in the mainframe while rethinking how they run and secure it. A BMC Mainframe Survey cited by Vertali reported positive perception of the mainframe at 97% in 2025.

Forrester research referenced by the company described a shift in the modernisation narrative from migration to optimisation. Its 2025 report on the global state of the mainframe also noted that footprints and budgets are growing.

Vertali also cited Arcati's 2025 Mainframe Navigator, which reported an increase in outsourcing mainframe management from 9% in 2024 to 20% in 2025. Arcati attributed the change to cost concerns, skills shortages, and cloud integration needs.

The same report highlighted security and workforce pressures. It found that 53% of respondents had concerns about mainframe security, with data breaches the top worry for 72% of those surveyed. Only 21% said they conduct cybersecurity monitoring. While 46% prioritised training, sourcing and retention, 62% still cited a lack of modern mainframe skills as a top challenge.

Kyndryl's 2025 State of Mainframe Modernization Survey, also cited by Vertali, reported that 80% of organisations said their modernisation strategy had shifted in the past year. The research described a widespread re-evaluation of plans, with expectations of lower costs and higher returns from modernisation programmes.

Security demand

Vertali's hiring comes as boards and security leaders renew focus on systems that process payments, customer records and operational data. Even when mainframe platforms are not the initial entry point for attackers, they can sit downstream from compromised credentials, network access, or misconfigured integrations. That increases scrutiny of identity and access management, monitoring coverage, and recovery processes.

In the UK and Europe, regulated firms also face growing oversight of operational resilience, driving investment in incident response, testing, and around-the-clock support. Out-of-hours coverage has become a differentiator for service providers in complex environments where downtime can carry financial and regulatory consequences.

Leanne Wilson, Senior Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, said the company is seeing broader client requirements as threats increase.

"Organisations are under threat like never before, and have more diverse support requirements than ever. These new colleagues further strengthen our global team. We are hiring in virtually every part of the company, from client-facing consultants to essential back-office support roles. We are continuing to offer our clients access to the most significant pool of mainframe talent on the planet."

Wilson also linked the hiring to the company's focus on protection and service delivery.

"Attracting great people is more evidence of our commitment to Vertali's 'Protect' ethos. We are focused on consistently delivering excellence for our clients, safeguarding their systems, data and reputation, while bringing forward the next generation of technology leaders," Wilson said.

Vertali expects demand for security services, operational support and modernisation work to remain strong as organisations review how they manage legacy platforms alongside new cloud and digital programmes.