UKON Announces Leadership Update

DENVER, CO (September 12, 2025) — UKON today announced a significant leadership transition as Matthew Hightower has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Cole Knuth.

"UKON’s mission remains the same: to help every business survive a cyber attack,” said Hightower. “But our approach is evolving to position UKON as the industry’s leading cyber insurance marketplace and wholesaler for agencies and MSPs.”

Hightower joined UKON as Chief Marketing Officer in 2024 and helped lead the company’s rebrand from FifthWall Solutions to UKON in June 2025. With more than a decade of experience in go-to-market strategy and scaling technology-driven companies, he has consistently taken organizations from early stage to sustainable growth.

As CEO of Class2Class, Hightower built one of the world’s largest collaborative ecosystems in education, connecting 759 universities across 84 countries. He later served as Chief Growth Officer at BeamXR, driving global expansion in immersive technology, and has held senior partnership roles at emerging tech firms Gamium and Didit.

Knuth, who guided UKON through a defining year of reinvention, fundraising, and repositioning, will step away to focus on family and advising growth-stage companies.

“We are grateful for Cole’s dedication and the pivotal role he played in positioning UKON as a category disruptor,” said Doug Wright, Chairman of the Board and founder of FifthWall Solutions, now UKON. “Cole led through a volatile market, raised capital, and laid the foundation for growth. We wish him the best as he transitions into his next chapter. At the same time, we are confident that Matt’s appointment as CEO sets UKON up for its next phase of execution.”

Commitment to Agencies & MSPs

With Hightower’s appointment, UKON’s leadership stabilizes into a proven trio that includes Reid Wellock, Chief Operating Officer and President, and Scott Kincaid, Chief Financial Officer.

Near-term priorities include accelerating agency-first features, simplifying the MSP-facing experience, and scaling adoption through distributor and channel partnerships.

Wellock will spearhead agency growth, expanding UKON’s reach with insurance agencies while continuing to drive adoption across the channel.

“Agencies are the heartbeat of this market,” said Wellock, President & COO, UKON. “Our priority is to make it easier for agencies to access capacity, expand their books, and serve clients faster.”

“Financial discipline is how we scale responsibly,” said Scott Kincaid, CFO, UKON. “We’re focused on pairing growth with profitability while delivering certainty to our carriers, partners, and investors.”

Global cyber insurance premiums are set to surge from $16.6 billion in 2023 to more than $120 billion by 2032. With market stability returning and buyers gaining leverage, UKON is positioned to help agencies and MSPs seize that growth.

“We have everything we need to win,” Hightower added. “Today, we are the most flexible cyber and Tech E&O company in the world, with nationwide licensing, agency partnerships, MSP and carrier relationships, and the right people on both the insurance and engineering sides. We’re going to focus on us first, because this team is built to deliver.”

ABOUT UKON

Originally founded in 2015 as FifthWall Solutions, UKON is a cyber insurance marketplace and wholesaler built for elite partners. UKON stands apart by educating and empowering cyber practice leadership to help agencies, MSPs, and enterprises translate risk into strategy and protect clients with confidence. Vendor-agnostic, execution-focused, Cyber Peace of Mind. UKON combines insurance expertise with engineering innovation to help every business survive a cyber attack.