<table name="logo_release" border="0" cellspacing="10" cellpadding="5" align="right">   <tbody>    <tr>     <td><img src="https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2780689/virtual_it_group_logo_Logo.jpg?p=medium600" border="0" alt="" title="logo" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="118" /></td>     <td><img src="https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2904453/Virtual_IT_Group_Logo.jpg?p=medium600" border="0" alt="" title="logo" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="118" /></td>    </tr>   </tbody>  </table>  <p><span class="legendSpanClass">SYDNEY and AUCKLAND, New Zealand</span>, <span class="legendSpanClass">Feb. 17, 2026</span> /PRNewswire/ --&nbsp;<a href="https://vitg.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Virtual IT Group (VITG)</a>&nbsp;today announced the appointment of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccarthymaurice/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Maurice McCarthy</a>&nbsp;as Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company's next phase of growth across Australia and New Zealand. Virtual IT Group Founder, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-pacheco-01/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B%2FA0CIBVMRa6Hi20g40qqBw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Christian Pacheco,</a>&nbsp;will transition into the role of Founding Director, continuing to shape Virtual IT Group's vision for the future, service innovation agenda and M&amp;A strategy.</p>  <div class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder1">   <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; WIDTH: 100%"> <a href="https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2904451/virtual_it_group_ceo_founding_director_2026.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF"> <img src="https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2904451/virtual_it_group_ceo_founding_director_2026.jpg?p=medium600" title="Virtual IT Group - Maurice McCarthy, CEO &amp; Christian Pacheco, Founding Director" alt="Virtual IT Group - Maurice McCarthy, CEO &amp; Christian Pacheco, Founding Director" /> </a> <br /><span>Virtual IT Group - Maurice McCarthy, CEO &amp; Christian Pacheco, Founding Director</span></p>  </div>  <p>Virtual IT Group Founding Director, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-pacheco-01/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B%2FA0CIBVMRa6Hi20g40qqBw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Christian Pacheco</a> said, &quot;Maurice's appointment followed a comprehensive leadership assessment focused on the evolving needs of clients operating in increasingly complex cyber, regulatory, and AI-enabled environments.&quot;</p>  <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-pacheco-01/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B%2FA0CIBVMRa6Hi20g40qqBw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Pacheco</a>&nbsp;added, &quot;Maurice stood out as a leader with the right combination of client empathy, operational discipline, and modern technology insight. Our clients face mounting pressure from cyber threats, compliance obligations, and rapid AI adoption. Maurice has a deep understanding of the dynamics our clients are faced with on a daily basis, and a clear vision for leadership.&quot;&nbsp;</p>  <p>Mid-sized organisations across healthcare, financial services, education, and other regulated sectors rely on Virtual IT Group for fit-for-sector, security-led IT, cloud, and modern workplace services. These are supported by a 24/7 ANZ Security Operations Centre (SOC) and a high-touch, always-on service model.</p>  <p>Maurice brings deep experience leading client-focused technology and services organisations through growth, transformation, and operational scale. As CEO, his priorities include enhancing client outcomes, improving service reliability, and responsibly embedding AI across service delivery.</p>  <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccarthymaurice/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">Maurice McCarthy</a>, Virtual IT Group CEO said, &quot;Operational and technology leaders are being asked to move faster with AI while meeting unprecedented cyber and compliance demands. Virtual IT Group combines a 24/7 ANZ SOC, AI-driven ticket resolution, and a friendly, expert help desk for one reason, to give our clients peace of mind so they can focus on their mission. None of this happens without our people, from Level 1 engineers to our most experienced consultants. Together, we'll build on this foundation and lead Virtual IT Group into its next chapter.&quot;</p>  <p>This appointment reinforces Virtual IT Group's commitment to being a long-term partner to clients, a place where great people build meaningful careers in managed services and cybersecurity.&nbsp;</p>  <p><b>About Virtual IT Group </b><br />Virtual IT Group is one of the fastest growing mid-market technology and cybersecurity providers in Australia and New Zealand. With scale, reach, and proven expertise, we deliver end-to-end managed IT and security services making our client's business systems stronger, safer and simpler every day. &nbsp;<br /><b><a href="https://www.vitg.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0000FF">www.vitg.com.au</a></b></p>  <div class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder2">   <p> </p>  </div>