Thrive appoints John Toney as security services chief

Thrive has appointed John Toney as Senior Vice President of Security Services, adding a former state Chief Information Security Officer to the managed IT and cybersecurity provider's leadership team.

Toney will help shape the company's cybersecurity strategy and oversee the expansion of its security services, including threat detection, incident response, and risk management.

He joins from the State of Vermont, where he served as Chief Information Security Officer. Earlier, he held senior cybersecurity roles at City Electric Supply, EY, Procter & Gamble, and KPMG.

Earlier in his career, Toney spent more than a decade with the U.S. Secret Service as a Special Agent, including as lead for the Philadelphia Electronic Crimes Task Force.

Security leadership

The appointment comes as Thrive continues to expand its security offering for customers seeking outsourced technology and cyber support. Its security practice combines managed detection and response, endpoint detection and response, and network detection and response within a broader security architecture.

Thrive also highlighted recent investments in its NextGen platform, including security integrations with Elastic and Cato Networks. Built on ServiceNow, the platform connects security technologies, intelligence, and automation across customer environments.

Bill McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer of Thrive, said the hire reflects the pressure facing security teams as threats become harder to manage.

"Security leaders are being asked to manage more complex environments, keep pace with increasingly sophisticated threats, and demonstrate resilience across the business-all while operating with constrained resources and growing expectations," said Bill McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer, Thrive. "John has spent his career confronting those challenges firsthand, from leading enterprise security organizations to managing incident response and complex investigations. That perspective will be incredibly valuable as we continue strengthening our security practice and helping customers reduce the day-to-day burden of managing security, build greater resilience, and stay focused on their business."

Cybersecurity background

Toney's background spans public- and private-sector security operations. In Vermont, he was responsible for cyber oversight in a government environment, while his earlier corporate roles covered enterprise security leadership across professional services, consumer goods, and electrical distribution.

He also serves as a Visiting Fellow and member of the Cyber & Tech Council at the National Security Institute, adding a policy and research dimension to a career otherwise centered on operational security, investigations, and risk management.

For Thrive, the appointment signals continued emphasis on cybersecurity as a core part of its broader managed services business. Companies across the sector have been expanding security leadership and services as customers look to combine IT operations support with external monitoring and incident response.

Managed security

The provider is one of 45 vendors aligned with Gartner's Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture. Thrive uses that positioning to frame its approach of linking separate security tools and data sources across customer systems.

Toney said the need for external security support is increasing as organizations face a more difficult threat environment and growing operational demands.

"The security landscape continues to grow more complex, and organizations need more than technology alone to stay ahead of evolving risks," said John Toney, Senior Vice President of Security Services, Thrive. "What stands out about Thrive is its ability to bring security expertise, technology, and managed IT capabilities together so customers can not only identify threats, but respond to them quickly and effectively. I'm excited to build on that foundation and help advance the security capabilities our customers rely on every day."