Apptega Names Bob Layton as CRO to Help Security Providers Meet Today’s Compliance Challenges

Compliance has shifted from a competitive advantage to a must-have for security providers that want to grow their businesses in a competitive industry. To help partners turn that reality into an opportunity for growth, Apptega has appointed industry veteran Bob Layton as Chief Revenue Officer.

Layton, a five-time CRN Channel Chief and longtime advocate for security providers, is joining the company to accelerate growth and expand its partner ecosystem. He’ll lead the company’s go-to-market strategy and partner program evolution, helping MSPs, MSSPs, and MDR providers deliver compliance in ways that drive recurring revenue, retention, and differentiation.

“By coupling Apptega’s strategic vision and partner-optimized platform with Bob's unparalleled understanding of security service provider needs, Apptega is accelerating managed risk and compliance as a channel-leading growth engine at scale,” said Dave Colesante, CEO at Apptega. “This alignment will fuel growth and differentiation with security providers to tackle immense demand for next-level GRC and managed compliance solutions headfirst.”

With more than two decades of leadership experience across companies like eSentire, Digital Defense, and Alert Logic, Layton has built and scaled global sales and channel organizations while consistently delivering triple-digit growth in new markets.  

He joins Apptega at a critical time for the industry, as security providers search for new ways to grow and differentiate in a crowded compliance market.  

According to the findings of our 2025 State of Continuous Compliance Report, 75% of providers fell short of ARR goals in 2024, while 90% said they face challenges standing out from the competition. Providers that embrace managed compliance services are seeing stronger outcomes, with 44% reporting at least a quarter of their compliance revenue is recurring, compared to just 28% among those relying primarily on consulting.

“Security providers must recognize managed compliance alone is no longer a differentiator, but a necessity to keep up,” said Layton. “As partners pursue every opportunity to reduce operational overhead and grow revenue quickly, they need strong vendor partners with expertise and programs that not only see the bumps they’re up against, but deliver robust solutions to help differentiate, proactively overcome headwinds, and grow in a highly competitive space.”

With Layton guiding revenue strategy, Apptega is sharpening its commitment to helping partners reimagine compliance as a growth driver, rather than a burden or a nice-to-have.

View the press release.

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