Bob Layton on New Role as Chief Revenue Officer at Apptega

Security compliance platform vendor Apptega this week announced it has welcomed Bob Layton to its team as its new chief revenue officer (CRO). We spoke with Layton ahead of the announcement to learn more about the opportunities he sees ahead for Apptega and its channel partners.

Why channel veteran Bob Layton decided to join Apptega

Apptega says Layton’s appointment as CRO furthers its commitment to channel-focused security and delivering value to service providers building GRC offerings.

Prior to Apptega, Layton held senior leadership positions at eSentire, Arithos, Digital Defense, Alert Logic, and Pluribus Networks. He is a longtime advocate for channel partners and deeply understands the industry. 

“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, in a statement. “This alignment will fuel growth and differentiation with security providers to tackle immense demand for next-level GRC and managed compliance solutions head first.”

“I’ve always had my finger on the pulse of what’s primed for disruption in the market,” Layton said. “I had four offers to pick from, and ultimately I joined Apptega because I think the company’s going to be a real disruptor, and GRC needs disruption right now.”

Apptega’s platform automates client onboarding, framework assessments, and ongoing risk management capabilities for MSPs and MSSPs building recurring services around their client’s specific needs.

How Layton will bring channel experience to Apptega’s c-suite

Layton says he wants to harness his decades of experience in the channel as he seeks to expand Apptega’s go-to-market activities. Apptega is already operating on a channel-first model, but Layton’s plans include bolstering the partner experience by simplifying the program and building resources to enable MSPs to be more successful in the compliance realm.

“What I want [partners] to see is that we’re building our program to be more simple, to be easier to work with, and to be built with a recurring revenue services model in mind,” Layton said. 

Layton is drawing on decades of experience both in building channel programs at vendors and as the principal owner of VAR and MSP businesses. To him, the opportunity Apptega has in front of it is to empower partners looking for ways to commit to the GRC market and shape how those partners support end user customers.

“You can’t call yourself an MSP or MSSP but really you’re just a VAR trying to also handle managed services,” Layton said. “You have to be able to talk to clients about what their business needs. A lot of customers don’t have their arms around compliance yet.”

“To reach your buyer, you have to understand what they want and who they trust. Customers trust their partners because MSPs have built that trust over time,” Layton continued. “In this market, why would you want to approach that customer on your own and not with the partner thy already trust?”

Why Apptega’s platform provides a recurring revenue differentiator for channel partners

Apptega is one of several companies enabling service providers to build recurring offerings around the compliance needs of their clients. Layton says Apptega’s approach is unique to the market because it is so focused on the needs of MSPs and MSSPs, who are increasingly turning to GRC-related services to unlock new revenue streams.

Apptega’s 2025 State of Continuous Compliance report backs that up. 44 percent of providers offering managed compliance services reported that at least a quarter of their compliance revenue is recurring, compared to just 28 percent among those primarily using a consulting model.

“That shows an opportunity where our program can show partners how to grow revenue and their net income,” Layton said. “Continuous compliance management as a service is where we’re heading, for sure. You can’t be a security practitioner or offer these services without a platform for scale, and Apptega’s platform is built with MSPs in mind.”

Layton says his goal as CRO is to build a program and GTM approach that meets partners and their clients wherever they are in the market.

“Everyone’s buying in a different way right now, whether it’s through the hyperscalers or a company like Pax8 or others. It’s going to be at these watering holes and places of influence where we show up and prove our value,” Layton said.