ConnectWise has appointed Craig Rones as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), bringing a cybersecurity and enterprise technology leader into the company as managed service providers (MSPs) navigate growing demand for AI, automation, and stronger cyber resilience.
Rones will lead ConnectWise’s global marketing strategy, brand, and demand-generation functions, reporting to CEO Manny Rivelo. His appointment comes as the MSP sector faces several overlapping changes, including increasing cybersecurity risks, rapid AI adoption, and rising customer expectations.
Rones brings more than 20 years of experience across technology, cybersecurity, and services organizations. Before joining ConnectWise, he served as CMO at LevelBlue, formerly AT&T Cybersecurity, and Trustwave. He has also held senior marketing leadership positions at NTT DATA and Dell. Earlier in his career, he worked in corporate finance and turnaround advisory as a certified public accountant.
His background is particularly relevant as cybersecurity and AI become increasingly connected. MSPs are under pressure to protect customer environments while also finding ways to automate repetitive operations and manage increasingly complex IT infrastructure.
ConnectWise recently launched an updated platform incorporating AI capabilities, automation, cybersecurity, and other tools used by IT service providers. Rones’ role will include communicating how these technologies translate into practical outcomes for the MSP community rather than focusing solely on technology features.
Also Read: Cristina Gaia Joins Zscaler as Senior Marketing Manager for Italy
The appointment also highlights how the role of technology marketing is changing. As AI becomes embedded into enterprise and IT operations, technology companies increasingly need to explain not only what their platforms can do, but also how organizations can implement them securely and measure their impact.
For MSPs, this issue is particularly significant. AI-driven automation could help service providers handle more tasks without proportionally increasing staffing requirements, but adoption also raises questions around security, human oversight, data protection, and reliability.
Rones’ experience across cybersecurity and enterprise technology places him at the intersection of these developments. His appointment reflects a broader shift in the IT services industry, where AI, cybersecurity, automation, and business outcomes are becoming increasingly intertwined.
As MSPs continue adapting to this changing environment, leadership that understands both technology and the business impact of digital transformation will remain increasingly important.
