Corey Thomas, CEO, Rapid7
Corey Thomas is giving the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce a tech upgrade. The chief executive of Boston cybersecurity firm Rapid7 last year became the first chamber chair in recent memory to come from the tech sector.
Among his first action items: helping launch a “Future Tech” council within the chamber to focus on artificial intelligence issues. With board seats at the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Thomas is arguably the most civically involved tech executive in the city.
At Rapid7, Thomas is orchestrating a pivot as the company expands beyond its core software, which identifies clients’ cyber vulnerabilities, to an integrated suite of services that help customers prepare for, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
Thomas also needs to keep investors happy. The company’s shares have fallen by more than a third since reporting a disappointing outlook in February. The next month, the company’s board added three new members, including one from Jana Partners, after reaching a deal with the activist investor.
Rapid7, meanwhile, is building out AI-enabled functions to help the company customize its software and setting up a development center in India to keep a check on costs.
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Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.
