Retail
From “First IT Hire” to Force Multiplier: How Rhone Partnered with Thrive to Scale Security
Rhone is a performance apparel brand made by and for those in the pursuit of progress. They’re built for momentum, with teams moving fast and staying focused on customer experience. Like many growing organizations, the company’s pace eventually outgrew the way technology had been handled. When Sean Duffy joined Rhone as Director of Infrastructure and Security, he was stepping into a role that many scaling SMBs will recognize, he was “the first technology person in the business.”
Early on, the environment reflected speed and simplicity. “A new employee came in, they got a laptop, they got an e-mail account, they logged in, they went on their way,” Sean observed as he took over. Over time, leadership recognized that the company needed a more intentional approach. It was not about reacting to a crisis. It was about being responsible as the organization matured. They wanted a reliable, repeatable way to protect the organization and support employees without putting everything on one person’s shoulders.
A focused partnership and a drama-free onboarding experience
Rhone approached the search for a technology partner thoughtfully. “Part of the process was going through an RFP,” Sean says. The initial scope was broad, but the
team made a deliberate choice to focus where it mattered most: “We reset ourselves and focused on the security space to make sure that we had a robust security
platform in place.”
Thrive rose to the top because it matched Rhone’s priorities and operating reality. Sean emphasizes that the goal was not just buying tools but gaining depth and coverage that would be difficult to build internally at the same speed. “Thrive really stood out as having the most robust platform,” he says, and the partnership became “that force multiplier of having someone like Thrive come in to be able to help.”
The way the solution was delivered is just as important as the solution itself. Sean highlights the predictability and professionalism of the onboarding experience. “We knew what we were going to be getting into as we started the project. We knew the timelines for everything,” he says. “Everything was up front; there were no gotchas.”
As Rhone’s needs evolved, the relationship expanded naturally into managed infrastructure. Thrive helped modernize the office network with an approach that
balanced speed, reliability, and future growth. Sean’s takeaway is simple, “It’s been great working with the team. They listened to our requirements, and together we built out a robust platform that will grow with the business.”
Clear results without noise, plus trust you can feel
Rhone’s results show up in the places leaders and employees notice most: fewer distractions, fewer worries, and a cleaner, calmer environment. For Sean, one of
the most visible improvements came from email security. Before, he heard familiar complaints about spam and phishing. After implementation, the change was
unmistakable, “Almost all the noise that people were getting in their inboxes has just gone away. It’s disappeared.”
That day-to-day impact also made it easier to communicate progress at the executive level. “It gives a good metric and a KPI to give to the executive leadership to demonstrate this is actually working,” Sean explains, reinforcing that the program is not just “set it and forget it,” but something he can stand behind with confidence.
Beyond the technology outcomes, Sean reflects on what decision makers care about when choosing a long-term partner – responsiveness and trust. He appreciates that Thrive’s team does not leave people waiting and wondering. “They acknowledge messages as they come in to make sure that you’re not just sitting there in limbo,” he says. That consistency and other details are why he characterizes the relationship as a true partnership, and one that feels personal rather than transactional.
“Rhone wanted to build out a security program to secure the business, secure the data, really, to secure everything we have in the organization. Thrive is the partner we needed to make that happen.”- Sean Duffy, Senior Director of Technology at Rhone
About Thrive
Thrive is a NextGen global technology outsourcing provider that empowers small and mid-market organizations to transform their technology into a strategic advantage. Offering a breadth of services from AI and cybersecurity to cloud, compliance, and traditional MSP/MSSP solutions, Thrive’s team of seasoned experts develop strategies that standardize, scale, and automate technology to achieve outsized ROI. From advisory services to a 24×7×365 SOC and NOC, Thrive provides end-to-end IT and cybersecurity management so clients can focus on innovation and growth. With Thrive, your business is always supported and always secure. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.