As cybersecurity teams grapple with shrinking headcount, growing attack surfaces, and relentless breach pressure, one trend is becoming impossible to ignore: security outcomes are increasingly being delivered by partners, not internal teams. Horizon3.ai is leaning hard into that reality.
The offensive security vendor announced a significant expansion of its global partner leadership organization, signaling a renewed focus on MSP- and partner-led growth. At the center of the move is the appointment of Tim Mackie as Global Vice President of Worldwide Channels, alongside industry recognition for Marc Inderhees, who was named to the 2026 CRN Channel Chiefs list for his work building Horizon3.ai’s MSP and MSSP ecosystem.
The changes aren’t cosmetic. They reflect a broader shift in how offensive security is bought, deployed, and operationalized—especially as continuous validation, not one-off testing, becomes the new baseline.
Why Partners Matter More in Offensive Security
Horizon3.ai has built its reputation on autonomous penetration testing and continuous exposure validation—capabilities designed to help organizations move from theoretical risk to provable, fixable security gaps. But as demand grows, so does the need to operationalize those outcomes at scale.
That’s where managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs), and strategic alliances come in.
Rather than selling point tools that require specialized in-house expertise, Horizon3.ai’s platform is increasingly being delivered as part of managed services—embedded into ongoing security operations, remediation workflows, and compliance programs. Partners become the force multiplier.
The expanded leadership structure is meant to bring sharper execution to that model, with clearer ownership across channel programs, alliances, and global go-to-market motions.
Tim Mackie Takes the Helm of Worldwide Channels
As Global VP of Worldwide Channels, Tim Mackie now owns Horizon3.ai’s entire channel and alliance strategy—from partner programs and ecosystem development to global execution.
That’s a meaningful role at a time when many security vendors are still struggling to reconcile direct sales motions with partner-led delivery.
Mackie brings more than 25 years of channel leadership experience across cybersecurity, networking, and enterprise IT. His résumé includes senior roles at Claroty, Armis, SentinelOne, Cylance, Recorded Future, and Riverbed Technology—companies that scaled through partners in highly competitive markets.
According to Horizon3.ai’s CRO Matt Hartley, Mackie’s value lies in his ability to combine strategy with hands-on execution—something many channel organizations lack once they reach global scale.
The mandate is clear: build a partner ecosystem that can consistently deliver validated security outcomes, not just licenses.
From “Finding Risk” to “Fixing and Verifying It”
Mackie’s comments highlight a subtle but important shift in how Horizon3.ai is positioning itself in the market.
Offensive security tools have traditionally been strong at answering one question: Can we be breached? But customers increasingly want answers to harder follow-ups:
- Which risks actually matter?
- Have they been fixed?
- Can we prove it—to auditors, insurers, and boards?
Horizon3.ai’s autonomous testing platform is designed to continuously answer those questions, but delivering that value at scale requires partners who can integrate it into real-world operations.
Mackie’s focus is on enabling partners to move customers faster from discovery to remediation to verification, turning offensive security into a repeatable service rather than a periodic exercise.
Marc Inderhees and the MSP Motion
Reporting into the expanded global partner organization, Marc Inderhees leads Horizon3.ai’s MSP and MSSP strategy and execution. His responsibilities span partner enablement, co-selling, and the development of partner-delivered services built on the Horizon3.ai platform.
That work earned him a spot on the 2026 CRN Channel Chiefs list, one of the industry’s most closely watched indicators of channel leadership influence.
The recognition matters because MSPs are increasingly the front line of cybersecurity delivery—especially for mid-market and enterprise organizations that lack the resources to run continuous offensive security programs internally.
By empowering MSPs to operationalize autonomous penetration testing and exposure validation, Horizon3.ai is effectively extending its reach while lowering the barrier to adoption for customers.
The Rise of Offensive Security as a Managed Service
This leadership expansion aligns with a broader industry trend: offensive security is becoming continuous, automated, and service-driven.
Traditional penetration testing—manual, expensive, and point-in-time—no longer matches the pace of modern environments. Cloud-native infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and constant configuration changes demand validation that’s ongoing, not annual.
MSPs and MSSPs are uniquely positioned to deliver that model. They already manage endpoints, cloud workloads, identity systems, and SOC operations. Offensive security, when automated, fits naturally into that stack.
Horizon3.ai’s partner-first strategy suggests the company sees managed delivery as a primary growth engine, not a secondary route to market.
Technology Alliances Round Out the Ecosystem
Also reporting into the global partner organization is Ward Holloway, Senior Director of Technology Alliances. His remit includes strengthening integrations and joint go-to-market efforts with key ecosystem partners.
That role is increasingly critical as customers expect security tools to integrate seamlessly with SIEMs, SOAR platforms, vulnerability management systems, and ticketing workflows.
Offensive security doesn’t live in isolation anymore. Its value depends on how well findings flow into remediation, automation, and reporting systems—areas where alliances can make or break adoption.
Competitive Context: Channel Strategy as Differentiator
The offensive security market is getting crowded. Autonomous pentesting, breach-and-attack simulation, and exposure management vendors are all competing for mindshare—and budgets.
What differentiates vendors increasingly isn’t just detection capability, but how easily outcomes can be delivered and proven. Vendors that rely solely on direct sales often struggle to scale customer success beyond early adopters.
By contrast, companies that invest early in MSP and channel ecosystems can embed themselves deeper into customer operations—making replacement harder and ROI clearer.
Horizon3.ai’s leadership moves suggest it understands that channel strategy is no longer a support function; it’s a core competitive advantage.
What This Means for Customers and Partners
For customers, the impact is practical:
- Faster deployment of offensive security capabilities
- Continuous validation instead of point-in-time testing
- Clearer evidence of remediation and risk reduction
For partners, the message is equally clear: Horizon3.ai is committing real leadership, structure, and investment to make partner-led delivery successful at scale.
That matters in a market where many vendors talk about partnerships but fail to operationalize them.
A Signal of Maturity in the Offensive Security Market
Leadership announcements don’t usually move markets—but they do signal intent.
Horizon3.ai’s expansion of its global partner leadership team reflects a company transitioning from product-market fit to go-to-market scale. It also reflects a maturing offensive security landscape, where automation, validation, and managed delivery are converging.
As MSPs continue to shape how security is bought and consumed, vendors that align early—and invest deeply—stand to define the next phase of the market.
Horizon3.ai is betting that offensive security’s future isn’t just autonomous—it’s partner-powered.
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