Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Horizon3.ai taps veteran CFO as cybersecurity startup bridging military intelligence and Silicon Valley scales up

Good morning. Warding off cyberattacks and digital conflict has become central to economic and business strategy.

Horizon3.ai, a cybersecurity startup that includes talent that worked for the CIA and U.S. Special Operations Command, has appointed a new finance chief. Holly Grey joins as its first CFO, bringing more than 30 years of experience in public company operations, compliance, and strategic finance.

Before joining Horizon3.ai, Grey served as CFO at Exabeam, where she led the company’s transition to a cloud-native model, improved margins, and helped position Exabeam for acquisition by Thoma Bravo. Previously, at Forescout Technologies, she built financial operations supporting its 2017 IPO and eventual acquisition by Advent International.

“There’s a tremendous product fit with Horizon3.ai in the market,” Grey said. “They’ve done an incredible job of scaling to this point.” She was drawn to the company’s trust-based culture led by CEO Snehal Antani and his team. When trust comes from the top, everyone can contribute to the company’s success, which is powerful, Grey said.

Founded in 2019, Horizon3.ai announced a $100 million Series D funding round in June, led by NEA, with participation from Qualcomm Ventures, NightDragon, SignalFire, Craft Ventures, and 9Yards Capital. The company previously raised $40 million in a Series C round in August 2023. Horizon3.ai reported 101% year-over-year revenue growth, is Rule of 40 positive, and has completed more than 150,000 autonomous penetration tests—simulated cyberattacks—worldwide, according to the company.

Holly Grey, CFO of Horizon3.aiCourtesy of Horizon3.aiRegarding Grey’s appointment, Antani said she “knows what it takes to lead through complexity, drive operational discipline, and navigate both public and private markets.” He added that her leadership will be essential for global expansion and positioning Horizon3.ai as a leader in offensive security.

Maintaining momentum
Business leaders today are acutely aware of how state and non-state actors exploit vulnerabilities to maximize disruption through cyberattacks. Antani recently told Fortune’s Diane Brady the defense industry now serves as a template for threat identification and asset protection in the private sector.

Antani, who previously served as the first CTO of the Joint Special Operations Command (2018–2021) and as CTO at Splunk, has built Horizon3.ai’s team, inclusive of experts from the National Security Agency, CIA, and business operations. His goal: to bridge the gap between military intelligence and Silicon Valley, leveraging AI agents to identify and solve emerging threats.

Grey told me that no matter what job function of an organization you work in, “we all need to be focused on cybersecurity.” She’s most often seen this priority overlooked when it comes to third-party vendors.

“At every organization I’ve been a part of, CFOs play a strategic role in the company’s purchasing decisions,” Grey said. “I urge peers and our customers to take a critical eye on third-party vendors to make sure they’re as focused on security as we are.”

As CFO of Horizon3.ai, Grey is focused on building scalable systems and processes that grow with the company, because strong foundations are set only once, she explained. It’s like surfing—you want to stay just ahead of the wave for balance, but not so far ahead that you lose momentum, she said.

Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

Leaderboard

Neil Thomson was appointed CFO of Soho House & Co (NYSE: SHCO), effective Aug. 18. Thomson will succeed Thomas Allen, who will remain with the company through Aug. 29. Thomson has 30 years of experience. He most recently served as CFO of Tasty Restaurant Group. Before that, he was CFO of Del Frisco’s. Thomson also held several senior management positions during 15 years at Yum! Brands, including CFO of India, chief development officer of Pizza Hut International, and chief growth officer of Pizza Hut Asia. The Soho House is set to be taken private by hotel operator MCR Hotels in a deal worth $2.7 billion.

George Eldridge was appointed CFO of Abcuro, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company. Eldridge brings more than 30 years of experience. He most recently served as CFO of Aerovate Therapeutics, guiding the company through its IPO in 2021 and subsequent reverse merger with Jade Biosciences in 2025. Eldridge has also previously served as CFO at Proteon Therapeutics, Targanta Therapeutics, Therion Biologics, Curis (formerly Ontogeny), and Boston Life Sciences.

Big Deal

How is executive pay evolving in today’s business landscape? Korn Ferry’s latest Global Total Rewards Pulse Survey offers insights into what organizations can expect for salary increases in 2026.

Some key findings: Despite 88% of companies anticipating revenue growth, one-third have already reduced salary budgets due to economic uncertainty, potentially creating tension between talent retention and cost management. Fifty-four percent of respondents report that executive pay is only “somewhat aligned” with broader employee compensation. Just 27% see meaningful alignment between performance and pay levels, suggesting that compensation committees may be approving increases without rigorous performance justification, according to the report.

The survey collected responses from more than 3,800 HR and total rewards leaders across over 130 countries.