Rob Thornton, Business Practice Manager for the new SOS Managed Services Practice, knows computers from the inside out. Back in 1992 he went to work for a used-computer retailer, where he learned how to part out and refurbish mainframes and dumb terminals.

Soon his focus expanded to managed services for messaging and financial systems, as well as server and desktop support. That introduced Thornton to the consulting and networking side of the business, and the whole area of teaching business applications.

“I started learning the applications pretty quick,” Thornton says. In time he became the go-to guy on applications, surprising his boss and himself.

In 1999, he was hired at SOS. In time, Thornton took over the service manager job at SOS, and then became responsible for all the Cisco and Microsoft products and how the SOS teams implement them. He became head of the new Managed Services Practice in 2007.

“Rob is an amazing person. He never says die,” says SOS co-founder and CEO Gia McNutt. “He can not stand by if a client is having a severe issue, even while on vacation.” That dedication has earned him the respect and admiration of his team and the entire company. Thornton says he’s grateful for the opportunity to be part of the team.

“Along with providing me opportunity to work on the latest in converged technology, SOS has provided an incredible opportunity for me to advance my consulting and management skills,” he says. “I've never worked with a better group of people. Lawrence and Gia are not just incredible employers, they are incredible, down-to-earth people.”

One gauge of how well Thornton likes his work is the hours he spends on the job. It has been four or five years since he was paid by the hour, but he still likes to work “overtime.”

“There are always things I feel responsible for,” says Thornton. “I have a team of guys who are busy implementing projects and who need help. I try to get in early, I try to stay late. I go with them if they request it. I’m always thinking there is something I need to do better.”

McNutt notes that on top of his duties at SOS, he and his wife, Michelle, are bringing up four children -- and holds a leadership position in his church.

“We are fortunate and grateful to have Rob on staff, and the engineering team has a fantastic mentor in Rob,” she says.

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