Thorn Welcomes Two New Board Members

We are thrilled to announce the addition of two exceptional leaders to Thorn’s Board of Directors: Mike Abbott and John Bennett. Their combined wealth of experience in technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and child protection will be invaluable as we continue our work to defend children from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. 

Mike Abbott

Mike Abbott brings extensive expertise in product development, engineering leadership, and scaling technology infrastructure. His background includes executive roles at General Motors, Apple, and Twitter, as well as venture capital experience with Kleiner Perkins. Mike’s deep understanding of cloud services, artificial intelligence, and large-scale engineering will be crucial as we continue to build and improve technology designed to protect children and make the internet safer.

I am thrilled and honored to be joining the board of Thorn. I have worked with the company over the last couple of years, and am now looking forward to directly participating in the execution on their mission to help protect childhood joy.

John Bennett

John Bennett joins us with over 30 years of distinguished service in law enforcement, including leadership roles at the FBI. His expertise spans cybersecurity, crimes against children, digital forensics, and global law enforcement partnerships. John’s experience working with organizations like INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be instrumental in strengthening our collaborations with investigators and other partners in the child protection space.

I am honored and humbled to be part of the Thorn team.  The protection of children remains a priority in my life and I know the passion and professionalism Thorn brings to this crisis is critical to protecting victims and enabling Law Enforcement.

Mike and John join our existing board members:

• Sara Clemens, Interim Board Chair
• Ernie Allen – Global Expert on Child Protection, Founding Chairman of WeProtect Global Alliance
• Suzanne Bell – Partner at Covington & Burling
• Vanessa Kanu – CFO of  AptarGroup
• Julie Cordua – CEO of Thorn
• Neelie Kroes – Former VP of the European Commission

The addition of Mike and John to our board strengthens Thorn’s ability to innovate, scale our impact, and navigate the complex landscape of child protection in the digital age. 

We extend a warm welcome to Mike and John and look forward to their contributions in advancing Thorn’s mission. Together, we will continue to build a world where every child can be safe, curious, and happy.