Vivint gets new CIO

Vivint has a new chief information officer, Todd Thompson, who hails from the hotel and airline industries, the company announced today.

Another home security giant also just hired a new CIO. The ADT Corp., based in Boca Raton, Fla., recently tapped Kathleen McLean, a former telecom exec, as CIO.

But while the position of CIO is a newly created one for ADT, that's not the case with Provo, Utah-based Vivint. The Vivint CIO job that Thompson is stepping into was formerly held by JT Hwang, who will become chief technology officer, focusing on the development and integration of the company's products and platform, the company said in a news release.

Thompson will be responsible for companywide information technology functions, Vivint said.

Vivint President Alex Dunn said in a prepared statement, “Supporting our culture of innovation with advanced technology and effective processes has always been a priority, and Todd's experience in IT leadership will be a huge asset to our business.”

One thing both ADT's McLean and Vivint's Thompson have in common is that each comes from outside the security industry.

According to the Vivint news release, Thompson most recently "was CIO for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, where he led the team that implemented the industry's first new-age reservation system, drove initiatives to enhance revenue and the guest experience, and streamlined the IT function." Prior to Starwood, the company said, Thompson was CIO for JetBlue Airways and before that led consulting practices for SBI.Razorfish and Arthur Andersen Business Consulting.

“Vivint presents a lot of exciting advantages from a technological perspective,” Thompson said in a statement. “As a company, we have the opportunity to do things that have never been done before, and we want to do the same thing with information technology. We, in IT, are committed to continuously helping reimagine our business so it's more effective than anything else out there as we contribute to the company's future success.”

Thompson holds a BS in computer science and an MBA from Brigham Young University.