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The Most Influential People in Security 2017 cover

The Most Influential People in Security 2017

Impacting enterprises, communities and nations, these 21 leaders are making a difference throughout the security industry.

September 1, 2017
The Most Influential People in Security 2017

Every year, Security magazine is pleased to honor top security executives and leaders who are positively impacting the security industry, their organization, their colleagues and peers, and the national and global security landscape. They have been nominated by their colleagues and associates, and were chosen based upon their leadership qualities and the overall positive impact that their security initiatives, programs or departments have had upon their shareholders, enterprises, colleagues and the general public.

This year’s Most Influential is organized by five categories: Corporate Security Executives, Government, University/Think Tanks, Cybersecurity and Special Recognition.

Our special appreciation goes to Lynn Mattice and Jerry Brennan, who were our project partners and who provided subject matter expertise and research.

For a listing of past Most Influential People in Security honorees, please visit:
www.SecurityMagazine.com/MostInfluential

 

Congratulations to the Class of 2017 Most Influential People in Security!

 


List Overview (continued):

Caimona | Casey | Faer | Johnstone | Leigh | Tuskan | McComb | Treverton | Second page | Third page


Corporate Security Executives

Michael Caimona

Michael Caimona
Director of Strategy,
Boeing Intelligence & Analytics

Michael Caimona is the Director of Strategy for Boeing Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A), where he is responsible for developing, communicating and executing a complex business strategy for Boeing’s line of business supporting the U.S. National Security Community. Caimona recently established BI&A’s Advanced Analytics team, which is responsible for the insider threat problem domain. He serves as Boeing’s public-private partnership liaison regarding security and insider threat to ensure the company is leveraging best practices across the government and private sector.

He also developed and manages an immersive insider threat Analyst Tradecraft course that is used internally and by U.S. government and commercial partners. The unique course, endorsed by Carnegie Mellon University’s CERT, teaches analysts how to recognize key indicators of insider threats and familiarizes them with data sources commonly used in the security community.

Caimona joined Boeing in 2012 following the company’s acquisition of Kestrel Enterprises, Inc., where he served in several leadership and management positions, including Executive Vice President. He has led numerous high-performing teams focused on providing analytic, technical and management support to the U.S. Intelligence, Department of Defense and Law Enforcement communities. He has deployed to the Middle East and Asia in support of his customers’ missions and regularly provides conference presentations on topics including Human Tracking, Fundamentals of Analytics, Insider Threat and Data Management for Counter Terrorism Targeting.

Prior to joining Kestrel, Caimona served in the United States Navy, climbing the ranks from enlisted Intelligence Specialist to Senior Intelligence Officer. While on active duty, he served in key operational and staff assignments afloat and ashore, and his operational duties included deployments to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. He provided direct action support during Operations Noble Anvil, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and he participated in several sensitive missions vital to national security and the Global War on Terrorism. During staff assignments, he was charged with evaluating technology to enhance the Navy’s technical and analytic efficiency and effectiveness. Caimona was awarded several personal, unit and campaign awards, including a lifesaving medal.

He holds a Master of Science degree in Management, a Master of Strategic Intelligence with a Competitive Intelligence concentration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

Robert Casey

Robert Casey
Chief Security Officer,
Eli Lilly and Company

Robert Casey heads the Global Security department at Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. His global responsibilities focus on personnel, facility and asset protection, using a functional center of excellence model.

Casey leads a team of professionals who develop and manage security policy, standards, best practices and specialized security consultation and services. To better market the security function within the company, he led the creation of a campaign that included global intranet employee communications and an internal “elevator speech” brochure using the theme: "Enabling our business… Securing our future."

Casey and his team recently developed a substantially improved approach to the composition and governance of Lilly’s physical security design and performance standards.

Prior to joining Lilly in 2012, Casey served as an FBI Special Agent for 25 years. He held every rank in field office assignments in Phoenix, Chicago and Miami, ending his career as the Special Agent in Charge in Dallas. He also served two tours at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he last held the rank of Deputy Assistant Director in the Directorate of Intelligence. He was heavily involved in the post-9/11 transformation of the Bureau’s intelligence capabilities. Casey is a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. Prior to joining the FBI, Casey was a five-year veteran of the Houston, Texas Police Department, where he was assigned to patrol and intelligence operations. He was named the Police Officer of the Year in 1983.

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Indiana State University, where he serves on the President’s Advisory Board, and which named him a distinguished alumnus in 2004.

Jack Faer

Jack Faer
Chief Risk & Security Officer,
Iron Mountain Incorporated

Jack Faer leads information management company Iron Mountain’s Global Safety, Risk & Security team. In this role he is responsible for all aspects of corporate security and safety; including risk management, fraud prevention, information security, and crisis management programs – as well as the vital security interests of the company’s customers. His role is critical in upholding the company’s brand promise, especially among their client base of Fortune 1000 companies. Iron Mountain offers products and services that help their clients manage the risks and security associated with managing their records, information and data.

Faer joined Iron Mountain in 2012, and he has more than 30 years’ experience in risk management, auditing and investigation. Prior to his time at Iron Mountain, he served as senior vice president of operational risk management at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA).

He spent more than 17 years at Fidelity Investments, where he held a variety of leadership roles including Senior Vice President, Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President of Risk & Compliance for the retirement and outsourcing business. He has also held audit and consulting roles with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte.

Faer is a former Special Agent with the FBI, and is a certified public accountant. He holds an MBA from Pace University and a Bachelor of Science from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He sits on the Executive, Audit (chair) and Nominating & Governance Committees of the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Faer was recognized in by Insurance Business Magazine in 2017 as a Leading Risk Manager.

Kelly Johnstone

Kelly Johnstone
Vice President & Global Operations Director,
Strategic Security,
The Coca-Cola Company

Kelly Johnstone joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2000 following 17 years of law enforcement and security experience in the government sector. She was elected as a company vice president in May 2015 and has leadership responsibility for the strategic security, information assurance and global asset protection operations.

Johnstone has global responsibility for ensuring safe and secure operations for the Coca-Cola Company’s 100,000+ employees operating in more than 200 countries across the company’s operating segments: Europe; Middle East and Africa; Latin America; North America; Asia Pacific; Bottling Investments Group; and Corporate. She also oversees information assurance, including cyber threat intelligence, computer forensics, eDiscovery and cyber investigations. She has served in numerous roles within Strategic Security during her 17 years with The Coca-Cola Company, and she also served as Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Alex Cummings, from 2010 to 2012.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Johnstone was one of the first 20 agents hired into the newly established Office of Criminal Investigations within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She was also a special agent for the former U.S. Customs Service, Office of Enforcement (now known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Her responsibilities included managing and conducting criminal investigations, dignitary protection, anti-terrorism and foreign counterintelligence initiatives and operations.

Johnstone is a graduate of the University of Florida and the Harvard Business School, General Management Program. She currently serves on the boards of the International Security Foundation and Domestic Security Partnership, and she is an active member of the International Security Management Alliance (ISMA).

Corry Leigh

Corry Leigh
Director of Safety, Security and
Environment, The Boston Consulting Group

Corry Leigh, Director of Global Safety, Security and Environment for the Boston Consulting Group, Inc., has more than 20 years of global experience with the private sector in the field of crisis communications and crisis management. In her role, she is responsible for the overall direction, development and execution of BCG’s global security, threat response and environmental programs, including the crisis management, global travel security, physical security and environmental programs.

Leigh’s experience in crisis management and communications has extended throughout her current role, includes building a robust travel security program for BCG’s 14,000 employees, who operate in 85 offices in 48 countries, including some high-risk locations. In addition, Leigh and her team have worked to develop a physical security program that aligns security practices throughout all offices with a common footprint to enable easier transitions and operation. She also provides input to and interprets BCG’s environmental strategy.

Prior to joining BCG in 2006, Leigh worked for Western Systems Coordinating Council, a consortium of 100 large utilities on the West Coast, working to manage crisis response and media in the utilities segment, as well as handling partnerships and contracts with local utilities during crises, including the Western North America blackouts in the summer of 1996. Following her work with WSCC, Leigh joined Service Resources, an Atlanta-based energy producer, and then Mirant Corporation, where she managed corporate communications.

Leigh is active with the international security community, and she is a member of the International Security Management Association (ISMA), where she serves on the Education Committee and develops strategic planning for the Leadership Program at Georgetown University. She is also a member of the U.S. State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and ASIS International.

Leigh graduated from Montana Tech of the University of Montana with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Communications.

Brian Tuskan

Brian Tuskan
Senior Director of Security,
Microsoft

Brian Tuskan has more than 16 years of corporate security experience as the Senior Director of Security at the Microsoft Corporation. He has led Microsoft Global Security teams in physical security operations, investigations, background screening, security communications, retail security, event security, intelligence and business development.

Tuskan is currently spearheading the technology development of Microsoft’s Global Security’s Virtual Security Operations Center (VSOC), which will be the security operations center of the future, leveraging intelligent cloud, intelligent edge, AI, robotics and 3D mixed-reality to manage global life-safety security operations for the business. Through the combination of advanced technology, security response will become smarter, more coordinated and proactive, Tuskan says.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Tuskan spent more than 12 years in law enforcement with the City of Redmond Police in Washington and the Honolulu Police Department. During his distinguished law enforcement career, he worked as a patrol officer, ATV specialized unit, SWAT tactical team member, criminal intelligence and analysis, undercover narcotics detective, major crimes detective and officer-in-charge.

Outside of Microsoft, Tuskan founded Cop to Corporate, a blog that helps law enforcement professionals plan their transition to the private sector. He has also provided mentorship and coaching for military veterans looking to transition to the private sector, and he has presented on this topic at the FBI National Academy Associates and Homeland Security Investigations.

Additionally, Tuskan sits on the Microsoft Worldwide Public Safety and Justice Advisory Council, is an Advisory Board Member of Secure Strategy Group, and served on the ASIS Leadership & Management Practices Council.

He has a Criminal Justice degree from Wayland Baptist University, is a graduate of the University of Washington Foster School of Business Executive Development Program, and received an Executive Leadership Certificate from Georgetown University.

 

Government

 

Richard D. McComb

Richard D. McComb
Chief Security Officer,
Department of Homeland Security

Richard McComb was appointed to the position of Chief Security Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in April 2016. In his role, he is responsible for security-related programs affecting more than 235,000 DHS employees, and he exercises department-wide security program authorities in the areas of personnel security, physical security and investigations, administrative security, insider threats, identity management, special access programs, and security training and awareness.

As Chair of the CSO Council, McComb partners with all his counterparts in the DHS Components to lead a highly collaborative and uniquely decentralized security program designed to safeguard the Department’s people, property, information and systems.

Since his arrival within the Department, McComb has led the Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO) to develop its first personnel security analytics report, which provides department-wide statistics for both contractors and federal employees, providing visibility to customers and insight into areas for process improvement. In addition to standardized metrics, he led the implementation of a number of policy changes that balanced risk with the achievement of several efficiencies, not only supporting DHS’s hiring goals for mission-critical occupations but also ensuring that suitability and security clearance reciprocity averages for the Headquarters and Department’s Components achieved the U.S. government mandates.

McComb has mandated a number of risk reduction strategies, including physical countermeasures and employee education at the DHS Headquarters that not only provides for a higher degree of physical security for the campus, but also a more rapid and comprehensive response in case of emergency.

Prior to joining DHS, McComb served as the Director, Leased Facilities Protection Directorate, Pentagon Force Protection Agency. He served for more than 27 years in the United States Air Force as a Security Forces Officer, retiring in 2015 as a Colonel. He served as a Chief of Security Forces four times at the installation level and once at the Major Command level.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbus State University, a Master of Arts in Administrative Management with a public sector concentration from the University of Maryland University College, as well as a master's degree in Military Operational Art and Sciences from Air University and a master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, National Defense University.

McComb is a member of ASIS International and the American Society for Public Administration.

Gregory F. Treverton

Gregory F. Treverton
Former Chairman,
National Intelligence Council

Gregory F. Treverton served as the Chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC) from 2014 to January 2017. The NIC is the interagency arm for current intelligence support to senior policymakers. Within the NIC, Treverton led a 150-person analytic staff, focusing on driving opportunities for more strategic analyses – those that seek to put issues in a broader context or longer time horizon – amidst the press of consuming crises ranging from Ukraine to Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, to Africa. During his tenure at the NIC, Treverton pressed innovation in analytic methods, creating a methodology cell and incorporating both an unclassified and classified "prediction market" as kind of a "red team" check on assessments.

He served earlier in government on the staff of the first Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on the National Security Council staff and as Vice Chair of the NIC.

For many years, he worked at the RAND Corporation, where he directed several centers, most recently the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security, which he established by recruiting Advisory Board members, developing project ideas and raising funding. Within this role, his executive projects ranged widely across security issues – from Track II diplomacy in Sudan, to assessing the financial crises after 2009, to exploring the implications on interconnected threats to the global "commons" (disease, drought and climate change), to the future of policing.

Treverton was president of the Pacific Council on International Policy, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and assistant director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

He has been on the faculty of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. He serves as a senior fellow for the National Defence University in Stockholm, building a research and training project on homeland security intelligence and managing an annual global conference.

He has written widely on intelligence, strategy and national security. Treverton’s latest books are National Intelligence and Science: Beyond the Great Divide in Analysis and Policy (with Wilhelm Agrell), Oxford University Press, 2015; and Dividing Divided States, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014.




List Overview (continued):

Assante | Hayes | Higgins | Skipworth | Fulton | Harrell | Todt | Trainor | First page | Third page


Universities/Think Tanks

Michael Assante

Michael Assante
Director of Industrials & Infrastructure,
Lead for the ICS Curriculum,
SANS Institute

Michael Assante is the SANS lead for Industrial Control System (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) security.

He served as Vice President and Chief Security Officer, American Electric Power, engaged in research to include the Idaho National Laboratory vulnerability of electric generators to destruction through remote cyberattack, and served as the first Chief Security Officer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), where he oversaw industry-wide implementation of cybersecurity standards across the continent.

Assante has testified before the U.S. Senate and House, and he was an initial member of the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency. White House cybersecurity czars and intelligence and military agencies have relied on his counsel for more than 20 years. Assante coauthored the authoritative summary of events in the cyberattacks against power utilities in Ukraine.

To toughen defenses against attacks on industrial control systems, Assante co-led the international steering committee that defined critical skills, developed measurement tools to assess mastery of those skills, and created the most widely respected industrial control systems security skills certification program – the Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) program – which is now used in 30 countries to ensure control systems engineers and IT security staff have the core skills needed for strengthening defenses against cyber attacks.

Assante’s work in ICS security has been widely recognized throughout the industry, and he was selected by his peers as the winner of Information Security Magazine’s security leadership award for his efforts as a strategic thinker, and the RSA 2005 Conference awarded him with its outstanding achievement award in the practice of security within an organization.

Before his career in security, Assante served in various naval intelligence and information warfare roles, developing and giving presentations on the latest technology and security threats to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of the National Security Agency, and other leading government officials. In 1997, he was honored as a Naval Intelligence Officer of the Year.

Dr. Read Hayes, PhD

Dr. Read Hayes, PhD
Research Scientist at University of Florida, Director,
Loss Prevention Research Council

He is also the Director of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC), an independent industry group, which was founded by major retail chains in 2000 to help them scientifically improve their loss prevention results. Today, the LPRC includes more than 100 major corporate members (including 44 U.S., Canadian, and Australian retail chains) working together with scientists in 10 working groups on significant crime and loss control issues. Members include Bloomingdales, Home Depot, Target, Walgreens, Best Buy, P&G, Publix, Office Depot, Walmart, Macy’s, Best Buy, Kroger, Kay Jewelers, Lowes, CVS, eBay, TJ Maxx/Marshall’s and AutoZone.

The LPRC also conducts an annual Impact conference for more than 300 asset protection executives, provides monthly research webinars, a weekly news email, and has assembled more than 70 LP technologies for integration in its Crime and Loss Control Innovation Lab, as well as more than 300 keyword-searchable research reports in its LPRC Knowledge Center.

Hayes started his security career as a store detective in retail loss prevention, and he has more than 30 years of hands-on crime and loss control experience working with organizations worldwide. He co-founded the University of Florida’s globally used National Retail Security Survey in 1989, and has conducted more than 100 crime control research reports. He has spoken at more than 150 conferences, and is the author of more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, 150 magazine articles and four top-selling books, including Retail Security and Loss Prevention, 2nd Ed. Hayes provides crime prevention expertise to industry outlets and global news sources, including The New York Times, FoxNews, CNN, NBC, NPR, Bloomberg/BusinessWeek, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine and the BBC.

Chief Ronnell A. Higgins

Chief Ronnell A. Higgins
Chief of Police & Director of Public Safety,
Yale University

Ronnell Higgins has served as Chief of Police at Yale University since 2011, and in 2015, he was also named Director of Public Safety. Throughout his 20-year career with Yale, he has been instrumental in significantly reducing crime, twice breaking all-time records for crime reduction at Yale. Higgins has a reputation for driving sustainable initiatives that continue to ensure a safe campus and community by preventing crime, championing exceptional relationships and building community trust through collaboration with members of both the University and City of New Haven communities.

Higgins has introduced a number of programs that directly impact safety on campus, from his weekly BlueStat meetings with focused operational and solutions-oriented reviews with staff to promoting a culture of collaboration and communication with leaders city-wide. He has benchmarked key strategies that deliver exceptional value at Yale University, and he has advanced the training and professional development of security officers and security managers, as well as fully integrated and maximized the use of public safety systems throughout campus.

Very active in the community and the industry, Higgins was appointed Commissioner for the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System by Connecticut State Senator Martin Looney, and he was appointed a member of the Police Officers Standards and Training Council by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy. Higgins is an Executive Fellow with the Police Foundation and serves as an Executive Board Member with Project Youth Court, a restorative justice program for juveniles. Higgins is a past-president of the South Central Connecticut Chiefs of Police and serves on the executive board for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) for Connecticut. Higgins also served as a team member on the Police Foundation Team that conducted the assessment of the Saint Louis County Police Department following the unrest in Ferguson, Mo.

Higgins holds a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense & Security, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement Administration from the University of New Haven. He is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and holds a certificate in Law Enforcement Education from the University of Virginia. He successfully completed the Crisis Leadership in Higher Education seminar at Harvard’s Kennedy Graduate School of Education, and he is an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven.

Stan Skipworth

Stan Skipworth
Director of Campus Safety,
The Claremont University Consortium

Stan Skipworth is the Director of Campus Safety for the Claremont University Consortium serving the Claremont Colleges, which include: Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College and the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences.

One of the largest advancements within the consortium has been the significant growth on "campus-oriented public safety" programs – the local version of community-oriented policing, Skipworth says. Through these efforts, Claremont has dramatically expanded training and operations activity with local law enforcement agencies, which has led to significant declines in reported crimes, most notably in thefts.

A past-president of the California Association of Councils of Governments and former Mayor of the City or Corona, California (population 160,000), Skipworth served on its City Council from 2006-2014.

He currently serves as the Legislative Liaison for the California College and University Police Chiefs Association, in addition to serving as the Vice President for Communications and Professional Development for the National Association of Campus Safety Administrators. Over the past year, Skipworth provided a speaking series across the country where he facilitated a dialog on pursuing national standards for campus public safety professionals.

He is also Police Chief Emeritus of California State University, Long Beach, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy 197th Session, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Leadership in Crisis program, and the Diamond6 Leadership Institute, among other professional learnings.

Stan and his wife Michell have eight children, and for their continued support of young people in the Southern California region, they have been honored by several organizations, including the Angels in Adoption Award presented by the U.S. Congress.

 

Cybersecurity

 

Joel Fulton

Joel Fulton
Chief Information Security Officer,
Splunk

Joel Fulton is Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of big data analytics software company Splunk. In this role, he is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring a strategic, comprehensive enterprise security and risk management program to ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of information owned, controlled or processed by Splunk.

As CISO, Fulton’s goals align with Splunk’s primary goal: to make machine data accessible, usable and valuable, but adding the instincts and experience from the security team to make timely decisions to affect the enterprise’s reputation, growth and longevity. Fulton emphasizes the "boring, solid and reliable" aspects of information security, aiming for the majority of his team’s work to be driven by fundamentals: patching, segmentation, encryption, training and classification, which add up to the persistence and dedication to protect customers’ investment.

Fulton quotes Bruce Lee: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

Fulton began and led a security consulting practice for 10 years before building and leading security and risk management teams at Starbucks, Boeing, Google and Symantec. His industry certifications and trainings include SANS Security Leadership Certificate (GSLC), Certified HIPAA Security Specialist (CHSS), Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), among others.

He is a frequent speaker at external conferences and customer events on the topics of cybersecurity and how to best manage security for global companies. Fulton is dedicated to helping others learn about opportunities and careers in the information security industry, seeking out educational conferences outside of industry standards, including UNCF job fairs, kids’ school programs and career transition groups, as well as the Year Up program, a one-year intensive program that provides urban young adults with the skills, experience and support to empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education.

Fulton has earned a doctorate in Information Security and Assurance from Capella University, a Master of Science in Information Security from Capella University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Excelsior College. He is a member and active supporter of organizations such as ACM, ISACA, IEEE, SANS, ASIS International, HCTIA and others.

Brian Harrell

Brian Harrell
Vice President of Security, AlertEnterprise;
Former Director of Critical Infrastructure Protection at NERC

Brian Harrell, CPP, is a nationally recognized expert of critical infrastructure protection, continuity of operations and enterprise security risk management. He is currently Vice President of Security at AlertEnterprise, a Silicon Valley-based technology and advisory firm, where he provides critical infrastructure companies with consultation on risk mitigation, protective measures and compliance guidance.

Advising utilities throughout North America, Harrell has worked to increase physical and cybersecurity mitigation measures designed to deter, detect and defend critical energy systems. In his current role, he provides strategic counsel and thought-leadership for the security and resiliency of the power grid, and has helped entities identify and understand emerging threats.

Prior to joining AlertEnterprise, Harrell was the Director of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), and he was charged with leading NERC’s efforts to provide timely threat information to more than 1,900 bulk power system owners, operators and government stakeholders.

During his time at NERC, Harrell was also the Director of Critical Infrastructure Protection Programs, where he led the creation of the Grid Security Exercise, provided leadership to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) staff, and initiated security training and outreach designed to help utilities harden their infrastructure from attack.

Previously, Harrell was a program manager with the Infrastructure Security Compliance Division at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he specialized in securing high-risk chemical facilities and providing compliance guidance for the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).

For nearly a decade, Harrell served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an Infantryman and Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection Instructor, where he conducted threat and vulnerability assessments for Department of Defense installations.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hawaii Pacific University, a Master of Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Homeland Security degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Kiersten E. Todt

Kiersten E. Todt
President & Managing Partner,
Liberty Group Ventures, LLC

Kiersten Todt is President and Managing Partner of Liberty Group Ventures, LLC, where she develops risk and crisis management solutions for cybersecurity, infrastructure, homeland security, emergency management and higher education clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Todt advises senior executives and boards on cyber risk management, including the development and execution of tabletop exercises and relevant senior-level education and training programs.

She is the Resident Scholar in Washington, D.C., at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, and she serves on the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisory Board for the State of Rhode Island. She is also the Managing Director of the Cyber Readiness Institute, a non-profit focused on cyber risk management for small and medium-sized businesses.

Todt most recently served as the Executive Director of the Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. In this capacity, Todt was responsible for convening six public Commission meetings and leading the 12 commissioners – leaders from industry, government, academia and law enforcement – to develop a consensus document of cybersecurity requirements for the incoming Administration.

She was a member of the team supporting the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the development of the voluntary Cybersecurity Framework. She has served in senior positions in both the executive and legislative branches of government.

Todt served as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, working for Committee Chairman, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and she was responsible for drafting the cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, emergency preparedness, bioterror and science and technology directorates of the legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security. Before working in the Senate, Todt served in the Office of the Vice President on domestic policy issues and was responsible for coordinating federal resources with locally-defined needs, specifically focusing on energy and housing issues.

Todt also served Director Barry R. McCaffrey on demand reduction issues in the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Todt graduated from Princeton University with a degree in public policy from The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was selected to be a Presidential Management Fellow in 1999.

James C. Trainor

James C. Trainor
Senior Vice President,
Aon

James Trainor is Senior Vice President within Aon’s Cyber Solutions Network. He is helping to shape Aon’s overall cyber strategy on behalf of clients, working closely with colleagues across technology, system integration, risk transfer and advisory to ensure a holistic and integrated approach.

Within his current role, Trainor is helping to develop the cyber business within Aon by collaborating with the Stroz Friedberg team and the Aon cyber team to produce a collaborative produce they can work on as one group. He also uses presentations to deliver risk mitigation and cyber risk messaging to various audiences, providing insight into the different tools and solutions Aon can provide to prevent and fight a cyberattack.

Prior to joining Aon, Trainor had a distinguished career at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he most recently led the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters.

Trainor played a critical role in devising the FBI’s national strategy to combat cybercrime and was the senior FBI executive responsible for all cyber investigations. During his three-year tenure in the Cyber Division, Trainor led FBI Agents and Analysts in every major high-profile cyber investigation involving the FBI.

He joined the FBI as a Special Agent in 1996. During his 20-year FBI career, he served in both overseas and domestic assignments focused on cyber, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, intelligence and criminal matters. He has served in field assignments in Chicago; New Haven, Connecticut; Boston, New York City and at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Trainor is a graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and he obtained a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut. He completed a Chief Information Security Officer certificate program from Carnegie Mellon University and has GIAC certifications in GISP, GSLC and GISF.

He is the recipient of the 2016 Presidential Rank Award and the 2016 FCW Federal 100 in Information Technology. He is currently on the Public Sector Advisory Council for Palo Alto Networks.

Prior to joining the FBI, Trainor was a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army.




List Overview:

Aronson | Bush | DeMeo | Fanning | Gelles | First page | Second page


Special Recognition

Phil Aronson

Phil Aronson
President & CEO,
Aronson Security Group

Phil Aronson is President and CEO of Aronson Security Group (ASG), and he is responsible for establishing the corporation’s overall strategic and business objectives and leading it through a highly adaptive and innovative business model.

One of Aronson’s innovations has been the evolution of a business model ASG has dubbed Security Risk Management Services (SRMS), which encompasses the entire lifecycle of a security program. This has entailed expanding the definition of the risk assessment that traditionally anchors the formation of a strategy and plan for the security department to include the operational owners of risk and the performance and role of the security technology architecture.

Aronson has also developed a methodology for implementing SRMS, referred to as the ASG Path to Value, which articulates the steps and metrics in the strategy, planning, implementation and performance management of security’s people, processes and tools that provide security to an enterprise.

Aronson has volunteered his time serving on the board of directors for PSA, the world’s largest cooperative of solution providers. His executives are helping to steer the next generation of the project management discipline, cyber defensibility and advanced integrations. Aronson is on the advisory board for Security Specifiers, the industry’s largest searchable database for consultants, A&Es, manufacturers and integrators, which addresses the need for the physical security industry to more effectively engage with the security specifier community.

In addition, Aronson volunteers his time to the Security Industry Association (SIA), the Door Hardware Institute (DHI) and the International Security Management Association (ISMA). He has also been a member of ASIS for 25 years, and he is a regular speaker on executive panels in their education series, as well as at ISC West and Securing New Ground. Aronson also helped found The Great Conversation, an annual executive risk, resilience and security forum.

Aronson is also a regular columnist with Security magazine.

Wes Bush

Wes Bush
Chairman, CEO & President,
Northrop Grumman Corporation

Wes Bush is chairman, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global security company providing systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Bush was named CEO and president in January 2010, and was elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 2009. He assumed the role of chairman in July 2011.

Bush previously served as the president and chief operating officer of the company. Before that, he served as the corporate vice president and chief financial officer, and, previously, as the president of the company’s Space Technology sector. Prior to the acquisition of TRW by Northrop Grumman, Bush had served since 2001 as president and CEO for TRW’s UK-based global Aeronautical Systems. He joined TRW in 1987 as a systems engineer and served in engineering, program management and business development roles in TRW’s Space & Electronics business. Prior to joining TRW, he held engineering positions with both the Aerospace Corporation and Comsat Labs.

He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he also completed the University of California, Los Angeles’ Executive Management Program. Bush serves on the Board of Directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation, as well as the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Aerospace Industries Association, Business-Higher Education Forum, Conservation International and the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation.

Under Bush, Northrop Grumman is working to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) initiatives, including a partnership with the Air Force Association to inspire students toward careers in cybersecurity (the CyberPatriot program, which features the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition for middle and high-school aged students, plus cyber-focused summer camps and an elementary school education program).

James DeMeo

James DeMeo
Founder, President & CEO,
Unified Sports & Entertainment Security Consulting, LLC

James A. DeMeo has more than 26 years’ experience in the security industry and is considered a foremost subject matter expert on event security. He is the Founder, President and CEO of Unified Sports & Entertainment Security Consulting (USESC), based in Raleigh, North Carolina. His primary responsibilities are to conduct threat and vulnerability assessments for stadiums, venues and arenas, creating employee-centric training modules for gatekeepers, guest services and security staff working at stadium points of entry and exit.

His goal is to create value for stadium ownership groups by raising the level of professionalism for event staff while reducing employee turnover. Ensuring that staff can connect with fans on a human level enhances an amazing game day experience, he says, emphasizing the benefits of de-escalation and verbal communication skills to a cohesive security program.

DeMeo was part of the AEG Leadership Team that opened the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York, in 2012.

He participated as an integral part of a research team including esteemed professors for a poster project presented at the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) conference in June 2016 entitled "Professional Sport Security and Marketing Interface: A Delphi Study. Assessing the Influence of Sport Security Operations on the Guest experience: Using the Delphi Method to Understand Practitioner Perspectives," later published in The Journal of Sport Safety (The University of Southern Mississippi).

DeMeo has delivered presentations at several national conferences, and he has spoken at numerous colleges and universities throughout the U.S. on sport security operations.

He is currently writing a book related to the security industry, dealing with personal and family safety, expected to be published in December 2017.

DeMeo earned his Master of Science degree in sport management from Adelphi University in 2012. He is a member of ASIS International, and has been a member of NCS4 and the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).

Thomas A. Fanning

Thomas A. Fanning
Chairman, President & CEO
of Southern Company; Chair of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Tom Fanning is chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company. He was elected by the board of directors in 2010, and has worked for Southern Company for more than 35 years, holding 15 different positions in eight different business units throughout his tenure.

Most recently Fanning served as chief operating officer, where he was responsible for Southern Company’s generation and transmission, engineering and construction services, research and environmental affairs, system planning and competitive generation business units. He was also responsible for leading Southern Company’s efforts on business strategy. Previously, he was the company’s chief financial officer, in which role he also served as the chief risk officer and had responsibility for corporate strategy.

Fanning also serves as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Conference of Chairs of the Federal Reserve Banks. He is the immediate past chairman of the Edison Electric Institute. He is on the advisory board of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, the board of trustees of the Georgia Tech Foundation, the board of directors of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the regional governing board of the World Association of Nuclear Operators’ Atlanta Centre.

He is a co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, which serves as the principal liaison between the federal government and the electric power sector to protect the electric grid from threats that could impact national security. The ESCC has the mission of coordinating efforts to prepare for and respond to national-level disasters and threats to critical infrastructure, and it has served as a catalyst for major initiatives that improve the security posture of the industry. The Council takes action in three main areas: facilitating coordination with the government and other critical infrastructure sectors; improving information-sharing capabilities, tools and technologies; and enhancing resilience, response and recovery efforts.

Fanning earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Management and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree from Georgia Tech. He has also completed programs at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, Harvard Business School and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Dr. Michael G. Gelles

Dr. Michael G. Gelles
Forensic Psychologist &
Managing Director,
Deloitte Consulting

Michael Gelles is a managing director with Deloitte Consulting, LLP, based in Washington, D.C. He advises a wide variety of clients in law enforcement, intelligence and national security.

Gelles is a known insider threat specialist focusing on cyber and physical security risks, asset loss, exploitation, terrorism, workplace violence and sabotage. He works with government and private sector organizations to improve their insider threat posture with a specific emphasis on people, mission and risk. Gelles had led the development or maturity of more than 30 insider threat programs, including Deloitte’s own program, which entails a number of proprietary innovative solutions. His approach to insider threat is data-driven with large security transformations based on the client’s strategy, operations, workforce and broader culture focused on mitigating enterprise risk.

Previously, Gelles was an executive in federal law enforcement and the chief psychologist for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for more than 16 years. In that capacity, he assisted the NCIS and a multitude of other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with criminal, counterintelligence and counterterrorism investigations and operations.

Gelles has been involved in the investigation and debrief of numerous convicted insiders ranging from espionage to sabotage and targeted violence. During his time with NCIS, Gelles participated in “Project Slammer,” a U.S. government study on convicted American spies, and other national security programs associated with the debrief and study of the insider threat.

He is the author of two books, as well as numerous articles, and he is a frequent guest speaker. His books include Threat Assessment: A Risk Management Approach (Taylor Francis) and Insider Threat: Prevention, Detection, Mitigation and Deterrence (Elsevier Press).