CISOs Connect Names Kevin McKenzie as Inaugural CISO in Residence

CISOs Connect, an invitation-only membership community dedicated to the professional advancement of Chief Information Security Officers across the globe, today announced the launch of its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in Residence program. Dr. Kevin McKenzie, an industry-recognized leader in information technology and security, will inaugurate the role.

As CISOs Connect’s first CISO in Residence, McKenzie will oversee and shape the high-value content that the organization provides through proprietary research, analysis and peer messaging.
The objective: to engage the CISOs Connect community to help cybersecurity chiefs get the information they need to carry out their ever-evolving jobs.

“Today’s CISOs operate in a world of rapidly increasing threats, responsibilities and accountability. In addition to securing an ever-expanding attack surface, we are also on the front line of driving business growth. It is imperative for us to have a community that bolsters us professionally, offers opportunities for information sharing, and lends support, mentorship and guidance,” McKenzie said.

“It is a great honor to have been chosen to be the inaugural CISO-in-Residence at CISOs Connect, an exclusive, community of trusted cyber peers and experts. CISOs Connect recognizes that today’s interconnected world is all about collaboration, support and information sharing, and I’m very excited to be helping to drive the organization’s mission.”

David Cass, President of CISOs Connect, said: “We are excited to bring on a security practitioner as seasoned and multifaceted as Kevin. As a CISO myself, I know that someone of his caliber will bring incalculable value to our organization and the top-tier professionals we serve.” 

McKenzie comes to CISOs Connect with decades of experience in formulating and executing strategic visions for high-profile security programs in healthcare, federal information systems, high performance computing, newspaper publishing and retail. His multi-industry knowledge positions him to understand the needs and nuances of the diverse CISOs Connect community in these volatile times.

McKenzie also has been serving as a faculty member at Clemson University, teaching information systems and analytics courses in Clemson’s College of Engineering and the College of Business.  His many board appointments include service on CISOs Connect’s Distinguished CISOs Board.

“We’re thrilled to have Kevin on board as CISOs Connect’s inaugural CISO in Residence,” said Aimee Rhodes, CEO of CISOs Connect. “In this new role, Kevin will dedicate himself to furthering CISOS Connect’s goal of providing unique analysis and high-value content to professionals navigating an environment that’s becoming more complicated by the day. He will also play an instrumental role in engaging our CISOs community to understand how we can best answer its needs.

“Kevin’s rich experience as a practicing CISO and respected academic puts him prime position to help CISOs get the information they want, while encouraging the collaboration that is so crucial in today’s security world.”

About CISOs Connect

CISOs Connect is an exclusive invitation-only interactive community of trusted cyber peers and subject matter experts. Connected by common interests, this membership community allows cyber experts to share knowledge and expertise through proprietary content, research, and analysis while exchanging information, ideas and collaborating with trusted colleagues to make informed business and technology decisions.