As my relationship with ISACA unfolded through various volunteer roles for the past 25 years, I have had the privilege of seeing the organization evolve – through good times and challenging times – just as many of us have experienced in our personal lives and careers.
I’ve stayed with ISACA for the long haul because regardless of the hot technology or top-of-mind regulation of the day, I have consistently been proud to serve a global organization that provides the resources needed to advance business technology professionals’ careers and strengthen the technology workforce, while addressing some of the biggest challenges in our industry.
Now that ISACA is celebrating its 50th anniversary, the math is not lost on me that I have been part of this organization for half of its illustrious history. It is an honor to begin my term as chair of the ISACA board of directors at such a consequential time for our professional community and the organizations that they serve. Whether it is helping to shape the future of IT audit, evangelizing an executive-sponsored approach to data governance, navigating the rise of automation or promoting the need for our professional community to be lifelong learners, ISACA is well-equipped to make a profound impact in the years to come. Best of all, we have so many avenues through which our professional community can set that impact in motion.
From chapter leadership roles, which I have experienced first-hand through ISACA’s Denver Chapter, to hands-on advocacy opportunities, to championing our SheLeadsTech program, and so much more – ISACA’s breadth of experiences provides a terrific complement to the organization’s core credentialing, learning and professional development resources.
One of ISACA’s greatest strengths is its diversity. Diversity will be the key to solving many of the current and future challenges in our fields, especially security. ISACA will be taking more concrete actions in this area and will serve a central role in this space. Having diverse teams – including gender, race and ethnicity – and diverse perspectives is critically important, and you will see more from me on this in the coming year.
As I begin this new role as board chair, I want to extend deep appreciation to my predecessor, Rob Clyde, whose wisdom and passion for this organization will remain tremendous assets going forward. Fortunately for all of us, Rob will remain part of the board of directors. I look forward to teaming with a talented and purpose-driven mix of board members (as listed below) in the year ahead:
2019-2020 ISACA Board of Directors
- Brennan P. Baybeck, CISA, CRISC, CISM, CISSP, chair; Vice President - Customer Support Services Security Risk Management for Oracle Corporation
- Rolf von Roessing, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CISSP, FBCI, vice chair; Partner and CEO, Forfa Consulting AG
- Tracey Dedrick, director; former Chief Risk Officer, Hudson City Bancorp
- Pam Nigro, CRMA, CISA, CGEIT, CRISC, director; Senior Director, Information Security, GRC Practice, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC)
- R.V. Raghu, CISA, CRISC, director; Director of Versatilist Consulting India Pvt. Ltd.
- Gabriela Reynaga, CRISC, CISA, GRCP, director; Founder and CEO of Holistics GRC Consultancy
- Greg Touhill, CISM, CISSP, Brigadier General (ret), director; President of Cyxtera Federal Group, Cyxtera Technologies
- Asaf Weisberg, CISA, CRISC, CISM, CGEIT, director; Founder and CEO, IntroSight
- Tichaona Zororo, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CRISC, COBIT 5 Certified Assessor, CIA, CRMA, director; Director, IT Advisory Executive with EGIT | Enterprise Governance of IT (Pty) Ltd.
- Chris Dimitriadis, CISA, CRISC, CISM, ISO 20000 LA, director and 2015-17 board chair; Group Chief Services and Delivery Officer at INTRALOT
- Rob Clyde, CISM, NACD Board Leadership Fellow, director and 2018-2019 board chair; Managing Director, Clyde Consulting LLC
- David Samuelson, ISACA Chief Executive Officer
Working together with nearly a half-million engaged professionals around the world and ISACA’s professional staff, the board is committed to driving toward an ambitious and promising future. The work that ISACA’s professional community performs in audit, governance, risk and security not only is essential to the success of the organizations that we serve, but also is becoming central to the health of our broader society as artificial intelligence and other high-impact technologies become pervasive.
ISACA has experienced remarkable growth during the 25 years in which I have been an active volunteer. During that time, the technology environment has become much more complex as we have ushered in the era of digital transformation and growing cyber threats. This change environment, and the corresponding challenges that have been created, provides a healthy sense of urgency to ensure that ISACA delivers even greater value to our professional community. In a world increasingly reliant on securely and effectively leveraging technology, the need to help professionals and their enterprises around the world realize the positive potential of technology provides a shared sense of purpose, and I am proud to play a part in this important work.
