My introduction to ISACA came in 2013 when I hired Emil D’Angelo out of retirement to help me bring information security up to regulatory acceptable levels at the bank where we worked. A lot of you will know Emil as a past ISACA board chair and a very active and passionate member of the ISACA family. As I got to know Emil, he suggested I join ISACA, and I took his advice. So, I’m a relatively recent member of the ISACA family. After the bank was sold, Emil reached out to me and asked me to consider joining the ISACA Board. He felt ISACA was in need of additional experience in both the C-Suite and strategy. I was surprised to be asked to interview and even more surprised to be asked to join the board given my little exposure to ISACA, but I will be forever grateful for their choice.
Unlike the majority of ISACA members, I have not had a career in audit nor information security. My career has been predominantly in risk management, both in the first line and third line of defense. Nor, like some members, have I ever been an active chapter member with a long history of volunteerism, as I seem to always find myself in a career position where I am fixing something that requires nearly 100% of my concentration. None of these facts has prevented me from becoming a passionate member of this mission-driven organization.
What drove me to join the ISACA Board and to accept the nomination of my peers to become the Board Chair after a relatively short tenure?
I chose this particular picture for a reason. I grew up in the late 1950s and early 60s, an era of great change in the US. I seemed never to be content with what people assumed about me or for me and, being in possession of a decent intellect, began a lifelong interest in “why.” In a business sense, I’ve always been a keen observer as to why people and organizations do what they do, and what is successful and what is not. The brain naturally seeks patterns in order to draw up its map of the world, and mine was always dissecting my observations, analyzing the data and using output to improve the outcome of the area in which I found myself. It’s an obsession for me, and the most dissatisfactory situation for me is to be put in a position where I am blocked from making positive change.
What makes ISACA interesting to me is that this organization has a long and respected history, and has incredible potential for an even more exciting future. The world of technology is changing rapidly, and we need to do all we can to keep up—and stay ahead—of these changes, including reaching the next generation of professionals in a manner in which they like to engage.
We should also be considering the impact of AI on our society and ensuring an ability to help people pivot within the world of technology. Industry-wise, we have an opportunity to diversify our concentration into growing areas of healthcare, biotechnology, agriculture, etc. We need to expand into areas of growing interest such as IoT, cloud, blockchain, and so on. Armed with the right data, it will be an exciting time on the Board working with the ISACA management team to solidify the infrastructure of the organization, expand our horizons in a thoughtful, strategic fashion, and ensure that we have the proper talent to continue to provide for our membership of today and tomorrow.
Some out there may be thinking, oh boy, not another American as Board Chair. It may help to know that my grandmother was from Turin, Italy, my far-far better half of 20 years, Alastair, is English, and I’ve lived in Europe. I can speak a smattering of Italian, less Spanish and a very little French.
If you told me all those years ago that, one day, I would be the Chair of the Board of a global organization with such great potential, my reaction would likely have been the one you see in the picture. I never like what others assumed about me or for me, but this wonderful opportunity would never have occurred to me, I can assure you! Now that it is reality, I look forward to making the most of it.