Nelnet

Protecting Critical Operations and Managing Risk

I would consider a couple of my core strengths as detail-oriented and curious. These strengths come in handy when working with team members during cyber investigations. I help them to consider multiple angles and keep looking until we are certain that we have exhausted (most) every possibility.

Safeguarding Systems During the Current AI Boom

I would consider the most pressing challenges to be safeguarding Business Confidential Information amid the current AI boom. We are being asked to enable business partners to move fast in a secure way. We are often seen as roadblocks, so it can be challenging to get business partners to make safe decisions when using A.I.

Building Teams That Can Respond to Evolving Security Threats

You must surround yourself with people who are smarter or more experienced than you are. I hire people that I know can do the job and expect them to find others who can do the same. When this is done, my job becomes enabling them to do their job, and that normally results in success for all of us.

Staying Ahead of Emerging Cybersecurity Risks

Anything A.I., specifically Claudes Mythos model. We are working with our security vendors to see how they are leveraging Claude within their tools. Internally, we are allocating resources to A.I. Tool development and governance. So, to summarize, anything to do with A.I.

Building Leaders for the Next Threat Landscape

Build depth first, then lead from it. Strong cybersecurity leaders aren’t just managers; they understand how things work. Invest time across multiple domains (operations, engineering, risk, AI, etc.) to make informed decisions and earn credibility with your team.

"Surround yourself with people better than you. Your job is not to be the smartest person in the room, its to build a team that can solve hard problems and then remove friction so they can execute. Leadership in security is more about enablement than control."

Surround yourself with people better than you. Your job is not to be the smartest person in the room, its to build a team that can solve hard problems and then remove friction so they can execute. Leadership in security is more about enablement than control.

Stay curious and challenge assumptions. The threat landscape is constantly evolving, and good leaders push teams to look at problems from multiple angles and not stop at the first answer. Curiosity and persistence are force multipliers in both investigations and strategy.

Understand the business, not just the threats. Cybersecurity exists to enable the business, not slow it down. You need to balance risk, speed, and practicality, especially in emerging areas like AI, where the pressure to move fast is high.

Invest in people and your network. Leadership growth doesn’t happen in isolation. Participate in industry groups, build relationships, and stay engaged with the broader security community to learn and share intelligence continuously.

Learn to lead at different levels. As you grow, the job shifts from execution to team leadership to driving enterprise outcomes. You must intentionally build skills such as strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and the development of other leaders.