Lauren Walsh

With 11 years of diverse IT experience, spanning end-user support, system administration, and project management, I've honed a comprehensive understanding of the technology landscape. My passion, however, lies in the dynamic and critical field of cybersecurity. Now specializing in SecOps and GRC, I leverage my foundational strength as a people-centric relationship builder to drive security enhancements and navigate complex risk management scenarios. I excel at translating intricate security risks into actionable business strategies, fostering strong partnerships with stakeholders across global organizations. My proven track record includes building high-performing teams, maturing security frameworks, and leading incident response efforts, ensuring organizational resilience in fast-paced environments. I am adept at communicating effectively with executive leadership and boards, and thrive in high-pressure situations, driving rapid decision-making and ensuring successful GRC program implementations.

For over a decade, I've cultivated my IT career within a single global organization, evolving from foundational roles in support and systems administration (2013-2015) to leadership positions in IT support (2015-2017) and project management (2017-2019). During this time, I successfully led a global network migration from legacy MPLS to SD-WAN, achieving $250,000 in annual cost savings, and spearheaded the IT integration of a Japanese acquisition, encompassing site relocation, user onboarding, and security awareness. In 2019, I transitioned to Global End User Services, optimizing support and aligning IT with strategic business objectives, while consistently prioritizing security.

Since 2020, my focus has shifted decisively to cybersecurity. As IT Security Manager and now Senior SecOps & GRC Manager, I've driven significant security enhancements, including developing data privacy policies, leading vulnerability management and incident response, and ensuring regulatory compliance. I've reengineered the global security stack and control frameworks, implemented a self-managed SIEM, and led security and IT due diligence for six acquisitions. Additionally, I've managed complex global audits, including those for U.S. (DFARS/CMMC) and French government requirements (ANSII), and established comprehensive security awareness programs. I regularly provide strategic security insights to executive leadership and the board, demonstrating a proven ability to lead and execute complex security initiatives within a dynamic global environment.

Key Skills: Global Security Program Development and Implementation, Risk Management, GRC, Security Architecture and Engineering, Executive and Board Communication/Reporting, Strategic Development, M&A Integreations, Data Protection and Provicy, Awareness Treaining, Incident Response Lead

Technical Skills: IAM, SIEM/SOAR, MDR/AV, IPS/IDS, NDR, DLP, WAF, Cloud firewall, Vulnerability Mgmt, DR, VPN

• BSc Computer Science and Web Design
• ITIL Foundation Certified
• CISSP - in progress