Andy Ellis

• Video: RVAsec 2023: Andy Ellis – Keynote: Building Leadership, 1% at a Time
• Slides: https://rvasec.com/slides/2023/Ellis_Andy-Leadership.pdf
• Twitter: @csoandy

Leadership development and training is usually applied after the fact: someone is in a leadership role, having demonstrated some skills, and now is sent for leadership training, where they are told THE ONE TRUE WAY to lead. If that WAY is close to their style, they gain benefit. If it isn’t, then at least they’ll be in a room with some colleagues to commiserate over bad coffee.

But zoom even takes away the bad coffee.

The reality is that there is no one way to lead, and there is no silver bullet. But everyone is a leader, even if only through influence and affect, so it is never too early to practice leadership. And never too late – or too early – to refine your practice.

About Andy – Andy is the author of 1% Leadership. He is the Advisory CISO at Orca Security and the Operating Partner at YL Ventures, and is an advisor to several cyber security startups, including Vulcan, Uptycs, Grip, Perygee, Vendict, Valence, Piiano, and Eureka. He is the founder and CEO of Duha, a leadership development consultancy that brings training to people earlier in their careers.

Andy Ellis is a seasoned technology and business executive with deep expertise in security, managing risk, and leading an inclusive culture. In his twenty-year tenure at Akamai, Andy led the information security organization from a single individual to a 90+ person team, over 40% of whom were women. Andy designed systems, governed risk management, implemented policy, and supported go-to-market functions. Widely respected across the cybersecurity industry for his pragmatic approach to aligning security and business needs,

Andy regularly speaks and writes on cybersecurity, leadership, diversity & inclusion, and decision-making. Andy has received a wide variety of accolades, including the CSO Compass Award, Air Force Commendation Medal, Spirit of Disneyland Award, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (for The Arlington Inn), and was the winner of the Sherman Oaks Galleria Spelling Bee. He was inducted into the CSO Hall of Fame in 2021.

He currently serves on Harvard University’s Visiting Committee to IT. After receiving a degree in computer science from MIT, Andy served as an officer in the United States Air Force with the 609th Information Warfare Squadron and the Electronic Systems Center.