Conal Gallagher

About Conal Gallagher

i•••@conal.com MBA CEH CCISO CISSP CISA CRISC CIPM PMP Dynamic Technology Executive | Global IT & Security Leadership | Strategic Risk ManagementWith an arsenal of top-tier certifications, I spearhead IT and security strategy, navigating global companies through the complexities of cyber risk. My expertise lies in demystifying security challenges, guiding business leaders to a balanced security posture aligned with their risk tolerance. Strategic Visionary: Crafting security and privacy blueprints for multinational companies. Policy Architect: Harmonizing productivity with risk through pragmatic policy frameworks. Risk Management Pioneer: Steering comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation strategies.🤝 Cultural Leader: Cultivating a security-first mindset across teams and processes. Compliance Authority: Ensuring adherence to PCI-DSS, SOC2, ISO/IEC 27001, SOX, GDPR. Resilience Builder: Championing robust BCP/DR plans to safeguard operational uptime. Awareness Advocate: Elevating security awareness through targeted training initiatives. Solution Innovator: Deploying cost-efficient technologies to fortify security defenses. Incident Commander: Leading swift, decisive responses to security incidents. Negotiation Expert: Bridging security requirements with business objectives in high-stake negotiationsDedicated to transforming uncertainty into strategic advantage, I am on a mission to fortify businesses against evolving cyber threats while aligning security with overarching goals.

Experience

1. CISO & CIO Chief Information Security Officer & Chief Information Officer

   Flexera

   Jan 2017 — Present · Itasca, IL, US

   In business for 30+ years, Flexera is a leading software development company and SaaS provider with customers.I was recruited in as CISO in 2017 and subsequently promoted to a dual CISO and CIO role leading a global IT SaaS organization with offices in the US, UK, Australia, and India. I oversee security and privacy across our corporate environment, in addition to our SaaS, and product offerings. I drive strategic planning for data protection, security architecture, cloud security (IaaS & SaaS), identity management, data privacy, secure application development, incident response, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery. I advise and collaborate with the Board, the C-suite and general counsel, serving as the go-to advisor and thought leader on all IT, cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance matters. I lead IT & security due diligence and integration for M&A initiatives. I also manage a multimillion-dollar budget (OpEx/CapEx) and a 38-person team. Elevate value of cybersecurity by earning trust of executive leadership. Routinely present to the board and leadership team, focusing on their business priorities and the 3 Rs—regulation, reputation, and revenue. Nurtured strong business unit relationships across Legal, HR, Product Management, Engineering, and SaaS Operations. Lead the global information security program centered on the protection of intellectual property and customer information assets. Designed the annual roadmap and strategic plan for information security initiatives, and successfully executed on the resulting objectives. Responsible for security policy and procedures development, planning, budgeting, and management of the information security function. Evangelist for Flexera’s value proposition in the security realm Appointed Data Privacy Officer (DPO) for the European Union (EU)

Education

• Dundalk Institute of Technology

  National Diploma, Electronic Engineering

• Regis University

  MBA, Masters of Business Administration

• Wentworth Institute of Technology

  Bachelor of Science, Computer Science Systems

Skills

• Windows Server
• Information Security
• System Deployment
• Servers
• Pci Dss
• Information Technology
• Risk Assessment
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• IT Management
• Virtualization
• Risk Management
• IT Strategy
• Information Security Management
• Pmp
• Leadership
• Network Security
• Management
• Vendor Management
• IT Audit
• IT Service Management
• Identity Management
• Security
• Change Management
• Disaster Recovery
• Cissp
• Networking
• Governance
• Business Continuity
• IT Operations
• Strategy
• E-Commerce
• Data Center
• Saas
• Firewalls
• Cloud Computing
• Project Management
• Integration
• Team Leadership
• Computer Security
• Sox