Rick Passero

About Rick Passero

If your company is at an inflection point (scaling past founder dependency, preparing for a transaction, entering a regulated market, integrating an acquisition, or responding to a breach, audit, or compliance deadline) you need security and technology leadership that actually executes. Not a consultant who hands you a deck and disappears. That is what Guardantix does. We deliver fractional CIO and CISO leadership that embeds with your team, builds operating systems, runs your security program, and owns outcomes.I built this firm on 20+ years of doing exactly that:• Scaled a $15M healthcare MSP to $50M+ through eight acquisitions, serving 1,700+ clients.• Launched a managed security suite generating $5M+ in recurring revenue.• Served as incident commander for 25+ critical cyber events.• Built cybersecurity consulting practices to $10M+ in annual services revenue, exceeding targets by 15-20%.• Ran regulatory programs across HIPAA, SOX, PCI, NIST, and NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500.Every engagement runs on the Guardantix OS: original playbooks, proven frameworks, and AI-assisted workflows that deliver consistent, board-ready results. No proprietary IP from prior employers. No client data stored in our systems. Just a disciplined, repeatable method for getting results.I work with MSPs, healthcare providers, PE-backed platforms, professional services firms, and regulated SaaS companies in the $3M to $75M range. If any of this sounds like your situation, I will tell you in 20 minutes whether your structure is aligned with where you are headed. Message me for an Operator\'s Take conversation. No pitch, no proposal. Just a straight answer from someone who has been in the seat.

Experience

1. Founder & CEO Fractional CIO CISO

   Guardantix

   Dec 2025 — Present · US

   Guardantix delivers fractional CIO and CISO leadership for companies at inflection points: scaling past founder dependency, preparing for a transaction, entering a regulated market, integrating an acquisition, or responding to external pressure like an audit, breach, or compliance deadline. We are operator-first. We embed with your leadership team, build the security and technology infrastructure you need, run your programs, and own the outcomes. This is not just advisory work. The firm draws on my track record as a CISO and technology leader: scaling a $15M MSP to $50M+ through eight acquisitions, launching a $5M+ managed security business, commanding 25+ critical cyber incidents, and building governance programs across HIPAA, SOX, PCI, and NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500.Every engagement runs on the Guardantix Operating System: original playbooks, proven frameworks, and AI-assisted workflows built from that experience. No proprietary IP from prior employers. No client data in our systems. We serve MSPs, healthcare providers, PE-backed platforms, professional services firms, and regulated SaaS companies ($3M to $75M revenue). If your company is at an inflection point and you need a technology and security leader who can actually run things, message me to schedule an Operator\'s Take: a 20-minute conversation where I tell you whether your structure is aligned with where you are headed.

Education

• Purdue Global

  Information Technology

Skills

• Solution Architecture
• Security
• Cloud Computing
• Computer Security
• Vmware
• San
• Business Development
• Microsoft Exchange
• Disaster Recovery
• Integration
• Technical Writing
• Sharepoint
• Active Directory
• Storage
• Management
• Citrix
• Vdi
• Virtualization