Will Spencer

About Will Spencer

Strategic Visionary & Leader | Global Cybersecurity | Revenue EnablementI build business value by aligning security strategy with commercial velocity.I am an accomplished cybersecurity executive with a track record of bridging the gap between technical risk and commercial strategy. While many leaders focus on \"Audit Readiness,\" I focus on \"Business Readiness\"—ensuring that innovation, from AI adoption to Global M&A, happens safely and at speed.As BISO at Altria and formerly as a Crisis Leader in healthcare, I have led high-performing teams to protect multi-billion dollar portfolios without slowing operational velocity.The Strategic Value I Deliver:Enabling Revenue: Architected the security framework for a cloud-based Data Lake, enabling the business to model data for ~$500M in projected future value.Global Governance: Directing security strategy for complex international business units (UK/Sweden), executing GDPR Data Transfer Agreements to protect cross-border investments.M&A Execution: Led security diligence and integration for the $2.3B acquisition of NJOY, ensuring 100% remediation of technical debt to preserve deal value.Operational Resilience: Directed BCM and Incident Response for critical infrastructure, ensuring 99.9% availability during high-stakes digital transformations.I am a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach, driving comprehensive security programs that allow the business to say \"Yes\" to innovation.Core Competencies: Revenue Enablement | AI Governance & Safety | Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)| DevSecOps & Product Security | Crisis Management & Resilience

Experience

1. Business Information Security Officer

   Altria

   Jun 2020 — Present · Richmond, VA, US

   Strategic Leadership: Strategic BISO for Digital Marketing, Distribution (AGDC) & International Sales ($1M+ budget). Primary risk advisor presenting to C-Suite, aligning security investment with commercial growth strategies, moving security from blocker to business enabler.COMMERCIAL & REVENUE ENABLEMENT$500M+ Value: Led cross-functional team for \"High Confidential\" Azure Data Lake, enabling analytics teams to ingest sensitive data for ~$500M in projected future revenue.AI/Sales Velocity: Secured deployment of AI-driven Digital Adoption Platforms (Brainshark/WalkMe), accelerating Field Sales training & execution.Platform Scaling: Secured Salesforce CG and Experience Cloud rollout, protecting partners & B2B portals.STRATEGY, M&A & THREAT MANAGEMENT$2.3B M&A Execution: Led security integration for $2.3B NJOY acquisition. Preserved deal value by identifying key risks pre-integration.Nuvona VTM Leadership: Directed Vulnerability Mgmt for Nuvona. Eradicated inherited technical debt by 70% via remediation sprints & monitoring.Global Governance: Directed strategy for UK/Sweden centers (Helix/Raa), executing DTAs and policy dev. for GDPR compliance & ISO alignment.EXECUTIVE PRESENTATIONS & GOVERNANCEStrategic Influence: Presented Annual Security Strategy roadmaps to LOB Execs, successfully securing budget. Delivered Quarterly Board & SOX Executive Reporting to guide risk investment.Leadership: Led hybrid org (Direct + Managed Service analysts) & delivered enterprise-wide awareness presentations, shifting culture to resilience.Supply Chain: Managed TPRM (300+ vendors), consolidating for $6M in projected savings.PRODUCT SECURITY & DEVSECOPSCI/CD Security: Managed risk in dedicated pipelines (.NET/Apex) for external sites (AGDCNow, Salesforce), enforcing \"Quality Gates\" to block high-risk vulnerabilities.Secure Code: Mandated DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) via Veracode/Code.scan to ensure regulatory compliance without slowing release velocity.

Education

• Ohio Valley University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Business Administration, Management and Operations

  2004 — 2007

• Virginia Commonwealth University - School of Business

  Master’s of Science, Information Technology

  2017 — 2018

• Ohio Valley University

  Bachelor of Science, Information Technology

  2004 — 2007

Skills

• Hipaa
• Troubleshooting
• Vsphere
• Vendor Management
• System Administration
• Security
• Security Operations
• Risk Management
• Disaster Response
• Windows 7
• Incident Management
• Active Directory
• Xp
• Windows Server
• Windows Server 2012
• Backup Exec
• Critical Incident Response
• Security Audits
• Servers
• Project Management
• Windows Server 2003
• Security Incident Response
• Emergency Management
• Vmware
• IT Governance
• Firewalls
• Windows Server 2008
• Management
• Group Policy
• Change Management
• Visio
• Disaster Recovery
• Windows
• Vmware Esx
• Network Security
• Software Documentation
• Incident Response