Bugcrowd names Nick McKenzie as CISO and Sammie Walker as CMO
Bugcrowd announced the expansion of its executive team with Nick McKenzie joining as Chief Information and Security Officer (CISO) and Sammie Walker as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
The hires bring decades of information security and information technology (IT) experience to Bugcrowd, as well as executive management and marketing expertise aimed at high-growth businesses in the software-as-a-service (SaaS), cybersecurity and financial services industries.
In his role as CISO, McKenzie will oversee all aspects of the company’s information technology and security strategy, architecture, operations and governance. As CMO, Walker will focus on global marketing initiatives designed to accelerate growth and solidify Bugcrowd’s reputation as the crowdsourced cybersecurity leader.
“The expertise that Nick and Sammie bring to Bugcrowd rounds out our leadership team in two important areas: protecting the privacy and security of our employee, researcher community, and customer data, and overseeing the planning and execution of our worldwide marketing efforts to drive strong customer demand for the Bugcrowd platform,” said Ashish Gupta, CEO, Bugcrowd.
“Nick and Sammie have the background, experience and passion for driving success and scaling disruption, and I am thrilled to have them join our team as we continue our rapid growth and help customers secure their digitally connected world.”
Nick brings more than 20 years of information security and information technology risk management experience to Bugcrowd. He previously served as Executive General Manager – Chief Security Officer at National Australia Bank (NAB), one of Australia’s four largest financial institutions.
He was responsible for overseeing the enterprise security portfolio, which included cyber, physical security, investigations and operational fraud capabilities to protect customers and employees, support business growth, and enable an operationally resilient bank.
Prior to NAB, Nick held IT Risk and Cybersecurity leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank, J.P. Morgan and UBS and served as an advisory board member for Google, Amazon Web Services, and Digital Shadows.
“I’m thrilled to join a team that is continuously driven to empower customers to take control of their digitally-connected assets to reduce risk and secure innovation sooner via crowdsourced cybersecurity,” said McKenzie.
“Having held cybersecurity leadership positions for the past 20 years, I believe Bugcrowd’s approach has completely revolutionized cybersecurity and is the future of the industry.”
Sammie brings more than 20 years of industry marketing experience in defining, launching and growing companies in the networking analytics, security, digital advertising, telecom, and collaboration markets.
Prior to joining Bugcrowd, Sammie served as Executive Vice President and CMO for Infoblox, a leader in networking and security-as-a-service. Previously, Sammie held senior management roles at Aerospike, Actian, Vidyo, Zenprise and Transera Communications.
“I am excited to join Bugcrowd’s leadership team at a time of significant growth and innovation at the company and in the cybersecurity industry as a whole,” Walker said. “Bugcrowd has a strong reputation for product excellence, a deep customer following, and a differentiated offering in the market.
“I’m looking forward to building upon these strengths as the company continues to level the cybersecurity landscape for our customers and democratize access to skilled security professionals around the world. ”