Seattle’s tech scene keeps growing, and so does the need for strong cybersecurity leadership. The city is home to global enterprises, fast-moving startups, and cloud-driven businesses that rely on leaders who can protect complex networks and guide teams through constant change. The CISOs on this list stand out for their experience, impact, and focus on building secure digital environments.
David Estlick Chief Information Security Officer, Chipotle Mexican Grill
David leads security across one of the world’s largest retail brands. He focuses on enterprise resilience, secure digital experiences, and strong governance across global operations.
Shawn Davis Chief Information Security Officer, Starbucks (former), Now VP Security, Axon
Shawn has a long track record in security leadership and now drives security strategy at Axon, supporting mission-critical products in the public safety sector.
Lakshmi Hanspal Global Chief Information Security Officer, Amazon Devices and Services
Lakshmi oversees security for Amazon’s device ecosystem including Alexa and Ring. Her work covers privacy, product security, and risk management at scale.
Steve Schmidt Chief Security Officer, Amazon
Steve guides Amazon’s global security strategy and has deep experience in cloud and enterprise security. He plays a major role in shaping security practices across the tech industry.
Phil Venables Chief Information Security Officer, Google Cloud
Based in the Seattle area, Phil is one of the most recognized security executives in the world. He advises governments, enterprises, and cloud customers on risk and resilience.
Caleb Sima Chief Security Officer, Robinhood (Seattle area)
Caleb has held senior roles across leading tech companies and focuses on advanced threat detection, secure engineering, and incident readiness.
Joshua Crumbaugh Chief Technology Officer and Security Leader, PhishFirewall (Seattle area)
Joshua brings strong expertise in social engineering and behavioral security. His work helps companies reduce human-based vulnerabilities.
Maya Levine Head of Security Engineering, F5
Maya is a trusted leader in cloud and application security. She guides teams that support global customers with secure networking and traffic management.
Michael Coates Co-founder, Altitude Networks and former CISO, Twitter
Now based in the Seattle region, Michael continues to influence the security community through advisory roles and secure cloud product development.
Chris Hughes Cybersecurity Advisor and Co-founder, Aquia
Chris has strong expertise in cloud security and federal compliance. He helps companies and agencies design secure, modern infrastructure.
