Louisiana’s industrial, energy, and technology sectors rely on cybersecurity leaders who can protect critical systems while supporting uptime, safety, and long-term operational resilience. The people in this feature reflect that challenge across energy infrastructure, industrial services, higher-risk operational environments, and technology-driven organisations. Their backgrounds span information security, infrastructure protection, regulatory alignment, operations, and the broader task of strengthening cyber maturity in sectors where disruption can have real-world consequences.
Wendell Bonvillian — Chief Information Security Officer, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC
Wendell Bonvillian is chief information security officer at Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, and his profile reflects a long career across federal cybersecurity, national security, and government-facing information assurance. Before taking on his current role, he served as chief information security officer for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State and earlier held senior cyber advisory and deputy CISO roles at the Department of Homeland Security. That background gives him a particularly strong foundation in security policy, vulnerability management, forensics, and large-scale public-sector cyber operations, making him one of the more seasoned security leaders with Louisiana roots and relevance to high-consequence environments.
Sonny Orgeron — Director of Information Systems and Security, Danos
Sonny Orgeron serves as director of information systems and security at Danos, where he brings decades of continuity and institutional knowledge to a role spanning business systems, application development, cybersecurity, and network support. His long tenure at the company, progressing from telecommunications engineering to IT management and then into a broader security leadership role, reflects the kind of steady operational leadership that matters in industrial environments. Combined with earlier work in healthcare telecommunications and his teaching roles at Nicholls State University and Fletcher Technical Community College, Orgeron stands out as a leader whose career has been built around practical systems management and long-term organisational trust.
Richard Kaufmann — Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft
Richard Kaufmann is chief security advisor at Microsoft, a role that reflects the kind of executive credibility built through years of leading cybersecurity, resilience, and enterprise transformation at scale. Before joining Microsoft, he served as senior vice president and chief information security officer at Amedisys, where he handled board-level risk governance, acquisition integration, and enterprise security leadership in a complex operating environment. That broader track record, spanning security strategy, executive advisory work, and large-scale transformation, makes him a strong fit for a technology-focused feature, especially as someone whose experience connects cybersecurity leadership with business modernisation and long-range enterprise resilience.
Brian Walker — Chief Information Officer, Cleco
Brian Walker currently serves as chief information officer at Cleco, but his cybersecurity credentials are especially relevant because he previously held the chief information security officer role there before moving into broader executive IT leadership. That progression gives him a perspective that combines enterprise technology strategy with direct cybersecurity ownership, particularly in an energy context where IT and OT resilience matter. Earlier roles at the USDA and (ISC)² further strengthen his profile across enterprise operations, cloud and infrastructure modernisation, and security-focused transformation, making him a strong example of a leader who bridges cyber risk and overall technology direction.
David Houpy Jr. — Chief Information Security Officer, Major Services, Inc.
David Houpy Jr. brings a background shaped by network engineering, manufacturing, industrial operations, and security-focused infrastructure work. His profile emphasises more than 15 years of experience in network security and cybersecurity strategy, with earlier roles spanning Bayou Steel Group, managed IT environments, and multi-site operational support. The through-line in his career is clear: building resilient environments, improving security controls, and supporting organisations with practical, systems-level protection in industrial and construction-related settings.
Joshua Copeland — Director of Cybersecurity, Crescendo
Joshua Copeland is director of cybersecurity at Crescendo and brings one of the broadest cross-sector profiles in this group, spanning managed security services, enterprise operations, state-focused cyber work, military service, and higher education teaching. His experience includes leadership roles in security operations centre environments, managed security services, enterprise security, and advisory work, alongside ongoing involvement with Tulane University and the Louisiana State Guard’s Cyber Reserve. That combination gives him a distinctive presence in Louisiana’s industrial, technology, and cyber leadership landscape, especially because it blends hands-on operational depth with public-facing education, strategic thinking, and regional cyber ecosystem engagement.
Securing the systems behind Louisiana’s economy
What stands out across this group is how closely cybersecurity in Louisiana’s industrial, energy, and technology sectors is tied to continuity, infrastructure, and trust. These leaders are working in environments where cyber risk is not abstract. It can affect operations, service delivery, safety, and long-term business resilience. Taken together, they reflect the mix of engineering discipline, executive oversight, and operational credibility that strong cybersecurity leadership demands in some of the state’s most essential sectors.n.
Explore more profiles of the leaders shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our CISOs to Watch collection.