Austin sits at the center of Texas tech and innovation, and its companies rely on strong cybersecurity leadership to protect fast-growing digital environments. As threats evolve, the role of the Chief Information Security Officer continues to shape how organizations secure their data, systems, and people. Below is a list of ten CISOs to watch in Austin in 2025, each bringing a distinct approach to governance, resilience, and technology strategy.
Brian Gardner – CISO, City of Austin
Brian Gardner leads cybersecurity for the City of Austin and oversees security across dozens of departments and public-facing services. He focuses on resilience and simple architecture that limits the impact of incidents. His work strengthens city operations and supports a stronger security culture for Austin’s staff and residents.
George Finney – CISO, University of Texas System
George Finney manages the security program for one of the country’s largest university systems. He supports multiple campuses and helps create shared policies and standards. He is known for his people-first approach and for helping institutions build long-term cyber maturity.
Monica Landen – CISO, Diligent
Monica Landen guides cybersecurity for Diligent, a global leader in governance and compliance solutions. She helps align security with board-level expectations and brings clear communication to risk decisions. Her experience supports secure product development and strong internal security practices.
John B. Sapp Jr. – VP, Information Security and CISO, Texas Mutual Insurance Company
John Sapp oversees cybersecurity for Texas Mutual, one of the state’s largest insurance providers. He applies a risk-based approach to security planning and helps streamline cloud adoption, monitoring and incident response. His work improves visibility and reduces risk for a complex enterprise environment.
Joshua Kuntz – CISO
Joshua Kuntz is a veteran cybersecurity leader with many years of experience in incident response and governance. He supports organizations in Austin through strategic planning, policy development and operational security improvements. His work helps companies build stronger, more consistent programs.
Brian Rutledge – CISO, BigCommerce
Brian Rutledge manages the security program for BigCommerce and supports secure growth for global e-commerce merchants. He helps strengthen application security, improve cloud controls and build protections that scale with customer needs.
Laura Sewell – CISO, Mood Media
Laura Sewell leads cybersecurity for Mood Media, which provides in-store media and technology solutions for brands worldwide. She focuses on secure network operations, vendor oversight and strong customer protections across retail environments.
Joe Nguyen – CISO, ESO
Joe Nguyen supports cybersecurity for ESO, a company that builds data and software tools for healthcare and emergency services. He helps manage compliance, secure development practices and data protection for mission-critical systems.
Scott Crawford – CISO, SailPoint
Scott Crawford oversees cybersecurity for SailPoint, an identity security provider based in Austin. He helps secure cloud identity products, supports threat research and leads internal security programs that match the company’s enterprise customer base.
Mark Weatherford – CISO, AlertEnterprise
Mark Weatherford brings extensive public and private sector expertise to AlertEnterprise. He focuses on critical infrastructure security, identity governance and physical-cyber convergence, which helps support companies in regulated industries.
Austin continues to grow as a national cybersecurity hub. These leaders guide major institutions, tech companies and public agencies through rapid change and rising threats. Their work shapes stronger programs, better governance and safer digital operations across the region.