Mike Boutwell

Giving Practical guidance to help aspiring cyber professionals start a lucrative career in cybersecurity.

➤ Serving in the capacity of a CISO to deliver key security related business strategy
➤ Presented security management reports to C-Level and auditors to address findings and close gaps. 
➤ Defined security requirements for customer systems and implemented security policies and SOPs.
➤ Developed company wide security requirements and selected third party tools aligned to needs.
➤ Led hackathons creating opportunities for software development teams to collaborate on projects. 
➤ Networked and stakeholder management to secure new business opportunities and win contracts.

Key Achievements
➤ Secured work with public and private financial service companies with 1000+ staff across UK and Europe. 
➤ Consistently achieved and maintained technology compliance rates of over 95% in diverse enterprises.
➤ Oversaw security and risk assessment for a national clearing house managing assets valued at $27 trillion.

Senior Information Security Consultant

Euroclear

➤ Overseeing critical initiatives to assure delivery is in line with risk tolerance
➤ Conducting risk assessments for critical business applications and processes
➤ Collaborating with executive stakeholders to apply risk management strategy
➤ Development and management of board level KRIs

Senior Information Security Risk Manager 

➤ Conduct risk assessments for critical financial applications and documents weaknesses for review.
➤ Design and develop security requirements based on the outcome of business impact assessments. 
➤ Work in collaboration with the CISO to build and create security requirements in line with NIST CSF.
➤ Assess third party risk in business and cloud applications and make best practice recommendations.

Key Achievements
➤ Lead for cyber risk assessments on bots and artificial intelligence
➤ Risk assessment of a critical financial application vital to capital markets processing $1Q annually.
➤ Identification of critical risks resulting in RFP to seek a new vendor to remediate open vulnerabilities.

Principal Information Security Consultant - CISO IT Risk

Takeda

➤ Digital transformation project lead in the setup of a US client’s Innovation Capability Centre in Slovakia.
➤ Defined the baseline security standards, security standard toolsets, and phased out unnecessary tools.
➤ Developed supporting SOP and policy documentation and standards and secured approval for rollout.
➤ Established endpoint protection team, a SIEM/SOAR capability, and vulnerability management program. 

Key Achievements
➤ Led global security standard for on-prem and cloud security deployments for digital transformation.
➤ Designed and implemented an executive dashboard to provide a data-driven security program.
➤ Improved executive decision making by enabling access to critical real time data and information. 
➤ Facilitated introductions for executives with Slovakian contacts helping growth from 30 to 300 staff. 
➤ Recruited and trained endpoint protection team overseeing 60,000 workstations and 120,000 servers.

Endpoint Security Team Lead

AT&T

➤	Led the security and IT strategy for the WPP Plc. account agile team, architects, and 30 engineers.
➤	Managed all client services to deliver secure architectures across EMEA, US, and APAC regions. 
➤	Worked in collaboration with the client CIO to implement technical solutions to drive cost reduction. 
➤	Technical SME conducting security analytics, control assessments, vulnerability, and risk assessments. 
➤	Mentored network team and architects to drive professional development and delivery to meet KPIs.

Key Achievements
➤	Transitioned WPP Plc. to enable a work from home setup in response to Covid from scratch.
➤	Created standardised workflows to deliver fast but consistent results for high priority projects.
➤	Appointed as Global Agile Team lead delivering a backlog of work and greatly reducing costs.

Senior Information Security Architect - Global Agile Program Lead

➤ Lead for the Citizens Financial Group account and the technology lead for the network engineers.
➤ Risk assessment and audit to identify all in scope assets and assessed existing configuration and gaps.
➤ Audited accounts to assess security posture, conducted risk assessments, and proposed improvements.
➤ Designed complex secure architectures in campus, WAN, data centres, SDN, and wireless environments.
➤ Produced documentation for RFP, RFI, and proposals, and architectural lead for projects over $100M.
➤ Developed security reference architectures aligned to business strategy and PCI-DSS requirements.

Key Achievements
➤ Achieved PCI-DSS compliance in a complex banking environment reducing enterprise IT risk by 68%.
➤ Responded to an RFP for Dow Chemicals architecting a secure solution resulting in a $100M contract. 
➤ Resolved instability issues which led to outages on 1200 ATMs and implemented enhanced logging.

Senior Network Security Architect - Lead for Citizens Financial Group

First Data Corporation

➤ Secured card and payment systems and networks in compliance with PCI-DSS on two continents.
➤ Strategic lead for disaster recovery planning, testing, and regulatory compliance for payment hubs.
➤ Compliance management including pre-testing, fault finding, resolutions, and regulator liaison. 
➤ Implementation and technical solutions for switches, routers, firewalls, VPNs, and load balancers.

Key Achievements
➤ Lead for 20 EMEA core credit card processing hubs exclusively managing London and South Africa. 
➤ Designed secure data centre and colocation architectures for multiple EMEA countries hubs.  
➤ Developed and rolled out cybersecurity policies and SOPs across EMEA to protect financial data.

Senior Network Security Engineer

T-Systems International GmbH

➤ Supervised the team and implemented security policies in a multi-vendor firewall environment.
➤ Network design SME providing input and advice on a wide range of critical business services.
➤ Deployed secure applications through engineering load balancing services for business continuity.
➤ Conducted risk assessments and made recommendations on best practice technology solutions. 

Key Achievements
➤ Project managed the deployment of the first 4G network in Europe for T-Systems International.
➤ Migration of a large-scale payment service to a greenfield ultra-low latency environment.
➤ Implemented network-based services for EverythingEverywhere’s search oriented architecture suite.

Network Security Engineer

Two words sum up my mission in information security: trust and expertise. With 15 years of security and 10 years of risk management experience under my belt, I've been fortunate enough to work with leading organizations like Cisco, AT&T, IBM, Kyndryl, First Data, and Euroclear.

My portfolio:

→ I help financial services firms secure their business and improve performance metrics with ISO 27001
→ Assessing AI risks in large complex environments and providing solutions to use AI in a risk-aware manner
→ I train teams and organizations on ISO 27001 implementation and auditing. 
→ Speaks to more than 30,000 people annually
→ Coaches and helps young professionals start and enhance their cybersecurity careers

My results:

→ Secured assets worth over $1 quadrillion
→ Delivered projects worth over $100M
→ Recently completed a major project with a world-renown vendor addressing cloud security risks
→ Consistently achieved security compliance rates of over 95% in diverse enterprises
→ Advised on the development of an innovative CNAPP security solution with a major vendor
→ Author of the Ransomware Handbook and Profit-Driven Cybersecurity

→ Contact: https://www.mikeboutwell.com/contact
→ X: @mikeboutwell4

CANARIE

Leading a program aiming at harnessing network and cybersecurity infrastructure and services for Canada’s researchers, educators and innovators.

• Led consultations to generate strategic program themes and designed a five-years strategic plan and a three-years operational plan approved by the Governance Committee. 
• Organized an annual partners conference to celebrate achievements and strengthen collaboration. 
• Designed and implemented initiatives seeking to maintain and augment network infrastructure resulting  in the approval of 10 projects with a total budget of 4.5 million CAD. 
•Designed and implemented initiatives to strengthen security governance and security operation     processes and tools. 
•Successfully organized and actively participated in quarterly Governance Committee meetings bringing together CEOs and CIOs of partners organisations to review and advance program objectives.

Program Manager

JoyVigo, Inc. (Plant-based Food-Tch start-up)

Developed concept for a FoodTech solution to fill a major market gap in digestive health, project managed all product development elements, developed go-to-market plan, generated buy-in from investors, and managed operations.

•Defined target audience for the product and established the company’s core mission, vision, and values to target that market. 
•Sourced a product development partner in the food science space and eventually brokered a partnership with the University of Guelph to establish a product that met all nutritional requirements while also appealing to consumer taste standards. 
•Led negotiations with vendors to source raw materials for production at price points that fell within the project’s R&D budget. 
•Introduced a single variable testing process to product development which streamlined product refinement and finalization. 
•Managed business operations including financial forecasting, accounts payable and receivable, etc. 
•Developed and delivered pitches to investors and partners, earning support to approach final product development phase.

Co-Founder - Head of Product

Led an independent consulting practice focused on digital transformation and enablement, and tech innovation.  

• Completed primary and secondary research, reviewing existing studies and interviewing policy makers, private sector actors and civil society to identify suggestions for the improvement of e-government services in Tunisia. 
• Managed end-to-end secondary research projects in South Africa, Egypt, and Rwanda to identify the necessary infrastructure, policy, and technology changes required to advance participation in digital trade and Internet usage in these countries. 
• Designed project planning and delivery, connecting with clients to define requirements, establishing frameworks for analysis, developing project plans, performing research, and writing analysis reports and suggestions to inform clients’ strategies.

Consultant

World Wide Web Foundation

• Oversaw the planning and implementation of two digital communications technologies projects including the development of projects scope, budgets, plans and metrics. 
• Built and managed relationships with all stakeholders and communicated progress and challenges, which helped strengthen buy-in, cooperation and participation, and resulted in increased external funding by 50%.  
• Presented at conferences, seminars and round tables increasing projects visibility and informing policy and regulatory digital infrastructure initiatives.

Senior Project Manager

IDRC

• Traveled across the Middle East and North Africa to identify country partners and and jump-started relationships that led to the expansion of approved projects to include 5 new partners and to the development of 3 new projects. 
• Supported project teams and conducted negotiations with country officials and regulatory authorities to enable project deployment. 
• Presented at conferences, seminars and round tables increasing projects visibility and informing policy and regulatory digital infrastructure initiatives.

Senior Program Manager

• Managed, from inception to completion, a portfolio of 20+ information and communication technologies projects with average budget of $1MM+.
• Reviewed technical and financial reports and authorised budget reallocation to incorporate innovative ideas that emerged during execution resulting in high quality deliverables.
• Established and managed project partnerships with Microsoft, Google, and other key players in the telecom landscape, leading all fundraising efforts, resource sharing, stakeholder relations, and project financial reporting.
•  Developed recommendations for action to improve digital access from the perspectives of infrastructure deployment, content, policy, and other impactful elements.

• Managed, from inception to completion, a portfolio of 10+ global information and communication technologies projects with average budget of $1MM+. 
• Spearheaded the organisation of a global event bringing together more than 200 country partners and showcasing the results of more than 30 global and regional projects. 
• Organised and facilitated consultation meetings with partners that resulted in 4 co-funded projects.

A creative program manager and entrepreneur with a passion to initiate and deploy programs that solve problems and improve people’s lives. I managed, from inception to completion, a portfolio of global and regional digital communications technologies projects.  A globe trotter, I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn from people from different backgrounds, bring to life innovative initiatives in e-government, e-health, AgTech, and design and promote policies and practices to enable wider access to telecommunication infrastructure. 

I worked on a digestive wellness FoodTech start-up. As a newbie in this space, I was humbled by how much people were ready to offer support and guide the start-up vision as I was seeking to build initial traction. I collaborated with a team of food scientists, marketers, and financial analysts to develop and test a minimum viable product. I was fortunate to cultivate relationships with innovative entrepreneurs in Plant-Based, AgTech, and CellAg working on solutions for a healthier and more sustainable food system.

Currently leading a program aiming at harnessing network and cybersecurity infrastructure and services for Canada’s researchers, educators and innovators.

Outside of work, I enjoy Latin dancing, playing soccer, listening to live music, and going for long walks.

taplio

The Battle

Mike Boutwell

Khaled Fourati

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?