Biographical Info

Kevin McKenzie is a seasoned senior executive who is an industry-recognized leader in both information technology and information security. He is world-class at building and outlining strategic visions for high-profile security programs, an expert at strategies delivering real-time actionable intelligence, and is a leader in auditing and overhauling security protocol programs. He has been a major influence in healthcare, federal information systems, high performance computing, newspaper publishing, and retail. This multi-industry knowledge builds him the foundation to adapt to the needs and nuances of many industries. Currently, Kevin McKenzie is VP & CISO at Dollar Tree Stores. He is responsible for monitoring the majority of Dollar Tree’s compute footprint. He has ample experience with regulated environments HIPAA, SOX, and PCI and security frameworks NIST 800-53, CIS/CSC 20, PCI-DSS, FISMA and ITIL. Relevant prior leadership roles include his position as CISO at Clemson University where he was named the Information Security Executive of the South East and Information Security Executive of North America by the T.E.N. organization. He was also the recipient of the Senior Information Security Professional of the America's for Leadership (ISLA Award) by ISC^2. At Health Sciences of South Carolina (HSSC), he was responsible for SC-DHHS data for Medicare/Medicaid processing for the state of SC at Clemson. Alongside these honors, Kevin was appointed and remains a research professor and lecturer in electrical and computer engineering at Clemson University’s School of Business. He currently serves on both Hook Security Co.’s Board of Directors, where he brings diverse verticals to stop social engineering attacks, and CISO Connect’s Distinguished CISO’s Board, where he supports, guides, and upholds the achievements of his peers. He has a penchant for boards of large technology companies and non-profits organizations. Some other notable positions include the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC), University of Alabama's Culverhouse Cyber Executive Advisory Board, International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP), Dell Software Presidents Advisory Board, and Symantec's CISO Advisory Board.