(ISC)² has announced that COO David Shearer has been selected as its new executive director, following the retirement of current executive director Hord Tipton at the end of 2014.
“I have always embraced change and, as a result, I am fortunate to have wide-ranging life experiences,” said Tipton. “Working at (ISC)2 has been the highlight of my career. I’ve worked with David for a number of years and as the COO, he has made many positive changes for (ISC)2. I know that David’s leadership qualities will take the organization to the next tier of excellence.”
“Finding a successor who is able to follow in the footsteps of Hord Tipton is not an easy task,” said Wim Remes, CISSP, chair, (ISC)² Board of Directors. “After evaluating both internal and external candidates, the (ISC)² Board of Directors determined that David is the best choice for this position. He has proven himself within the organization as a leader and he shares our vision to continue delivering value to our membership, the community and the industry. I am excited to see him take the helm at (ISC)², and the Board looks forward to working with him.”
Shearer has held the position of (ISC)² COO for the past two years. Prior to joining (ISC)², Shearer held senior executive positions in the US federal government as the associate CIO for the US Department of Agriculture’s International Technology Services, deputy CIO for the US Department of the Interior, and the executive for Architecture, Engineering and Technical Services at the US Patent and Trademark Office. He also served as chief of the Systems Services branch for US Coast Guard Support Command.
He holds a B.S. from Park College, an M.S. from Syracuse University, and management and technical certificates from the U.S. National Defense University’s Information Resources College. In 2008, Shearer received the US Federal Presidential Rank Award. He also holds the CISSP and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications.
“I am honored to have been selected by the (ISC)² Board of Directors to fulfill the role of executive director following Hord’s retirement,” said Shearer. “We have an incredibly talented team at (ISC)² and I look forward to utilizing the things I learned from one of my mentors, Hord Tipton, to lead the organization into the future. He has been an exemplary leader to (ISC)² over his six-and-a-half-year tenure, from introducing new programs to ensuring the integrity and rigor of our certifications, to driving organizational focus toward membership. I have thoroughly enjoyed working at (ISC)² the last two years as COO and look forward to taking on this exciting new chapter in my career.”