Jen Easterly

Former Director, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Combat veteran, cybersecurity pioneer, and former Wall Street technology executive, Jen brings decades of leadership experience at the intersection of technology, security, and risk.

Globally recognized as a cybersecurity and national security leader, she most recently served as the Senate-confirmed Director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—America’s premiere cyber defense agency. As Director of CISA, she led the nation’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats, transforming the agency into a $3 billion powerhouse with over 10,000 employees and contract personnel. Before CISA, she was Head of Firm Resilience at Morgan Stanley, where she built and led the company’s Cybersecurity Fusion Center, charged with protecting the Firm from cyber threats.

Founder & CEO of Evenstar Cyber LLC, Jen is currently a Strategic Advisor at Huntress, a cybersecurity unicorn on a mission to shatter the barriers to enterprise-level security. A sought-after keynote speaker, she’s provided hundreds of presentations at events around the world and made numerous appearances on television and radio on topics including technology and emerging threats, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, national security, and organizational leadership and design.

Jen’s public service spans more than three decades, including over twenty years in the U.S. Army where she deployed multiple times, played a pivotal role in the creation of U.S. Cyber Command, and built and led the Army’s first cyber battalion. She served twice at the White House, including as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and earlier as Senior Policy Advisor to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in the George W. Bush Administration. She also served as the Deputy for Counterterrorism at the National Security Agency and as a senior leader in Tailored Access Operations, NSA’s elite hacking team.

A distinguished graduate of West Point and Rhodes Scholar, Jen is a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star as well as numerous awards, including the George C. Marshall Award in Ethical Leadership, the Girls Who Code Sisterhood Award, the Champion of Internet Freedom Award, the Admiral Grace Hopper Award, and the James W. Foley American Hostage Freedom Award.

Beyond her professional achievements, Jen is a proud mom, mental health advocate, Rubik’s Cube enthusiast, and aspiring electric guitarist.