WASHINGTON, March 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 20,000 board members, today announced that Christopher R. Hetner, managing director of cyber-risk security consulting at Marsh, will serve as NACD’s new special advisor for cyber risk. As special advisor, Hetner will deliver expertise to NACD related to cyber-risk oversight and preparedness. Hetner recently left the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to join Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and innovative risk-management solutions.

Hetner was most recently senior advisor for cybersecurity policy to Chair Jay Clayton at the SEC. Prior to that, Hetner served as senior advisor for cybersecurity policy to former chair Mary Jo White and former acting chair Michael Piwowar. Hetner helped establish the position in 2016 to better coordinate cybersecurity policy efforts across federal financial regulators, enhance the SEC’s ability to assess cyber threat-related market risks, and improve the SEC’s cybersecurity posture. Hetner also served as the cybersecurity leader for the Technology Control Program in the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.

“Chris’s work with NACD gives us access to one of our nation’s foremost authorities on cyber risk and resilience oversight,” said Peter R. Gleason, NACD president and CEO. “As the rapid acceleration of technology presents increasing disruption and change for businesses, Chris’s expertise will inform NACD as we work to provide guidance to directors and the companies they oversee.”

Hetner will be joining NACD’s Board Advisory Services faculty, providing in-boardroom, hands-on training to boards on improving cyber resilience and cyber-risk oversight and management. He will provide key insights to help inform NACD’s overall content development in the area of cybersecurity, and he’ll bolster NACD thought leadership on cyber preparedness and cyber-risk mitigation. He’ll also help facilitate NACD’s engagement with Capitol Hill and regulatory agencies on cyber matters.

The 2018–2019 NACD Public Company Governance Survey of more than 500 public company directors revealed that 42 percent of directors foresee cybersecurity threats as having the greatest effect on their company over the next 12 months. At the same time, the vast majority of directors (81%) believe that their boards’ understanding of cyber risks has improved over the last two years, perhaps because 50 percent of directors indicated that cyber-risk reporting from management is of much higher quality than it was two years ago. More than half of directors (52%) are confident that they sufficiently understand cyber risks to provide effective cyber-risk oversight.

“Public company directors play a pivotal role in guiding company oversight of cybersecurity,” said Hetner. “It is an honor to be working with NACD to help bring about tangible improvement in the oversight of cyber risk.”

Prior to joining the SEC, Hetner spent 20 years in a variety of senior cybersecurity and technology-risk management roles in the private sector. Most recently, Hetner led Ernst and Young’s Wealth and Asset Management Cybersecurity practice, served as global chief information security officer at GE Capital, and led global information-security programs as senior vice president in Citigroup’s Institutional Client Group. 

Hetner holds industry-leading certifications including the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), the NSA INFOSEC Assessment Certification, and the CISM (Certified Information Security Manager). He earned an MS in Information Assurance (cum laude) from Norwich University and a BS in Security Management from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at The City University of New York.

About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) empowers more than 20,000 directors to lead with confidence in the boardroom. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD helps boards strengthen investor trust and public confidence by ensuring that today’s directors are well prepared for tomorrow’s challenges. World-class boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight, and instill confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and corporate governance stakeholders, NACD has been setting the standard for responsible board leadership for more than 40 years. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org. 

Contact:
Susan Oliver
susanboliver@gmail.com
703-216-4078