Kelly Bissell snatched from Deloitte to head Accenture Security
Accenture has picked up cyber security expert Kelly Bissell from Deloitte. Bissell will take the helm of Accenture’s Accenture Security business as its Global Managing Director.
Cyber security has become an ever more prominent issue for companies. A recent Gartner report highlights that there are up to 500,000 cyber-attacks globally every day, while a study puts the annual cost of cybercrime to the world economy at more than $400 billion. The problem is not likely to improve, as business become ever more digital, and information becomes ever more valuable. Consultancy firms, eager to support clients deal with cyber issues, have been bolstering their capabilities in the segment in recent years.
Accenture, in a recent scoop, has picked up Kelly Bissell, one of the global consultancy leaders in the field. Prior to joining the firm, Bissell was the Cyber Risk Services Leader for the EMEA at Deloitte. Bissell spent more than 16 years at Deloitte, working across a range of areas, including leading the firm’s Identity & Access Management and Strategy & Governance solutions, as well as setting up its Incident Response service. Previously, from 2001 to 2002, Bissell was a Senior Manager at Arthur Andersen and its CIO; in the role, Bissell, among others, led a due diligence on a $3 billion M&A deal as well as forging alliances with major tech players, including Microsoft, IBM and Cisco. Earlier roles include Chief Technology Officer at MeritSpan Holdings, from 2000 to 2001; Senior Program Manager at BellSouth.net in 1996; Data Centre Director at Medaphis (PerSe) from 1991 to 1995; and Technical Specialist at HBO & Company, where he started his career in 1988. Bissell holds an Executive Master of Business Administration in Corporate strategy, M&A, and Technology from Emory University.
Bissell joins Accenture as Global Managing Director of the firm’s Accenture Security business. Bissell brings more than 25 years’ experience to the role, including breach incident response, identity management, privacy and data protection, secure software development and cyber risk management. In his new role, Bissell will be responsible for the business global services portfolio, which includes strategic consulting, proactive risk management and digital identity to cyber defence, response and remediation services and managed security services.
“Today’s threat landscape is evolving incredibly fast as breaches continue to grow in frequency, size, severity and cost. Organisations are recognising the need for a trusted partner who can provide the end-to-end security services and cyber defence capabilities that this challenging environment demands,” says Omar Abbosh, Chief Strategy Officer, Accenture. “That’s why we are investing aggressively in this most strategic area by recruiting superior cyber talent like Kelly Bissell, who brings exceptional leadership, expert insights and global industry experience to Accenture.”
“The enterprise security equation has changed dramatically as businesses have gone digital and it really requires a vision and passion for helping organisations safeguard their most valuable assets — information and data,” says Bissell. “Few companies can match the depth and breadth of Accenture’s security portfolio and its ability to tackle cyber risks strategically, design and execute what it recommends and run entire security operations on a global scale as Accenture does. I look forward to leading a talented team of security professionals and helping our clients around the globe build enterprise resilience to safeguard their businesses today and in the future.”
