Kevin B. Green
Chief Information Security Officer
Terracon
Kevin B. Green is the Chief Information Security Officer and a Senior Associate with Terracon, a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm, specializing in environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services. Headquartered in Metro Kansas City, Terracon has more than 7,000 employees with over 185 offices serving all 50 states.
Kevin leads Terracon’s in-house Information Security team, which focuses on defending the business from cybersecurity threats, minimizing human risk through purposeful security awareness engagement, safeguarding against internal vulnerabilities, and advising the business on matters of compliance.
Kevin earned his A.B. in Sociology with a Minor in Communications in 1999, and his Master of Arts with Honors in Corporate Communications and Technology in 2001 from Rollins College. Kevin holds the GIAC Security Leadership certification. He joined Terracon in 2011 following the acquisition of Winter Park, Florida-based Nodarse & Associates, Inc. where he was an Associate Vice President and Information Systems Manager.
A fun fact about Kevin, he has been a certified scuba diving instructor for more than 25 years.
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
After many years in technical roles, Terracon tapped me to build out its information security function in 2020, leveraging my graduate degree in Corporate Communications and Technology. There was a recognition that building a cyber risk aware culture would be rooted in effectively communicating with our business leaders and stakeholders. When asked what my role is, I often tell my peers that it is to "effectively communicate risk to the business."
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Terracon is a 100% employee-owned company, which influences my approach to leadership. I place a high level of emphasis on mentorship within my team and across our corporate office, to enrich the careers of our employee owners and provide them with opportunities to succeed.
What is the greatest challenge CISOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
The speed of change requires us to lean into the fundamentals. I remind my team that focusing on our core values and consistent attention to the CIA Triad, prepares us to meet new challenges. If we execute the fundamentals well, we are best prepared to address new challenges head on.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CISO?
Listen more than you speak. Often the difference between success and failure is the difference between listening to understand, versus listening to respond.
How do you measure success as a leader?
I measure my success by the success of my team. We succeed together. If they feel valued, engaged, supported, and appreciated we can tackle anything as a team.
What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?
Being a part of Gartner C-level Communities is a great opportunity to make direct connections with peers who are tackling the same issues and challenges that I face.
Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
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