Validated by Security Leaders Across Industries
The Ryan Leadership certifications were developed through a comprehensive Job Task Analysis validated by nearly 40 practicing CISOs, Deputy CISOs, and senior security executives representing diverse industries, company sizes, and security challenges.
These founding subject matter experts reviewed nearly job tasks across 15 competency domains for three certifications, ensuring that these certifications test the real-world skills that separate good security leaders from exceptional ones.
Why Subject Matter Expert Validation Matters
Before any legitimate professional certification can launch, it must undergo rigorous validation by independent practitioners who actually perform the work. This Job Task Analysis (JTA) process—the same methodology used by the CISSP, CISM, and other accredited certifications—ensures we're testing competencies that matter in boardrooms, not just theoretical knowledge.
Our SME panel represents:
- 15+ CISOs from enterprise organizations
- 10+ Virtual CISOs serving multiple clients across industries
- Directors and VPs of Information Security
- Industries spanning financial services, technology, healthcare, government, education, and manufacturing.
- Organizations ranging from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 enterprises
Every task, competency, and exam question in the three certification has been validated by these practitioners based on frequency, importance, criticality, and real-world application.
Andrew Alaniz
Virtual CISO
Professional Services
Mohammed Arif Shaikh
Information Security Officer (CISO)
Financial Services / Banking
Benjamin Zaborenko
Director of Information Security
Publishing
Nathan Brown
Chief Information Security Officer
Government / Education
Julie Chatman
Virtual CISO
Public Infrastructure / Commercial
Cara Coleman
Chief Information Security Officer
Financial Services / Banking
Joshua Copeland
Chief Information Security Officer Professional Services / Consulting
Dan Dennis
Chief Information Security Officer
Technology / SaaS
Sean Heide
Director of Information Security
Financial Services / Banking
Luke Irwin
Virtual CISO
Technology
Russell Jacobs
Virtual CISO
Professional Services
Vamsi Kaipa
Head of Security
Technology
Joshua Kroger
Head of Information Security
Consulting / Professional Services
Monica Landen
Chief Information Security Officer
Technology / SaaS
Edwin Karlos Luciano
VP of Information Security
Professional Services / Consulting
Raphael Mayr
Head of Information Security (CISO)
Technology / SaaS
John Christly
VP of Information Security
Technology / SaaS
Taylor LaCass
Director of Information Security
Technology / SaaS
Sherry Carpenter
Chief Information Security Officer
Professional Services / Consulting
Rahul Maharaj
VP of Information Security
Financial Services / Banking
Jeff Miller
Chief Information Security Officer
Government / Education
Dr. Richard Morphy
Director of Information Security
Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals
William Reed
Director of Information Security Professional Services / Consulting
Harris Schwartz
Virtual CISO
Consulting (Multiple Industries)
Isaac Straley
Virtual CISO
Professional Services / Consulting
Ben Struebing
CEO, CyberNEX
Professional Services / Consulting
Sean Turner
Chief Information Security Officer
Financial Services
Joshua Wyatt
Head of Information Security
Technology
Andres Cardenas-Rivas
Director of Information Security
Retail / eCommerce
Daniel Simpson
Virtual CISO
vCISO Services / Consulting
Michael Bickford
Chief Information Security Officer
Professional Services / Consulting
Duncan Rae
Chief Information Security Officer
Retail / eCommerce
John Skaarup
Director of Information Security
Government / Public Sector
Daniel Elliston
Chief Information Security Officer
Technology / SaaS
Lowell Williams
Deputy CISO
Education
Tanja Jacobsen
Chief Information Security Officer
Technology / SaaS
Naveen Ullikashi
Chief Information Security Officer
Financial Services / Banking
Sam Baxter
Chief Information Security Officer
Technology / SaaS
DISCLAIMER
Subject Matter Experts listed above participated in the Job Task Analysis validation process for the CECC, CCBS, and CCRL. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement of Ryan Leadership's Security Council products or services. All titles and affiliations represent positions held at the time of validation (October 2025).
BUILT BY PRACTITIONERS, FOR PRACTITIONERS
Ready to learn the material these experts validated?
These security leaders didn't just endorse the CECC, CCBS, and CCRL—they shaped them. Every module, framework, and assessment question was validated against their real-world experience leading security programs, briefing boards, and influencing C-suite decisions.
The result is certifications that don't test what sounds impressive in a textbook. They test what actually works when you're communicating risk to executives who control budgets, aligning security initiatives with strategic business objectives, or translating regulatory requirements into actionable compliance frameworks that satisfy auditors and regulators alike.
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