John Akerson

John Akerson has a diverse work experience spanning over several industries and roles. John began their career in the US Army as a Forward Support Team Leader and later served in the US Marine Corps as a Squad Leader. After their military service, they worked as a Computer Specialist in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where they implemented national projects and saved money on implementing a national email system. John then worked as a Networking and Website Consultant for TranTech, Inc. and as a Distributed Networking Systems Engineer at MITRE. John also co-founded and managed a web hosting company called Betterhost.com. In their role as a Corporate Internet Technical Manager at Deloitte, they supervised and mentored a team and increased web traffic significantly. John then joined First Union as an IT Technical Advisor and Senior Web Engineer, where they improved the availability and scope of the corporate internet platform. John later worked at Wells Fargo as an Assistant Vice President and Security Service Manager, managing cyber security incidents and leading large-scale security projects. Currently, they are the Vice President of Information Security at The Clearing House, where they provide leadership in managing operational threats and related risks. John has extensive experience in information security, threat intelligence, incident response, and security monitoring.

John Akerson has a diverse education history with a focus on cybersecurity and leadership. In 2018, they attended ISACA for cybersecurity audit training. The same year, they obtained a Cybersecurity Audit certification from ISACA. In 2017, they completed a CERT Insider Threat Program Manager Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University - Software Engineering Institute. Moving further back in time, in 2015, John attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and studied Cybersecurity: Technology, Application, and Policy. John also obtained a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification that year. In 2012, John Akerson completed a leadership program at Dale Carnegie. In terms of formal education, they attended Norwich University Graduate Business School from 2001 to 2003. Before that, in 1994, they studied at Tufts University Graduate School and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Thomas Edison State University. Additionally, in 1992, they attended Appalachian State University, focusing on Systems Management.

Furthermore, John Akerson possesses various additional certifications, including a Top Secret/SCI clearance obtained in 2022 from CISA/DHS. John also earned certifications such as Insider Threat Program Manager from the Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University in 2017, Cybersecurity Audit from ISACA in 2018, and many others.