Brent Kennedy
SVP, Deputy CISO/Head of Information Security
PennyMac
Brent Kennedy started working at PennyMac in January of 2021 as the SVP, Deputy CISO/Head of Information Security, leading Security Engineer/Architecture, Attack Surface Management and Incident Response.
Brent has over 20 years of experience working in the IT security and Cyber defensive and offensive programs. He served as the Global Vulnerability Management manager for Sony, a Technical Director at the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations and a Technical Lead at the NSA’s Red Team. Brent has a MS in Information Assurance from Capitol College and a BS in Information Technology from University of Maryland University College.
Learn more about the Milwaukee CISO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I joined the U.S. Navy and that led me down the Global Network Exploitation and Vulnerability Analyst path at the National Security Agency (NSA).
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Don't over complicate the solution, communicate the plan to keep everyone on the same page and ensure the team knows the why.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CISO role going in the next 1-2 years?
I will be leading an evolving team with junior to senior level expertise that is continually evolving, as well as continuing to be an early design partner with startups and Venture Capital advisor.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CISO?
Trust your team and empower them to make design decisions and learn from failure
Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
I am a dog trainer, farmer and outdoors enthusiast.
What is the value of joining an Evanta community?
The value is making new relationships where you never know what doors will open or what adventures will stem from them.
Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
by CISOs, for CISOs
Join the conversation with peers in your local CISO community.