Modern CISO Network: Board Book
A directory of board-ready security leaders
location
AMER
areas of expertise
- Data privacy and policy
- Information security governance, risk, & compliance
- Mergers and acquisitions IT audit
- Threat & vulnerability management
- Cyber incident and crisis response Identity and access aanagement Data governance
- Cloud security
Russell Okoth
Executive Vice President - CISO
Pacific Premier Bank
Russell Okoth is a highly experienced CISO at Pacific Premier Bank, responsible for overseeing Cybersecurity, Physical Security, Data Privacy, and IT Risk programs. With 24 years of experience in Cybersecurity, Risk, Compliance, and Privacy, Russell Okoth has worked across various industries including Technology, Retail, Telecommunication, Finance, Insurance, and Fintech.
Before joining Pacific Premier Bank, Russell served as the CISO at Apex Fintech Solutions, a digital disruptor based in Dallas. Previously, Russell Okoth held the position of Vice President and Head of IT Risk at Mr. Cooper. He was recognized for his outstanding Leadership and received the Mortgage Bankers Association - MBA 2019 Future Leaders Award and led their Identity Governance team to win the ‘Cybersecurity Team of the Year’ title at the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards in 2021.
Russell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Columbia Southern University and is currently pursuing an MBA in International Business from Pittsburg State University.
As an accomplished business executive, Russell has a diverse background and a proven track record in creating and managing enterprise-wide information security, data, privacy, and risk management programs. Russell excels in ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, overseeing security planning and acquisitions, and providing governance activities. Russell is adept at directing security architecture and engineering initiatives, managing security operations, and handling cyber security incident response, threat and vulnerability management, enterprise risk management, and cybersecurity crisis management.
Russell’s expertise extends to governance and compliance, program development, information security, and compliance. Russell possesses comprehensive knowledge and operational experience in Privacy, Audit, Third-Party Risk, Penetration Testing, Identity and Access Management, Digital Threat Monitoring, Data Governance, Cloud Security, DevSecOps, and IT Risk.