Nathan Smith
Austin
Summary
Technology leader with extensive experience at Deloitte, specializing in cybersecurity initiatives and complex project management. Achieved over $2M in annual cost savings through effective risk management and strategic planning. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams and aligning IT governance with business objectives to drive growth and innovation.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Information Security Manager (Contract)
AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (AISD)
Austin
12.2023 - 06.2024
- Spearheaded the design and rollout of a comprehensive risk management and compliance program that addressed critical cybersecurity gaps and institutional exposure.
- Developed and maintained a controls catalog to ensure strict alignment with the Texas Education Code, FERPA, and the NIST cybersecurity framework, supporting enterprise-wide audit readiness.
- Directed the modernization of cybersecurity policies and standards, leading cross-functional teams to seamlessly implement governance updates across all operational units.
- Identified and mitigated systemic risks within threat protection, virus management, and firewall infrastructure, applying legal and regulatory frameworks to prioritize remediation efforts.
- Oversaw daily cybersecurity operations and control governance, ensuring all protective technologies and practices complied with federal and state education privacy mandates.
- Continuously evaluated the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies by integrating threat intelligence, stakeholder input, and control testing to inform ongoing process improvement.
Security Services Delivery Manager
DELOITTE
Austin
10.2021 - 11.2023
- Directed cybersecurity programs and contract deliverables for 3 major clients, 2 global and 1 national, overseeing threat protection, asset management, vulnerability management, and operational performance reporting.
- Led execution of managed security service contracts, managing diverse technical teams and stakeholder relationships, including CIOs and CISOs, across industries such as IT, retail, and financial services.
- Delivered quarterly reviews and biannual strategic sessions with client leadership, ensuring alignment between cybersecurity initiatives and business objectives.
- Repositioned delivery teams and improved engineering operations, preventing a $2M client loss and securing a 1-year renewal with a global medical device company, paving the way for a $30M, 5-year contract opportunity.
- Collaborated on strategic presentation redesigns and capability expansion efforts, increasing the firm's competitiveness for upcoming large-scale cybersecurity contracts.
- Managed a $500K ServiceNow project to establish an OT Security Operations Center (SOC) within a 2-month timeline, reinforcing client trust through efficient execution and strong communication.
Information Security Manager, Toll Division
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Austin
06.2019 - 10.2021
- Promoted and led the establishment of the Toll Division's security program, integrating PCI, CIS, FedRAMP, and NIST frameworks, and aligning enterprise-wide security standards with Texas government, business, and administrative codes.
- Built a full-scale information security program from the ground up within 6 months by securing funding, assembling a 9-person team, and implementing foundational tools later adopted agency-wide.
- Identified $2M+ in annual cost savings from third-party licensing and equipment, reinvesting funds to build a risk-driven security team and accelerate PCI compliance from an industry standard of 3-4 years to just 18 months.
- Directed a team of system assessors through the full SDLC to achieve authority to operate under Texas state law and NIST standards, while coauthoring critical documentation including policies, standards, and technical guidance.
Information Security Architect
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Austin
11.2018 - 06.2019
- Transitioned from consultant to full-time leadership role after identifying operational risks and shadow IT exposure across 327 airports and 31 maritime ports, significantly elevating cybersecurity awareness agency-wide.
- Collaborated with multiple divisions to assess risks beyond core responsibilities, developing a comprehensive understanding of agency-wide operations and informing cross-functional cybersecurity strategies.
- Facilitated the onboarding of the new CISO into the Toll Division, established the Toll Security Officer role, and laid the foundation for a divisionwide information security program.
Citrix Environment Senior Analyst (TxDOT Contract)
NTT DATA
Austin
02.2017 - 11.2018
- Recruited to resolve persistent issues in the Citrix platform, engineering a stable, secure environment and leading the rebuild and launch of a new production platform within 9 months.
- Architected a self-healing system by redesigning core infrastructure, expanding capacity from 12 to approximately 250 applications while integrating robust security enhancements to support business scalability.
Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder
ETA COMPUTING (FORMERLY SUM ELECTRONICS)
Austin
01.2000 - 06.2016
- Founded and scaled a bootstrapped startup with $500 initial capital into a $14M acquisition, evolving the firm into a managed service provider delivering enterprise IT and infrastructure support to public and private sector clients.
- Transitioned a Dell warranty repair operation with a 9-person technical team into ETA Computing, repositioning the organization as a managed service provider with broad infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities.
- Selected to present at the 2008 United Nations World Congress on IT for pioneering advancements in managed security services, delivering insights on the future of cybersecurity between keynotes from Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
- Designed and led an 8-week IT certification training program that grew from 3-4 to 25-30 students per class, enabling workforce entry for nontechnical individuals through targeted instruction and career placement support.
- Delivered critical IT infrastructure upgrades and security overhauls across clients including Bank of America, New York Life, and General Dynamics, implementing solutions such as HA SQL Server clusters and enterprise network protections.
- Led major modernization projects, including a Windows upgrade for the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities and virtualization initiatives at Walton County School District.
- Improved infrastructure architecture for large-scale enterprise clients such as US Bank, State Farm Insurance, and Pelican Group, enhancing operational efficiency and security posture.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
University of Northwestern
Roseville, MNAssociate of Applied Sciences - Information Systems
Brown College
Mendota Heights, MNSkills
- Enterprise architecture and IT governance
- Digital transformation and cloud computing
- Vendor management and regulatory compliance
- Business continuity and disaster response
- Information security and cybersecurity
- Technical leadership and strategic planning
- Risk management and execution
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Cost savings and stakeholder engagement
- Complex project management and continuous process improvement
- Cybersecurity frameworks
Websites
Certification
- Cybersecurity Certified (CC), International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2)
- Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- PCI Professional (PCIP), PCI Security Standards Council
- PCI Internal Security Assessor (PCI-ISA), PCI Security Standards Council
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), ISC2
- Certified Citrix Professional (CCP), Citrix
- Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), Microsoft
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft
- VSphere 5.0, VMWare
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Information Security Manager (Contract)
AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (AISD)
12.2023 - 06.2024
Security Services Delivery Manager
DELOITTE
10.2021 - 11.2023
Information Security Manager, Toll Division
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
06.2019 - 10.2021
Information Security Architect
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
11.2018 - 06.2019
Citrix Environment Senior Analyst (TxDOT Contract)
NTT DATA
02.2017 - 11.2018
Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder
ETA COMPUTING (FORMERLY SUM ELECTRONICS)
01.2000 - 06.2016
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
University of Northwestern
Associate of Applied Sciences - Information Systems
Brown College
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