Work Preference
Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
Interests
Timeline
Professional Development
Locations
Generic
PATRICIA FIELDS
Open To Work

PATRICIA FIELDS

DIRECTOR, GOVERNANCE RISK & COMPLIANCE (GRC) | ENTERPRISE CYBER RISK LEADER Cyber Governance | Compliance & Audit Readiness | Third-Party Risk | Privacy & Regulatory Compliance | GRC Automation | AI Risk
Marietta,GA

Work Preference

Job Search Status

Open to work
Desired start date: Immediately

Desired Job Title

Risk ManagerIT Risk and ComplianceProject ManagerProgram ManagerCybersecurity Consultant

Work Type

Full TimeContract WorkPart TimeConsultingGig Work

Location Preference

RemoteHybridOn-Site
Location: Marietta, GA, USAtlanta, GAOrlando, FLChicago, IL
Open to relocation: Yes

Salary Range

$160000/yr - $200000/yr

Important To Me

Career advancementWork-life balanceCompany CultureFlexible work hoursHealthcare benefitsWork from home optionPaid time offPaid sick leave401k matchStock Options / Equity / Profit Sharing4-day work week

Summary

Director-level Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) and Cyber Risk leader with 20+ years of experience building and scaling enterprise governance, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and cyber risk management programs across Fortune 500 organizations and highly regulated industries. Proven success developing enterprise GRC operating models, risk hierarchies, and compliance frameworks aligned with NIST CSF, NIST 800-53/171, ISO 27001, SOX, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 1/2, FedRAMP, FISMA, GDPR, CCPA, COPPA, VPPA, and CMMC.

Recognized for modernizing compliance programs through automation, control rationalization, and executive-level reporting that improves audit readiness and risk transparency. Trusted advisor to executive leadership, legal counsel, internal audit, regulators, and cross-functional technology stakeholders. Highly experienced implementing and optimizing GRC and privacy platforms including ServiceNow IRM, RSA Archer, and One Trust to enable continuous compliance monitoring and enterprise risk visibility.

Overview

22
22
years of professional experience
15
15
Certification

Work History

Tech Exception Risk Program (Director-Level Engagement)

Wolters Kluwer
Atlanta, GA
01.2025 - Current
  • Led cyber governance and compliance initiatives aligned with SOC, ISO 27001, privacy laws, and internal control standards.
  • Conducted risk assessments, control gap analysis, and remediation planning to strengthen audit readiness and regulatory compliance posture.
  • Developed and refined governance artifacts including policies, standards, procedures, risk registers, and executive reporting dashboards.
  • Strengthened third-party governance processes supporting vendor due diligence, risk scoring, and contractual control requirements.
  • Supported emerging technology governance and risk oversight, including AI-enabled workflow considerations and cloud compliance alignment.

Manager, IT Risk and Compliance

Insight Global
Atlanta, GA
01.2024 - 01.2026
  • Launched a CMMC readiness program end-to-end, accelerating audit preparedness by scoping systems, interpreting controls, drafting the SSP, and operationalizing POA&M tracking and evidence collection.
  • Mapped the environment to CMMC L1/L2 and NIST 800-171, improving remediation focus by translating gaps into prioritized workstreams with owners, due dates, and measurable control outcomes.
  • Reduced compliance ambiguity by authoring governance policies, control procedures, and security standards aligned to DFARS/CMMC requirements and enterprise risk expectations.
  • Advanced risk visibility by implementing risk registers, issue logs, and KPI dashboards, enabling leadership to track exceptions, control health, and remediation progress in real time.
  • Strengthened control adoption by leading cross-functional working groups across Security, IT Engineering, Product, HR, and Legal to align secure-by-design practices to daily operations.
  • Improved assessment response quality by building evidence packages and response playbooks, increasing consistency across control narratives, artifacts, and audit-ready documentation.
  • Influenced technology decisions by advising executives on security architecture trade-offs, compliance exposure, and control design implications tied to federal contracting eligibility.

Technology Special Consultant (Financial Services Regulatory Environment)

Truist
Atlanta, GA
01.2024 - 01.2025
  • Strengthened regulatory and audit readiness by producing executive-ready control evidence packages and remediation narratives aligned to FFIEC, GLBA, NIST, and ISO requirements.
  • Accelerated secure-by-design execution by drafting and refining policies, procedures, playbooks, and risk assessments that improved consistency across governance artifacts and control operations.
  • Identified control gaps across NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, CMMC, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, and HITRUST by evaluating design and operating effectiveness and translating findings into actionable remediation plans.
  • Elevated technology risk visibility by delivering leadership reporting on emerging threats, cloud security exposure, AI/ML governance considerations, and modernization risks tied to architecture decisions.
  • Increased cross-functional alignment by partnering with IT, Security, Enterprise Risk, and business stakeholders to connect transformation initiatives to control requirements and resiliency expectations.
  • Improved exam and audit responsiveness by organizing artifacts, standardizing control narratives, and clarifying ownership and timelines for remediation execution.
  • Advised senior leaders on risk-based decisioning by assessing control trade-offs, documenting residual risk, and recommending compensating controls to meet governance standards.

EPIC Owner/Senior Program Manager

Southwest Airlines
Remote
01.2021 - 01.2023
  • Served as EPIC Owner for large-scale enterprise programs supporting airline operations, customer experience, and internal platforms, ensuring alignment with Southwest Airlines' operational reliability, safety, and customer-first culture.
  • Led end-to-end program governance across multiple workstreams, managing scope, roadmap, dependencies, milestones, risks, and delivery outcomes for complex, cross-functional initiatives.
  • Partnered with executive leadership, IT, operations, finance, cybersecurity, legal, and business stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into executable program plans and measurable business outcomes.
  • Owned program vision, backlog prioritization, and delivery cadence, ensuring initiatives delivered value while maintaining system stability and regulatory compliance in a highly available environment.
  • Directed Agile and hybrid delivery models, coordinating product owners, scrum masters, engineers, vendors, and PMs across distributed teams to drive consistent execution.
  • Established and maintained program-level KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting, providing transparency into delivery health, financial performance, and risk posture.
  • Managed budget planning, forecasting, and vendor oversight, ensuring fiscal accountability, contract alignment, and optimal use of enterprise resources.
  • Identified and mitigated enterprise risks, operational impacts, and interdependencies, proactively resolving issues that could affect airline operations, customer experience, or regulatory commitments.
  • Led change management and stakeholder communications, ensuring adoption, readiness, and minimal disruption to frontline and back-office operations.
  • Ensured programs adhered to enterprise standards for security, data governance, compliance, and resiliency in a mission-critical aviation environment.
  • Championed continuous improvement by refining delivery processes, improving cross-team collaboration, and driving operational efficiencies across the program portfolio.

Head of Cyber Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)/Integrated Risk Management

Experis Solutions
Lincolnshire, IL
01.2019 - 01.2023
  • Led a team of 11 consultants, increasing delivery consistency by standardizing GRC assessment methods across PCI, HIPAA, SOX, penetration testing, and remediation engagements.
  • Supported $5M-scale client work, improving win-to-deliver handoffs by partnering on RFP/SOW design, solution architecture, and scope-based staffing models.
  • Built reusable cybersecurity products and playbooks, accelerating client onboarding by operationalizing policies, risk assessment workflows, and evidence-ready documentation.
  • Achieved CCPA readiness by delivering a Written Security Information Plan and privacy governance artifacts that clarified control ownership, enforcement, and monitoring.
  • Implemented cookie consent and tracking controls for eCommerce, reducing privacy compliance exposure by aligning collection practices to CCPA notice and consent expectations.

Cyber Security Program Manager

First Data
Lincolnshire, IL
01.2018 - 01.2019
  • Launched an enterprise information security program, improving risk-based decisioning by securing executive adoption of a cyber risk classification scale and driving consistent stakeholder accountability.
  • Deployed IAM and endpoint modernization, strengthening access control by implementing CyberArk, SailPoint, Centrify, PING, Okta MFA, YubiKeys, HYPR, Microsoft Intune, and BYOD/MDM governance.
  • Automated 5 enterprise workflows impacting 40,000+ employees through an eGRC implementation, accelerating audit readiness by standardizing intake, evidence, and reporting across key functions.

Senior Cyber Security PM/Security Engineer

Alight Solutions
Lincolnshire, IL
01.2017 - 01.2019
  • Delivered 8 enterprise cyber risk programs, accelerating control uplift by leading assessments, prioritizing gaps, and executing remediation plans across business and technology teams.
  • Managed a $1M program budget, improving risk reduction outcomes by aligning funding to the highest impact vulnerabilities and compliance requirements across global environments.
  • Built the first IT risk management program for a new PMO, strengthening governance by defining processes, control ownership, and repeatable risk assessment and reporting rhythms.
  • Directed a multimillion-dollar portfolio of 12 security initiatives, modernizing IAM and monitoring by upgrading CyberArk, PING, Active Directory, Digital Guardian, and Splunk.
  • Established an internal Security Operations Center, increasing detection and response capability by integrating Digital Guardian, Proofpoint, Recorded Future, and Cofense PhishMe.

Senior Global Security Program Manager

Aon Technology
Lincolnshire, IL
01.2015 - 01.2017
  • Managed a $3.6M global portfolio, improving delivery predictability by standardizing plans, RAID logs, status reporting, and governance across North America, EMEA, and APAC.
  • Reduced cyber and project risk exposure by assessing regulatory and policy impacts and translating findings into prioritized mitigation plans and control requirements.
  • Accelerated cross-functional execution by coordinating stakeholders across Security, IT, and the business to align timelines, dependencies, and risk decisions on complex initiatives.
  • Improved PM maturity by rolling out consistent processes, tools, and templates, enabling clearer resource planning and more consistent stakeholder communication.
  • Strengthened decision-making cadence by producing executive reporting that surfaced risks early, clarified trade-offs, and drove timely remediation and approvals.

Information Security Third Party Governance Lead

Kraft Heinz
Northfield, IL
01.2015 - 01.2016
  • Reduced third-party exposure by tiering high-risk vendors and conducting criticality-based assessments, strengthening due diligence through control-focused questionnaires and remediation tracking.
  • Increased audit readiness by establishing security policies and standards, improving consistency of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards across applications, networks, and sensitive data flows.
  • Strengthened resilience planning by guiding vulnerability management roadmaps and securing operational technology risk, including protocols supporting SCADA environments and critical infrastructure controls.

Vendor Relations Information Security Program Manager

BMO Harris Bank
Chicago, IL
01.2014 - 01.2015
  • Improved vendor onboarding performance by redesigning the supplier evaluation process, strengthening risk identification through structured due diligence and control validation.
  • Reduced third-party risk exposure by executing initial vendor risk assessments and architecture reviews, validating infrastructure controls and aligning findings to enterprise security requirements.
  • Increased executive alignment by establishing a monthly steering committee and standardized status reporting, improving transparency across planning, budgeting, vendor selection, and quality assurance.

Information Security Compliance and Risk Manager

AbbVie Pharmaceutical
Chicago, IL
01.2014 - 12.2014
  • Strengthened governance execution by designing and delivering security risk assessments, translating control gaps into prioritized remediation actions aligned to enterprise policies and audit expectations.
  • Improved operational resilience by developing COOP and disaster recovery plans and validating incident response readiness through annual exercises and control testing.
  • Reduced compliance exposure by enforcing SOX- and PCI-aligned IT processes, improving access controls, evidence practices, and control consistency across core systems.

Education

Ph.D. - Strategic Leadership; Concentration in Leadership Coaching

Regent University

Master's Degree - The Business of Cannabis

LIM College

Master of Science - Cyber Security Management and Policy

University of Maryland Global Campus

The Business of Cannabis (Executive Certification) - undefined

Cleveland School of Cannabis

Chief Risk Officer Program - Executive CRO Certification

Carnegie Mellon University

Cyber Security: Managing Risk in the Information Age - Certification

Harvard University Graduate School of Business

Skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Works Well Under Pressure
  • Multitasking and organization
  • Written/Verbal communication
  • Project management
  • Risk mitigation

Affiliations

  • Association of Information Technology Professionals

Certification

  • Cyber Risk Manager (cyRM) (Insurance)
  • Privacy Management Professional, OneTrust
  • Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT)
  • Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
  • Governance, Risk, and Compliance Professional (GRCP)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Project Management Institute-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Project Management Institute-Risk Management Professional(PMI-RMP) |
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) |Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Interests

  • Sharing travel tips, recommendations, and insights with fellow enthusiasts
  • Getting involved in local advocacy groups to promote positive change in the community

Timeline

Tech Exception Risk Program (Director-Level Engagement)

Wolters Kluwer
01.2025 - Current

Manager, IT Risk and Compliance

Insight Global
01.2024 - 01.2026

Technology Special Consultant (Financial Services Regulatory Environment)

Truist
01.2024 - 01.2025

EPIC Owner/Senior Program Manager

Southwest Airlines
01.2021 - 01.2023

Head of Cyber Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)/Integrated Risk Management

Experis Solutions
01.2019 - 01.2023

Cyber Security Program Manager

First Data
01.2018 - 01.2019

Senior Cyber Security PM/Security Engineer

Alight Solutions
01.2017 - 01.2019

Senior Global Security Program Manager

Aon Technology
01.2015 - 01.2017

Information Security Third Party Governance Lead

Kraft Heinz
01.2015 - 01.2016

Vendor Relations Information Security Program Manager

BMO Harris Bank
01.2014 - 01.2015

Information Security Compliance and Risk Manager

AbbVie Pharmaceutical
01.2014 - 12.2014

Master's Degree - The Business of Cannabis

LIM College

Master of Science - Cyber Security Management and Policy

University of Maryland Global Campus

The Business of Cannabis (Executive Certification) - undefined

Cleveland School of Cannabis

Chief Risk Officer Program - Executive CRO Certification

Carnegie Mellon University

Cyber Security: Managing Risk in the Information Age - Certification

Harvard University Graduate School of Business

Ph.D. - Strategic Leadership; Concentration in Leadership Coaching

Regent University

Professional Development

  • Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  • Certified Business Analyst
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  • Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)
  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
  • ITIL v3
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Artificial Intelligence Professional Certificate

Locations

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Lincolnshire, IL
  • Northfield, IL
  • Chicago, IL
  • Orlando, FL
  • Remote
PATRICIA FIELDSDIRECTOR, GOVERNANCE RISK & COMPLIANCE (GRC) | ENTERPRISE CYBER RISK LEADER Cyber Governance | Compliance & Audit Readiness | Third-Party Risk | Privacy & Regulatory Compliance | GRC Automation | AI Risk
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