Travis Howard, Ph.D., CISSP-ISSMP
Washington,DC
Summary
Accomplished information security executive with 22-year record of leadership experience in areas such as program development and management, system security support and organizational optimization. Focused on bridging gaps between security and the business. Demonstrated success as operational leader, articulate communicator and security governance, risk, and compliance expert. Collaborates across functions to execute the vision, provide direction, and inspire others to excellence. Retired U.S. Navy Information Warfare Officer, voracious non-profit volunteer, and lifelong scholar with a passion for teaching and coaching.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Manager, Business InfoSec Officer (BISO)
Accenture Federal Services LLC
Arlington, VA
01.2020 - Current
- Senior-level information security manager supporting the information security program along the defense and intelligence lines-of-business within a cleared defense contractor; improving security governance, managing client data risk, and advising senior leaders (250+ contracts with over $1.7 billion in revenue)
- Led security reviews and stakeholder engagements that provided client engagement teams with the tools and processes necessary to identify and mitigate security risks; bridged policy and operational gaps between security and the business, and advocated for business needs in security forums.
- Coordinated efforts between the Chief Information Security Officer, business managing directors, and client teams through 110+ incident response efforts, threat mitigation, and vulnerability alerts.
- Member of CISO Advisory Council; led organizational transformation in 2023-2024 resulting in 40% increase in resources supporting new security initiatives.
- Served as the principal system security manager (DoD 8570, ISSM Level III) supporting national industrial security program (NISP) and intelligence community accreditation requirements within cleared facilities across the enterprise.
- Graduate of the Accenture Leadership Development Program for 2022, an incubator for future managing directors.
Instructor
Georgia Southern University
Savannah, GA
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Term-limited faculty for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
- Developed and instructed graduate students in Global Cybersecurity, an in-depth study of cybersecurity from a global perspective, including cyberterrorism, cybercrime, and cyberwarfare.
Legislative Liaison and Portfolio Lead
United States Navy, Pentagon
Washington, DC
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Liaison officer and intergovernmental affairs specialist coordinating information flow between the Navy and the United States Congress; executive advisor to senior Navy officials for congressional activities involving naval information systems (C4), cybersecurity and cyber-warfare, and space programs
- Utilized analytical and collaborative skills to serve as an executive advisor for the Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Deputy Assistant Secretary, and the Commander of Fleet Cyber Command on strategic engagement with Congress
- Managed and evolved partnerships with the professional staff of congressional committees using social skills and subject matter expertise resulting in supportive legislation for Navy programs
- Led over 75 successful congressional engagements on a range of sensitive operational and policy issues involving naval information warfare and the national intelligence community.
Requirements Manager
United States Navy, Pentagon
Washington, DC
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Analyzed and coordinated program requirements supporting Navy headquarters activities and PEO/program managers
- Performed oversight of a major defense acquisition program (MDAP) with a $6.9B life-cycle cost and $350M+ annual budget, ensuring the program met Navy warfighting needs
- Demonstrated superior analytical ability by identifying and communicating 14% in learning-curve cost savings, enabling reinvestment towards virtual training and new development initiatives
- Utilized critical thinking and cross-functional relationships to successfully prioritize and resolve operational gaps and funding shortfalls in a fiscally constrained environment; the result was an increase of over $40M in budgetary appropriations for fleet cybersecurity and network capabilities
- Served as deputy executive assistant to the director (rear admiral) of information warfare integration; facilitated executive schedules and orchestrated staff workflows across 150+ person workforce.
Director, Information Systems
United States Navy, USS ESSEX LHD 2
San Diego, CA
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Head of department for communications, information systems, and cybersecurity; led 4 divisions comprising 7 managers and 50+ technicians; provided vision, developed plans, and directed execution of naval networks and security capabilities for a group flagship and 2,500+ embarked personnel
- Led significant improvement in network (1,300 endpoints, 4,500 user base) and security readiness by leveraging advanced endpoint security and intrusion detection tools to increase threat detection rates and reduce critical vulnerabilities; received highest fleet readiness score for ship’s class
- Developed and implemented the first-ever flagship security operations center (SOC) team for real-time threat monitoring and incident response during deployed operations, resulting in measurable impacts: vulnerability management scores consistently above 95%, rapid remediation of 250+ asset security violations, and real-time actions against 50+ high-threat intelligence alerts
- Collaborated across departments and disparate stakeholders to reduce enterprise-wide information risk, raise security awareness, review and update security policies and procedures, and remediate security events and vulnerabilities (Tenable ACAS and McAfee ePO/HBSS).
Education
Ph.D. - Cyber Leadership
Capitol Technology University
M.S. - Cybersecurity Policy
University of Maryland Global Campus
M.B.A. -
University of Maryland Global Campus
B.S. - Information Technology Management
Trident University International
Skills
- Risk Management Expertise
- Incident Response
- Compliance Management
- Business Continuity Planning
- Information Protection
- Reporting and Documentation
- Resource Management
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Budget Administration
- Performance Improvement
- Project Management
- Strategy Implementation
Clearance
TS/SCI
Certification
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Management Concentration (ISSMP)
- Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CSSK) version 4
- ICAgile Certified Professional, Agile Program and Delivery Management
Accomplishments
- 2022 Accenture EPIC Award
- 2014 AFCEA Meritorious Rising Star, Information Technology
- 2000-2020 U.S. Military decorations for merit and professional achievement (highest: Meritorious Service Medal)
Affiliations
- Chapter Leader, Travis Manion Foundation
- Volunteer Instructor, Navy League / U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps
- Volunteer SME and Review Board Member, (ISC)2
- Independent security scholar, researcher, and author with 14+ publications
Timeline
Instructor
Georgia Southern University
01.2021 - 01.2022
Senior Manager, Business InfoSec Officer (BISO)
Accenture Federal Services LLC
01.2020 - Current
Legislative Liaison and Portfolio Lead
United States Navy, Pentagon
01.2018 - 01.2020
Requirements Manager
United States Navy, Pentagon
01.2016 - 01.2018
Director, Information Systems
United States Navy, USS ESSEX LHD 2
01.2014 - 01.2016
Ph.D. - Cyber Leadership
Capitol Technology University
M.S. - Cybersecurity Policy
University of Maryland Global Campus
M.B.A. -
University of Maryland Global Campus
B.S. - Information Technology Management
Trident University International
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Management Concentration (ISSMP)
- Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CSSK) version 4
- ICAgile Certified Professional, Agile Program and Delivery Management
Similar Profiles
Christopher PierceChristopher Pierce
Management Analyst at Accenture Federal Services ASM Research, LLCManagement Analyst at Accenture Federal Services ASM Research, LLC
Arezu ThakurArezu Thakur
Lead Software Testing Engineer at Accenture Federal ServicesLead Software Testing Engineer at Accenture Federal Services
Sean GilliamSean Gilliam
Cybersecurity Analyst at Accenture Federal ServicesCybersecurity Analyst at Accenture Federal Services