Dr. Joye Purser is Global Field CISO at Cohesity, the number-one maker of data backup systems. She also is the 2023 ISC2 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner in Cybersecurity.

In 2022, she was the first-ever senior executive Regional Director for Cybersecurity in CISA Region 4, for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. At CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Dr. Purser delivered strategic vision for a geographically distributed team of security experts and strengthened partnerships with critical infrastructure owners in the region. Prior to that, Dr. Purser worked in the private sector at a large, global management consulting firm, where she facilitated enterprise risk management and business continuity activities for a 10,000-staff client. She led global pandemic recovery operations, enabling a county of 4.7 million people to organize, plan, and expend more than $400 million in COVID relief aid.

Working for 20 years in Washington, Dr. Purser was selected to serve in the White House at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where she oversaw development of the $95 billion Department of Defense technology budget. While at OMB, she led an effort that galvanized federal agencies, the private sector, and Congress to unify to secure and strengthen the semiconductor supply chain.

Dr. Purser led audit activities at the Pentagon for a decade, advising on the design and deployment of multi-billion-dollar IT programs such as financial management systems and electronic health records. A governance, risk, and compliance expert, she authored internal policies establishing new authorities for the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (OSD/CAPE) for an agency with a two-million-person workforce.

Before that, Dr. Purser worked on Capitol Hill as a seasoned legislative staffer, guiding the agenda for two members of Congress on the House Science Committee. There, she steered the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus; drafted a bill promoting a more diverse technology workforce that passed into law; organized constituent town hall events; worked on a presidential campaign; and contributed to the drafting of the Affordable Care Act.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Purser has consulted on federal engagement strategy as Vice President of Artemis Strategies; and she worked at the nonprofit, Research America, to educate scientists on how to engage with Congress more effectively and in their communities. She serves on the Board of Cyversity; mentors a large group of security professionals; and devotes her gifts of communication, strategy, and coalition-building in a number of volunteer activities in her community.

A graduate of Georgia Tech, Dr. Purser has a technical background as an accomplished researcher. Her first scientific publication has been cited more than three hundred times. She resides in Atlanta with her spouse and children.