RTI’s Bernice Bond selected as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Year

Bond was recognized by the NC TECH Awards, the state's tech sector and industry awards

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, celebrates the selection of Vice President of Information Security, Chief Information Security Officer Bernice Bondas CISO of the Year by the NC TECH Awards.

NC TECH, in partnership with accounting firm Cherry Bekaert and USI Insurance, honored eight technology leaders including Bond. Awardees were nominated by their peers and selected by the NC TECH Awards Committee.

"It's an honor to be named CISO of the Year by the NC TECH Awards," said Bond. "My objective is to safeguard the institute against the constantly changing cyber landscape. By proactively identifying and addressing potential security vulnerabilities, we not only defend against digital threats but also establish a strong foundation for future innovation."

Winners were acknowledged at an awards gala on Dec. 3 at the Raleigh Convention Center during North Carolina's largest technology event. This celebration brought together 700 leaders from technology, business and public sectors to honor technology achievements in the state.

"Bernice is RTI's cybersecurity champion, and I can't think of a more deserving recipient for the CISO of the Year award," saidJorge Elguera, executive vice president and chief information officer at RTI. "Leveraging her extensive expertise, she champions robust IT security protocols and regulatory compliance, engaging senior management and operational units and clients through collaborative prioritization and integrated risk management strategies."

With over 25 years of cyber security leadership and experience, Bond leads, improves and maintains IT governance, IT risk management and cybersecurity operations at RTI. She holds several professional certifications, including ISC2 CISSP, PMI PMP, ITIL v3 Foundations, School of Cybersecurity CEIA and a Cybersecurity Nano degree. Additionally, she has professional memberships at ISC2 and PMI. She is on the NC Technology Advisory Board, the chair of the NC Museum of Life and Science Board of Directors and a participant in the Leadership Triangle Executive Program.

The other honorees are:

• Tech CEO of the Year, Chris Babcock, Apiture
• Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Year Public Sector, Jonathan Feldman, Wake County
• Tech Difference Maker of the Year, Sharon Jones, Dottie Rose Foundation
• Tech Woman of the Year, Lopamudra Mahapatra, Infosys
• Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Year Private Sector, Nick Otto, Kimley-Horn
• Public Leader of the Year, Jim Weaver, North Carolina Department of Information Technology
• Beacon Award (Outstanding Achievement), Randy Woodson, NC State University

Learn more about the NC TECH Awards