The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 28, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 10.
Next is Tim Potier, vice president and chief security officer at Parsons Corp., and finalist in the Chief Security Officer Private and Public category. Here, he shares key achievements, focus areas going forward, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2023?
2023 was a year of surprises across the security domain, including significant geopolitical, regulatory and compliance shifts. It was also a year of notable success for Parsons as the company continues its rapid international growth. We were able to demonstrate our commitment to security by achieving multiple industry certifications like ISO 27001 and CMMC. Our key successes were primarily linked to the transformation of our enterprise risk management and compliance capabilities, allowing Parsons to anticipate and mitigate security challenges. Having a significant business footprint in the Middle East, our ability to maintain the safety and security of our employees and avoid business disruption during the volatility in the fourth quarter stands as one of our most important achievements.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Our 2024 focus areas are driven by our “One Security” approach that will continue to successfully consolidate all areas of security into one highly agile team. As Parsons continues to acquire companies and pivot into adjacent markets, our security risk exposure changes, therefore integration of these businesses into the One Security culture is critical. We will continue to mature our threat intelligence team across all security domains and leverage that intelligence to keep Parsons people, systems and assets secure. We are focused on the centralization of security risk management across the portfolio and capitalizing on the insights this brings.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
My best career advice is to find the right mentor. Whether you are just starting your career in the security space or are a seasoned executive, the benefits of having a mentor to provide guidance or even just to lean on is of tremendous value. The security field is fast-paced, stressful, dynamic and at times quite overwhelming, so the value of having a mentor as a constant grounding point is critical. In addition, I always recommend getting involved in as many projects as you can reasonably manage, whether you have experience or not. Great security leaders have both depth and breadth of knowledge and experience, and they must spend time in the trenches to get there.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know?
I am an avid outdoorsman and really enjoy being able to immerse myself in an environment where I can completely disconnect. As a security professional, I am connected continuously and bombarded with threat intelligence data, security incidents, and all alarms and indicators that dominate our mission. Having the opportunity to completely disconnect from that world and spend time hiking, exploring, camping and just enjoying the natural world is energizing.