Michelle Hofmaster
CISO, Arcfield
Michelle Hofmaster joined Arcfield as chief information security officer following two strategic acquisitions. As the new CISO of the growing mid-sized company, she focused on advancing the enterprise risk program to position it as a business enabler, rather than a roadblock — a common misperception in security risk management.
In a short time, she built partnerships and advocated across sectors to emphasize the critical role of strong cybersecurity and the responsibility each employee has in protecting the company, supporting the mission, meeting customer needs and maintaining their trust.
“I have always said and have taught my teams that the answer is never ‘no,’” Hofmaster said. “The answer is, ‘Let’s work together to get to ‘yes.'”
Why Watch
Looking ahead to 2025, Hofmaster and her team, along with Arcfield’s IT organization, are focused on strengthening the company’s cyber posture by adapting to evolving threats and ensuring readiness to face both foreign and domestic adversaries. She plans to achieve this by fostering the development of innovative, secure solutions that enable the business, rather than hinder it, while maintaining compliance across the enterprise.
“Michelle’s collaborative approach and distinct engineering expertise allow Arcfield to maintain its impressive cyber posture while ensuring the utmost confidence in our data management assurance from our workforce and customers,” said Mike Smith, chief security officer at Arcfield. “Arcfield is entrusted with supporting some of the most sensitive national security missions, and Michelle is a key component in our ability to deliver to our mission partners.”
Fun fact: Hofmaster is a huge fan of hockey. Just as top-tier players know how to pivot, adapt and stay ahead of the play to be successful on the ice, she believes security professionals must apply the same principles.