Rick McElroy, Principal Cybersecurity Strategist for VMware, has 24 years of information security experience educating and advising organizations on reducing their risk posture and tackling tough security challenges. He has held security positions with the U.S. Department of Defense, and in several industries including retail, insurance, entertainment, cloud computing, and higher education.

McElroy’s experience ranges from performing penetration testing to building and leading security programs. Rick is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified Information Security Manager (CSIM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and Certified in Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK).

As a United States Marine, McElroy’s work included physical security and counterterrorism services. His current role takes him all over the world working with organizations to improve their security strategies and speaking on security and privacy.