As the Chief Security Officer of Rackspace, Brian Kelly is responsible for the safety and security of Rackers and Rackspace facilities, infrastructure, and data.
Brian joined Rackspace in October 2014 after three decades of leadership in security, special operations, and intelligence with the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, and the private sector. He led the Giuliani Advanced Security Center in New York and served as executive director of IT risk transformation for Ernst and Young.
Brian graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he earned a degree in management. He later earned an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
In the Air Force, Brian rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He led teams involved in satellite surveillance, cyber security, cyber warfare, and management of highly sensitive operations around the globe. He advised the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense and received a Department of Defense meritorious service medal.
After leaving the Air Force, Brian led business operations for Trident Data Systems, providing industry-leading security research and technology to both the public and private sectors. He later served as a partner (select) at Deloitte and Touche, president of Newbrook Technologies, and CEO of iDefense, the first cyber threat intelligence provider for the private sector. In each role, he honed his skills in executive leadership, personnel, data and facility security, incident response, and forensic evidence collection. He has worked closely with senior executives for leading companies in global financial services, technology, health care, and manufacturing.
A frequent speaker at industry conferences on security, Brian is the author of From Stone to Silicon: a Revolution in Information Technology and Implications for Military Command and Control.
