Paul Connelly
Professor of Practice
Jack C. Massey College of Business
Biography
Paul Connelly has more than 39 years of Information Security experience, starting as an Information Security Analyst at the National Security Agency in 1984. He built the first information security program at the White House and led it as Information Security Officer for nine years, serving under three Presidents.
He left federal service in 1996 to build a regional cybersecurity consulting practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, becoming partner and spent six years supporting multiple federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies with security consulting, assessment, incident response, technology, and strategy services.
After that, he built the first information security program at HCA Healthcare, a Fortune 100 U.S. healthcare provider. He became the Chief Security Officer (CSO) and his responsibilities expanded to include Privacy, Physical Security, and Information Governance. When he was promoted the CEO’s senior leadership team, he served on the Operating, Risk, Information Governance, and Employee Engagement committees, and had a key role in digital transformation of patient care and business operations, and data science partnership with Google. Stepped down from the CSO role in December 2022 after leading the program, and retired from HCA in April 2023.
Paul stepped down from the CSO role in December 2022 and retired from HCA in April 2023. He is currently serving as:
- Technical Advisor on Cybersecurity to the board of the U.S. Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network
- Developer of cybersecurity education at Belmont University
- Board of Directors, Dismas, a not-for-profit that provides men and women released from state and federal incarceration the skills and support to re-enter society as contributing members
Among Paul’s proudest accomplishments has been the development of people, with thirty-three members of his teams selected as CISOs.
- Master of Agricultural Management and Resource Development, University of Florida
- Bachelor of Science, Food & Resource Economics, University of Florida
- National Security Studies program, U.S. Naval War College
- Directorship Certified, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)
- Certificate, AI Implications for Business Strategy, Sloan School of Management, MIT
- Certificate, ESG for Senior Leaders, The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
- Certificate, Directorship Essentials in Risk Oversight and Management, NACD
- Certificate, Director Proficiency: Financial Oversight, NACD
- Certificate, Cybersecurity Oversight for Directors, NACD
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), ISC2
- Information Systems Security Professional certification, National Security Agency
- Certified instructor, Model-Netics Management Essentials Program
- Class of 2018, Leadership Nashville
- Independent Director, Board of Directors - Fortified Health Security
- Independent Director, Board of Directors - Dismas Inc., Nashville TN
- Faculty Member, IANS Research (Institute for Applied Network Security)
- Chief Information Security Officer - HCA Healthcare
- Partner, Audit & Business Advisory Services – PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Chief Security Officer, Presidential Communications Officer - White House Communications Agency, The White House
- Information Security Analyst - National Security Agency
- Resource Economist - St. Johns River Water Management District
- IT Systems Manager - Florida Farm Bureau Life Insurance
- Frank B Rowlett Trophy (The National Information Security Award)
- Executive Alliance Private Sector Security Executive of the Year for North America
- Nashville Technology Council Chief Information Security Officer of the Year
- White House Communications Agency Hall of Fame
- Department of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award
- Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award