CrowdStrike Chief Security Officer Shawn Henry plans to step down by the month's end.
In a significant move for cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike, Shawn Henry, the company's Chief Security Officer, has announced his retirement, effective from March 31st. This decision, mutually agreed upon on February 14th, marks the end of an era for CrowdStrike, as Henry was one of the longest-serving executives at the company.
Henry played a pivotal role in the founding of CrowdStrike's incident response and professional services practice. Prior to joining CrowdStrike in 2012, he served as the executive assistant director at the FBI for 24 years, leading global investigations into criminal activity, cyber intrusions, and other issues.
Recently, Henry was at the forefront of CrowdStrike's recovery from a global IT outage that affected about 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices. The faulty software update occurred in a CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, causing widespread disruption. Henry's handling of the situation was praised by Allie Mellen, principal analyst at Forrester, who described his apology on LinkedIn as timely and empathetic.
In his new role as executive advisor to the CEO, Henry will focus on cybersecurity advocacy and resilience. He will no longer participate in CrowdStrike's corporate incentive and leadership incentive plans, and his compensation changes will be effective from March 31st.
As for the succession plan, there are currently no publicly available details. It remains unclear whether CrowdStrike has a successor in mind or will make changes to its IT security governance. Allie Mellen stated that CrowdStrike will have big shoes to fill in finding a successor to Henry.
In his lengthy apology on LinkedIn following the IT outage, Henry expressed gratitude towards employees, customers, and partners. He has been instrumental in CrowdStrike's growth and success, and his departure will undoubtedly leave a void. However, with his continued involvement as an executive advisor, CrowdStrike can look forward to benefiting from his vast experience and expertise in the field of cybersecurity.
Given the absence of specific information in the recent data, it would be advisable to consult official CrowdStrike communications or trusted industry news sources for the latest updates on Henry’s successor and potential IT security governance changes.
- Shawn Henry's roles in CrowdStrike, including his founding of the incident response practice and his significant contributions to the company's cybersecurity and business resilience, will be missed as he transitions from his role as Chief Security Officer to executive advisor to the CEO.
- In the wake of Henry's retirement, CrowdStrike will need to implement a robust incident response plan and maintain strong cybersecurity practices to ensure the financial stability and technological progress of the business.
