Exceptionally Talented Security Experts

Jim Broome is a seasoned IT/IS veteran with more than 20 years of information security experience in both consultative and operational roles. Jim leads DirectDefense, where he is responsible for the day-to-day management of the company, as well as providing guidance and direction for our service offerings.

Previously, Jim was a Director with AccuvantLABS where he managed, developed, and performed information security assessments for organizations across multiple industries, while also developing and growing a team of consultants in his charge.

Prior to AccuvantLABS, Jim was a Principal Security Consultant with Internet Security Systems (ISS) and their X-Force penetration testing team.

Jim has also developed and provided training courses on several security products, including being a primary author of the CheckPoint Software Software CCSA/CCSE/CCSI training program, as well as creating and delivering numerous client-focused training programs and events.

Beau Shahriary has nearly two decades of experience in computer security consulting. He has performed security assessments, security remediation, and strategic planning for a host of Fortune 500 companies. At DirectDefense, Beau is responsible for the establishment and development of sales and marketing efforts.

Prior to joining DirectDefense, Beau was a founding member of the AccuvantLABS organization and performed and managed numerous assessment engagements. Before AccuvantLABS, Beau worked for Foundstone as a Consultant, and later as a Senior Managing Consultant and Project Manager for the professional services group. In that capacity, he managed and performed security assessments and vulnerability resolution on enterprise networks and web-based applications. Before Foundstone, Beau spent several years as a Consultant with Internet Security Systems’ (ISS) X-Force professional services, where he performed services ranging from security assessments and penetration testing to enterprise security infrastructure deployment and network and process integration.

Due to Beau’s extensive level of knowledge in most areas of security implementation and management from both a technical and managerial level, he is a consistently sought-after and in-demand consulting resource. Beau has taught many of the Foundstone Ultimate Hacking courses to both private audiences and government agencies. Since coming to DirectDefense, Beau has contributed to the growing needs of our organization by engaging our customers on large projects with unique requirements. His ability to adapt and exceed the customer’s needs has led to many return engagements.

Christopher Walcutt is a former network architect with 25 years of experience in security, risk, and compliance leadership. His expertise is predominantly in the energy, utility, smart grid, and manufacturing sectors, specializing in industrial controls architecture, management consulting, and breach and incident handling. He has provided services to a wide variety of enterprise clients, including some of the world’s largest energy, engineering, manufacturing, and water companies, and has advised CISO’s offices and Boards of Directors globally.

Chris served in leadership roles at Constellation Energy, SunGard, and Black & Veatch, where he was responsible for cybersecurity and management consulting for NERC CIP, NRC, smart grid, and NIST compliance.

Chris has guided organizational change amidst the ever-changing threat landscape and has served in multiple NERC committees and working groups. 

Jared Ballou is a seasoned leader in the security industry with over 15 years of experience, known for his expertise in rapid client delivery and collaborative deal structuring. His strategic approach has driven significant growth and fostered strong, long-term client relationships. 

As the Senior Vice President of Growth and Strategy at DirectDefense, Jared oversees sales, marketing, business development, and alliances. By collaborating closely with cross-functional leaders, Jared plays a critical role in aligning top-level growth strategies and ensuring the success of key performance indicators at the executive level. 

In 2018, Jared joined ObserveIT, where he built a world-class sales organization grounded in a high-energy, high-integrity culture. Following the 2019 acquisition of ObserveIT by Proofpoint, Jared led the information protection business unit, expanding Proofpoint’s security portfolio by integrating DLP capabilities with endpoint, CASB, web isolation, and SASE solutions. 

Before ObserveIT, Jared served as VP of Sales and Alliances at MixMode.ai, guiding the company through its transition from stealth mode to public product launch. Earlier, he spent a decade at Rapid7, where he was instrumental in creating a sales model that drove record-breaking growth through strategic partnerships. 

Venkat Rangarajan is a seasoned cybersecurity sales leader with over 25 years of experience driving revenue growth, scaling sales organizations, and expanding go-to-market strategies across high-growth security companies. As Vice President of Sales at DirectDefense, he leads sales strategy, revenue initiatives, and market expansion across the company’s cybersecurity services portfolio.

Prior to DirectDefense, Venkat held senior sales leadership roles at Anvil Secure, Pondurance, and Rapid7, where he built and scaled high-performing teams, delivered consistent year-over-year revenue growth, and supported both startup and private-equity-backed organizations. At Pondurance, he designed and operationalized the sales organization supporting the company’s MDR offering.

Earlier in his career, Venkat served in leadership roles at Rapid7, Cisco Systems, and Neohapsis, where he exceeded revenue targets, secured Fortune 50 clients, and supported large-scale acquisition integrations.

Venkat holds the CISSP certification and is known for his customer-centric leadership style and ability to translate complex cybersecurity services into measurable business value.

Kevin Brooks is a seasoned finance professional with over 30 years of experience across multiple industries, excelling in financial planning, operational finance, and corporate development. As the Vice President of Finance at DirectDefense he is focused on financial operations, strategic planning, treasury and risk management. 

Prior, Kevin served as VP of Finance at Bishop Fox, a leading cybersecurity company, where he built a global finance team to support the company’s significant growth from 2019 to 2024. Kevin also facilitated a $129 million Series B round of funding. 

Prior to Bishop Fox, Kevin was the VP Corporate Controller at Trace3, a $1 billion IT solutions company, where he oversaw all accounting functions and played a pivotal role in the due diligence and integration processes of a major acquisition. At International Vitamin, he managed accounting, tax and financial reporting for the largest manufacturer of store brand vitamins and nutritional supplements in the United States. 

His career also includes a long tenure at Quest Software, where he held multiple senior positions, including VP of Sales Operations and VP Corporate Controller. 

Kevin is a CPA and holds a Bachelor’s in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Matt Maddox is an experienced professional services leader with extensive experience building and leading world-class consulting teams collaborating with clients to solve business challenges.

As the Vice President of Professional Services at DirectDefense, Matt manages our portfolio of industry-leading security services, including web application, network, cloud, API, thick client, mobile, OT, and embedded systems penetration testing.

Previously, Matt served as Managing Principal with Black Duck Software (formerly Synopsys). Matt has led professional services teams with Dell, Rackspace, Cisco Systems, and Accenture. Matt is also a former Army officer and Airborne Ranger.

Charly Bun serves as Senior Director – MSSP for DirectDefense. Charly manages a team of Security Analysts focused on the detection of cybersecurity events and is responsible for the management of detection infrastructure and response to cybersecurity incidents.

He is a seasoned cybersecurity leader, entrepreneur, and innovator who has consistently driven the success of security solutions and portfolios throughout his career. His background encompasses managed services, corporate development, product management, consulting, technical support, and implementation. 

Prior to DirectDefense, he played a pivotal role in designing, building, and delivering comprehensive evaluations of clients’ information security programs at Rapid7. Leading a global team of over 120 global Advisors and Managers, the team contributed significantly to the company’s growth, overseeing the successful creation of Rapid7 Managed Services. Prior to this, he led services focused on risk management, compliance, cloud security, vulnerability management, and application security solutions. During his tenure, Charly was responsible for the successful redesign of services to adopt a risk-based approach and the rebranding of the Analytic Response service to Managed Detection and Response, resulting in a remarkable 200% year-over-year growth in Managed Services revenue.  

Charly holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science from Drexel University.

Melissa Cox is a dynamic process, programs, and operations manager recognized for her innovative approaches to driving operational improvement. She is passionate about leading teams through complex, cross-functional transformations and excels in managing high-risk accounts, building resilient teams, and optimizing processes for continuous improvement. 

As Senior Director of Operations, Melissa oversees operational efficiency in all areas of the organization, including process optimization, quality and integrity of delivery, program management, contract negotiations, and support for sales strategy. 

Prior, Melissa served as an Engineering Program Manager for Cisco’s ThousandEyes. During her 13-year tenure at Cisco, she designed and implemented a custom hybrid agile product operating rhythm that streamlined major releases across 14 cross-functional teams. Additionally, Melissa led the creation of a dual-track Agile project management office methodology for mission-critical initiatives, collaborating with product, engineering, and go-to-market teams to deliver cross-functional solutions. As Manager of Key Initiatives, she oversaw senior program managers on incubation projects across multiple departments. 

Certified in SAFe® Program Consulting, Melissa combines creativity and team mentorship with technical leadership, consistently driving strategic and operational success. 

Melissa holds a Master’s degree in Screenwriting from UCLA and a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from York University.

Christian Juan leads the Talent Acquisition initiatives for DirectDefense. Christian joined DirectDefense in 2015 and brings with him more than 20 years of recruiting and talent management experience in the cybersecurity, IT, and engineering space. He oversees the sourcing, recruitment, screening, selection, and placement of the highest caliber cybersecurity talent for DirectDefense and its clients.

He has developed robust sourcing strategies to identify quality candidates, creating a first-class candidate experience, paying careful attention to fit when matching candidates, and communicating transparently with all internal stakeholders and clients throughout the placement process.

Prior to his time at DirectDefense, Christian served in senior recruiting roles at Samsung, Ericsson, and Hilton.

Tracy McBride leads the project management team responsible for all aspects of client management including coordination and supervision of service delivery while supporting operations to further enhance the client experience. Tracy joined the company in 2017 as SOW / QA Sales Support before being promoted to Director of Client Services in 2022. 

Tracy graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Exercise Science. She is a mother of three girls and enjoys spending time with her family and traveling when time allows.

As a widely recognized leader and innovator in cybersecurity and information technology, Patty Wright has inspired and paved the way for other women entering the security industry and those aspiring to leadership roles in information technology. She is a serial entrepreneur, having been involved in six technology startups, two of which were acquired by large technology companies and one of which led to an initial public offering.

Most recently, Wright was Vice President of CX Product Management, Security and Collaboration at Cisco where she was responsible for developing leading-edge security services. Previously, Wright held senior executive roles with some of the world’s most recognized high-tech and cybersecurity companies, including Symantec, Rapid7, @stake, Bishop Fox, and Neohapsis.

A proven product and services leader, Patty is known for her ability to consistently grow early-stage professional services organizations into thriving, high-value, profitable businesses that achieve the highest customer satisfaction ratings and strong year-over-year growth. She has a track record of understanding her clients’ business challenges and their evolving requirements. Her unique strength is in being able to both define a winning transformation strategy for growth and scale, while also being able to define rapid and effective execution plans to achieve it.

As DirectDefense scales its business, Patty will provide outside perspective on the evolution of services and delivery within the cybersecurity industry.