Ballistic Ventures Hires Former Google Cloud CISO Phil Venables

Phil Venables, who previously held the position of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Google Cloud, has recently joined Ballistic Ventures. This is a venture capital firm that specializes in cybersecurity investments. Venables will serve as a Venture Partner with them.

Throughout his career, Venables has been a key security leader at major companies, including Google Cloud, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank. He has contributed significantly to the field of cybersecurity.

One of Venables' notable achievements is helping to establish the Center for Internet Security (CIS). He was on the board of this organization from 2014 to 2020. Currently, he is involved with several other boards and committees, such as MITRE’s Science and Technology Advisory Committee, HackerOne, Interos, and Veza. In addition, he holds the role of Strategic Security Advisor at Google Cloud. His involvement also extends to serving as co-chair of the board of Sheltered Harbor, an initiative designed to protect the financial system in the event of severe incidents like cyberattacks that could disrupt essential systems.

Regarding his new role, Venables expressed enthusiasm, stating, "After 30 years as a CISO at some of the largest organizations, I am eager to embark on a new journey that provides the opportunity to influence the future of cybersecurity differently. The outstanding team at Ballistic Ventures and their commitment to developing and enhancing next-generation cybersecurity solutions resonate with my passion for driving security innovation and resilience across industries. I am looking forward to collaborating with founders and their teams as they tackle the most critical security issues of our era."

Venables also participated in the 2024 Cloud Security Summit organized by SecurityWeek, where he engaged in a fireside chat. You can listen to this discussion below.