Shelley Westman is currently a Partner/Principal at EY, focusing in the area of cybersecurity.  She joined EY in September 2017 and focuses on growing the Southeast Region on Cybersecurity.  Prior to joining EY, Shelley was Senior Vice President, Protegrity, a data security company, and had responsibility for Alliances & Security Services.

Shelley spent 18 years at IBM in a wide variety of roles.  Shelley’s last role at IBM was Vice President Operations & Strategic Initiatives, IBM Security.  Shelley focused on overall operations as well as key transformational projects and strategic initiatives across IBM Security. As part of this role, Shelley also led the University Programs for IBM Security and was involved in several IBM boards and committees on hiring and skills.  Shelley was the founder of “WISE” – Women in Security Excelling, an IBM group devoted to advancing women in cybersecurity.

Prior to this, Shelley spent 15 years in IBM’s System and Technology Group where her roles included Vice President of Strategy and Vice President & Business Line Executive, Systems Software and Security.  Shelley has held a number of other key roles at IBM including Director of Power Systems, Director of development operations and roles in alliance management, procurement, forecasting and contracts.

In February 2016, Shelley was appointed to a 3-year term on the National Academies Board of Higher Education &Workforce.  Shelley is a 2016 Honoree of “40 over 40”; 40 women who are making an impact in their field.  Additionally, Shelley was named a 2016 Executive Women’s Forum Women of Influence Award in the category of Security Corporate Practitioner.  Shelley is a frequent public speaker having been interviewed by CNBC, Huffington Post Live, Fox News NY, Reuters and been featured in Fortune, Forbes, and Tech Republic

Prior to joining IBM, Shelley practiced law in Raleigh for 5 years.  She concentrated her practice in the area of civil litigation.

Shelley has a JD, with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law.  Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she graduated Cum Laude.