Randy Braatz, CISSP, CISM, CISA, CDPSE, PCIP
About
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CISO | Cybersecurity Executive | Private Equity SaaS | GRC Compliance & Risk | Entrepreneur
Whittier, North Carolina, United States
Résumé
Jobs
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Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)LinqSep 2024 - Current (2 years 2 months)Responsible for the enterprise-wide information security program for LINQ's cloud-based K-12 platform, serving 4,100+ school districts, 46 state agencies, 31,000 schools, and 17 million students nationwide, managing a $1M+ annual budget to protect sensitive student, financial, and payment data.
Matured the security program through transition from self-managed EDR to fully managed XDR, expanded incident response capabilities, and maintained BC/DR readiness in partnership with CloudOps.
Led successful SOC and PCI DSS audits in a highly sensitive education environment handling payment processing, nutrition, and administrative data. Implemented a customer-facing Security Trust Center (Drata/SafeBase), enabling self-servi- IFounder/OwnerImpressive Impressions dba Flyboy ToysJun 2012 - Current (14 years 5 months)An online business specializing in custom artwork and products for the aviation industry. With the world’s largest collection of aviation graphics and no minimum order requirements, we’ve revolutionized the creation of personalized aviation-themed products. Our day-to-day operations and custom orders are managed by a dedicated international team based in the Philippines and other locations, partnering with print-on-demand and manufacturing companies to produce high-quality items. We sell across multiple platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and Amazon.
- Senior Global Director, Security, Risk & Compliance | De Facto CISOPDI TechnologiesFeb 2019 - Sep 2024 (5 years 8 months)De Facto CISO for a global, PE-backed (Insight Partners) convenience retail and petroleum software provider, with no dedicated CISO above. Owned full enterprise security strategy, program execution, and executive advisory across US, UK, and Germany operations.
Built and led a 10-person GRC and security team, growing headcount through M&A integration activity to manage 20+ simultaneous compliance audits annually across PCI DSS, SOC, and ISO 27001, each supporting dedicated product teams and independent SDLC processes, delivering on-time audit outcomes satisfying customer contractual requirements and supporting new business development.
Led post-acquisition security integration across 15+ acquisitions, conducting rapid - Excentus - Director, Information Security & Compliance | De Facto CISOPDI TechnologiesJan 2013 - Feb 2019 (6 years 2 months)De Facto CISO supporting the national Fuel Rewards payment and loyalty platform, with no dedicated CISO above. Built a greenfield cybersecurity program from the ground up, establishing foundational policy, controls, compliance infrastructure, and a full security tools stack spanning endpoint detection, SIEM, web application firewall, and security awareness platforms — a program that scaled globally following PDI acquisition in 2018.
Directed PCI DSS Level 1 compliance program across hosted and corporate environments, leading annual audits since 2014 with zero major findings. Spearheaded enterprise tokenization deployment, reducing PCI audit scope significantly and delivering more than $1M in annual ongoing cost savings.
- Excentus - Senior Product Manager (POS, Fuel Control, Site Technologies, Loyalty, PCI Audits)PDI TechnologiesJun 2011 - Dec 2012 (1 year 7 months)Led a team of Product Owners responsible for delivering incremental enhancements and new features across site-level technologies (POS, fuel controllers) and internal systems projects in the convenience retail and petroleum loyalty space.
Served as primary advisor on PCI DSS compliance, guiding product development roadmap to ensure alignment with payment card industry standards and reducing scope/risk for both internal solutions and customer implementations.
Collaborated closely with customers to assess their environments, provide expert consultation on PCI compliance requirements, and recommend secure integration strategies for Excentus loyalty products.
Key Accomplishments:
Successfully led the p - Excentus - Director, Product Management & Quality Assurance (Centego Loyalty, POS, PCI Audits)PDI TechnologiesJul 2010 - May 2011 (11 months)(Centego Division)
Directed the Centego product management and Quality Assurance teams while overseeing daily operations and development activities for this fuel controller and loyalty integration platform serving the convenience retail and petroleum sectors.
Served as the organization's subject matter expert on PCI DSS and Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) requirements, ensuring product roadmap, design decisions, and implementations aligned with industry compliance mandates.
Key Accomplishments:
Partnered with ExxonMobil and multiple leading POS manufacturers to architect and deliver a PCI DSS-compliant integration solution, enabling secure connectivity between their payment applicati - Excentus - Product Manager (POS, Fuel Control, Site Technologies, PCI Audits)PDI TechnologiesJun 2007 - Jun 2010 (3 years 1 month)Owned product features and roadmap for the Fuel Control Point-of-Sale (POS) system, with primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with Visa's Payment Application Best Practices (PABP) and PCI Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) audit requirements.
Collaborated with development, QA, and external assessors to integrate security controls, validate implementations, and prepare comprehensive documentation for rigorous certification processes in the payment processing and convenience retail space.
Key Accomplishments:
Successfully led PA-DSS 1.0 certification for Fuel Controller release in 2009, establishing the product as a compliant payment application and enabling broader market adoption with re - Excentus - AVP of Technical Integration and Quality Assurance (POS & Fuel Control)PDI TechnologiesMay 2005 - May 2007 (2 years 1 month)Led the Integration and Quality Assurance teams while managing day-to-day operations, project scheduling, and delivery timelines for the Fuel Control development team in a fast-paced convenience retail and petroleum technology environment.
Served as the recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Fuel Control systems, providing technical guidance on architecture, integration, compliance, and best practices across cross-functional initiatives.
Key Accomplishments:
Successfully navigated and passed Visa Payment Application Best Practices (PABP) audit, ensuring the fuel control platform met rigorous payment security standards and enabling secure deployments for enterprise clients.
Designed and impleme - Excentus - AVP of Technical Integration (POS and Fuel Control)PDI TechnologiesFeb 2003 - Apr 2005 (2 years 3 months)Translated complex business requirements into actionable product features for fuel control and loyalty systems, overseeing end-to-end processes including integration, configuration, testing, and validation to deliver fully functional, site-ready solutions for convenience retail and petroleum customers.
Managed daily operations and priorities of the development team, ensuring efficient execution, timely delivery, and high-quality outcomes in a dynamic product environment.
Key Accomplishments:
Collaborated closely with the company founder and senior architect to design and launch the industry's first fully functional Verifone Ruby to Gilbarco hardware Gateway Reward Fuel Controller, enabling value-added discount fun - Excentus - Manager, Technical Support Services (POS and Fuel Control)PDI TechnologiesJul 2002 - Jan 2003 (7 months)Led a focused team responsible for end-to-end configuration, rigorous testing, seamless deployment, and comprehensive customer training for new fuel control, POS, and loyalty products in the convenience retail and petroleum technology sector.
Designed and implemented standardized processes and best practices to facilitate smooth customer transitions from legacy VB3 to modern VB6 platforms, minimizing downtime, reducing risks, and ensuring consistent, high-quality migrations.
Key Accomplishments:
Established repeatable deployment and training frameworks that accelerated onboarding for new products and upgrades, improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Streamlined platform migration procedure - Excentus - Technical Services / Senior Support Analyst (POS and Fuel Control)PDI TechnologiesJul 2001 - Jun 2002 (1 year)Delivered Tier 2/3 escalation support to the front-line customer support team, troubleshooting complex issues while rigorously testing new product releases, enhancements, and bug fixes from development in the fuel control, POS, and loyalty systems environment.
Acted as senior support analyst and key liaison between Quality Assurance and Development teams, facilitating clear communication, prioritizing issues, and ensuring timely resolution of critical defects impacting customer sites.
Designed and developed an in-house support call center database using Microsoft Access, which streamlined ticket tracking, reporting, and knowledge management; the solution was successfully deployed and utilized company-wide for over two - TSoftware Developer and Systems AdministratorThe Jerry Brown CompanyJun 1996 - Jul 2001 (5 years 2 months)Provided comprehensive system support, configuration, and administration for telecom systems, desktop workstations, network servers, and overall system security in a technology environment supporting convenience retail and petroleum operations.
Served as in-house developer for custom accounting software solutions, designing and implementing enhancements to streamline data entry workflows and simplify reporting procedures, resulting in improved operational efficiency and accuracy.
Actively participated in technical advisory committees and cross-industry brainstorming sessions with major partners including Commercial Fueling Network (CFN), Mobil Oil, and Texaco, contributing expertise on system integration, security, and - OSoftware Developer and Assistant ManagerOffice Equipment Company OECSep 1988 - Jun 1996 (7 years 10 months)Designed, developed, and maintained custom accounting software tailored to the unique needs of commercial fueling and bulk petroleum industry clients, delivering specialized solutions for financial tracking, invoicing, and reporting in high-volume fuel operations.
Provided expert support for Unix and Windows-based systems, including system administration, troubleshooting, configuration, and optimization to ensure reliable performance in mission-critical environments.
Key Accomplishments:
Created bespoke accounting applications that streamlined financial processes for petroleum and commercial fueling customers, improving accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with industry-specific requirements.
Specialize - AssistantDynamixOct 1986 - Sep 1988 (2 years)Desk clerk, shipping, software testing, and basic software development.
Education
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- Select courses in IT, Software Development, and LegalLane Community CollegeJan 1988 - Jan 1992 (4 years 1 month)
Awards
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- IIndividual Initiative AwardIssued by Excentus
- IOutstanding Achievement AwardIssued by Excents
- ITechnical Achievement AwardIssued by Excentus
- IOutstanding Achievement AwardIssued by ExcentusSunoco Leadership Team
- ISuccessful Launch of the Reward Gateway Fuel Controller AwardIssued by ExcentusIndustry Changing Reward Gateway Fuel Controller and allowed Excentus to be first to market.
- IEmployee Of The Year AwardIssued by Excentus
- IOutstanding Team AwardIssued by ExcentusDevelopment Team