Executive Profile Cybersecurity Leader Washington D.C. · New York, San Francisco
Cybersecurity Executive

Joe
Bernik.

A risk executive with more than two decades of experience building and leading cybersecurity programs at the world's largest financial institutions. Joe began his career at the U.S. Department of Defense protecting military systems, and has since shaped information security strategy across global banks, government bodies, and the technology industry. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, published in academic and industry forums, and advised on policy at the intersection of national security and financial resilience.

  • Head of Global Technology Risk Management
    BNY Mellon · Managing Director
  • Global Banking & Markets Enterprise Risk
    Bank of America
  • Chief Technical Strategist, Financial Sector
    McAfee
  • Director
    Promontory Financial Group
  • Chief Information Security Officer
    Fifth Third Bank
  • Chief Information Security Officer
    ABN AMRO / LaSalle Bank
  • Director of Operational Risk
    Royal Bank of Scotland / Citizens Bank
  • Cybersecurity
    U.S. Department of Defense
Publications

Written Work

Cybersecurity Risk Management: Enhancing Leadership & Expertise
De Gruyter · 2024
Book Chapter · Academic Publication

"Securing Artificial Intelligence in the Real World"

Chapter 6, pp. 113–124  ·  Volume V: Cybersecurity Risk Management: Enhancing Leadership and Expertise  ·  Edited by Kurt J. Engemann & Jason A. Witty  ·  De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston, 2024

An authoritative treatment of the practical security challenges surrounding artificial intelligence deployment in enterprise environments. The chapter explores real-world frameworks for securing AI systems, addressing governance, threat modeling, and the unique risk surface introduced by machine learning at scale — drawing on deep operational experience across global financial institutions.

View at De Gruyter
CISO Profile Series
BankInfoSecurity
Industry Profile · Interview

"In a New Role, He Melds Business and Security"

BankInfoSecurity CISO Profile Series  ·  2010

A widely-read profile examining the evolving role of the CISO at the intersection of technology and business strategy. Joe discusses his philosophy of building trust with business partners, the rise of organized cybercrime targeting financial institutions, and the shift from infrastructure-centric security to business-risk-oriented leadership.

Read Profile
Congressional Record

Testimony Before Congress

"The financial sector is ready and waiting. As good a job as institutions like Bank of America and US Bank are doing, they can't be expected to deter a nation state on their own."
— Joe Bernik, Statement for the Record
U.S. House Financial Services Committee, 2018
Congressional Testimony · House Financial Services Committee

Statement for the Record on Cybersecurity in Financial Services

U.S. House of Representatives · Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit March 15, 2018 · Washington, D.C. Testifying on behalf of McAfee

Bernik testified on the state of cybersecurity threats facing the U.S. financial system, drawing on his experience at BNY Mellon, Fifth Third Bank, and ABN AMRO. His testimony addressed public-private cooperation, the inadequacy of the Social Security Number as a digital identity credential, the need for open cybersecurity platforms, and the limitations of Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS). He urged Congress to modernize federal procurement rules to accelerate the adoption of next-generation security solutions.

Read Full Testimony (PDF)
Invited participant on technology, innovation, and American primacy in the digital age.
— Council on Foreign Relations
Roundtable on Technology & Innovation
Policy Roundtable · Council on Foreign Relations

Roundtable on Technology, Innovation, and American Primacy

Council on Foreign Relations Director, Promontory Financial Group

Invited participant in a Council on Foreign Relations policy roundtable examining technology's role in U.S. strategic leadership, cybersecurity resilience, and financial sector risk at the national level.

Press & Media

In the News

BankInfoSecurity
CISO Profile: Joe Bernik, Fifth Third Bank
An in-depth profile on building security programs that bridge technology and business, and the organized cybercrime trends targeting financial institutions.
Read Article
Speakerpedia
Joe Bernik — Managing Director, Head of Global Technology Risk, BNY Mellon
Executive profile covering Bernik's role leading technology risk management across BNY Mellon's global footprint and his two decades of financial sector leadership.
View Profile
BNY Mellon Perspectives
Strengthening Cyber Resilience
Bernik discusses the human element of cybersecurity at BNY Mellon — why people are the first and most important line of defense against social engineering and advanced threats.
Read Transcript
U.S. House Financial Services Committee
Statement for the Record: Cybersecurity in Financial Services
Full congressional testimony transcript covering nation-state threats, public-private cooperation, and policy recommendations for modernizing U.S. financial cybersecurity.
Read Testimony
De Gruyter Academic Press
Securing Artificial Intelligence in the Real World
Published chapter in Volume V of the Cybersecurity Risk Management series on the practical governance and risk challenges of securing AI systems in enterprise settings.
View Publication
International Economic Forum of the Americas
Speaker Profile: Joe Bernik
Featured speaker profile from the International Economic Forum of the Americas, covering Bernik's career in global financial cybersecurity and his work with FS-ISAC and the Federal Reserve.
View Profile
Speaking & Engagements

On the Record

2018
Testimony on Cybersecurity in Financial Services
U.S. House of Representatives · Committee on Financial Services · Washington, D.C.
Congressional Testimony
2024
Published Chapter: Securing AI in the Real World
De Gruyter — Cybersecurity Risk Management Vol. V · Berlin / Boston
Academic Publication
2025
RSA Conference 2025
San Francisco, CA · Board governance and cybersecurity leadership panel
Conference
Harvard Business School Finance Conference
Harvard Business School · Boston, MA
Keynote
Roundtable on Technology, Innovation, and American Primacy
Council on Foreign Relations · Washington, D.C.
Policy Roundtable
Payments Source Card Forum
Payments Source
Industry Panel
CISO 360 USA Conference
Pulse Conferences
Conference
International Economic Forum of the Americas
Conference of Montreal
International Forum
Industry Affiliations

Boards & Organizations

FS-ISAC
Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center
Steering Committee Member
FRB
Federal Reserve Bank
Council on Fraud
OWASP
Open Web Application Security Project
Industry Contributor
CFR
Council on Foreign Relations
Roundtable Participant
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force
Industry Contributor
Hi-Sec
Hi-Sec Security Executive Council
Mentorship & Community Leadership  ·  hi-sec.org →

Get in Touch.

For speaking engagements, advisory inquiries, media requests, or to discuss cybersecurity strategy and governance.