David Conner

As a Director in Cherry Bekaert's Information Assurance & Cybersecurity practice, Brook manages a team of cybersecurity professionals while providing technology leadership expertise across a broad range of industries, including government services, professional services healthcare & life sciences, technology, education, retail, manufacturing, and media sectors. Additionally, Brook has successfully led digital transformations at multiple multi-billion-dollar organizations, both public sector and corporate. Cybersecurity has been a key component of these transformations, ensuring that the new digital organization is both secure and effective. He built original cybersecurity programming for a Fortune 500 company and remediated cybersecurity issues for a Fortune 50 company. He has performed due diligence and integration both before and after numerous acquisitions across various industries. Prior to joining Cherry Bekaert, Brook was the Senior Director of an advisory firm's cybersecurity and technology risk practices. Earlier in his career, Brook was the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Education (DoE) of the State of Hawaii, where he transformed the technological landscape of state-wide public education. Under his leadership, his team replaced and modernized multiple legacy systems with programs such as Oracle Cloud Financials, Google Workspace, and at-home tech support to stimulate new forms of collaboration and access to technology across the state. Previously, Brook acted as the first Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Vice President at a global luxury retailer and manufacturer, where he engineered a seamless and secure transition that allowed the company to innovate ahead of the curve.Brook also served eight years as Executive Director and Global Head of Security Standards and Guidance at a multinational investment and financial services company.