Brennan O’Brien

Director of Information Security, Risk, & Compliance, Columbia Sportswear Company

Brennan O’Brien grew up in an advertising household and learned early how crucial storytelling is to getting things done. His computer hobby, particularly around running computer bulletin board systems led to the start of his career – building global networks before the Internet was a thing, and eventually into information security, risk, compliance, and IT governance. O’Brien has worked across numerous industries including Apparel, Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, and Logistics. Each of these provided him insights around how to run a great IT shop, and how to secure different environments from different types of threats. He believes security is not just a technology issue, but a complex challenge of people, process, and technology – and that if we want to achieve meaningful success, we have to change our approach to addressing security. O’Brien graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Management Information System from Capella University, and is currently pursuing his MBA. He lives with his wife and son in Portland, where they enjoy board games, hiking, and kayaking throughout the Northwest.