Marcos Semola

Technology & Cybersecurity Executive  ◦  CIO  ◦  CISO  ◦  Board Advisor  ◦  AI & Cyber Risk Strategy

Marcos
Semola.

Thirty years leading enterprise security, digital risk and critical infrastructure.
Now focused on what matters most: the intersection of AI and cybersecurity to build business resilience.

Turning security from a
cost center into
competitive advantage.

As Managing Director at Accenture Security, I lead the Energy Security USA business, a 1,000+ person team protecting the world's largest energy and utility operators across IT/OT convergence, AI governance, GRC, regulatory compliance, and business resilience.

Previously, I scaled EY's cybersecurity advisory practice 4.6× across Latin America, safeguarded Shell's multi-billion-dollar Gas & Power operation, and built Atos' security practice in Brazil from scratch.

The constant across every role: translating technical complexity into board-level decisions. Not threat reports, outcomes. Not compliance checkboxes, resilience and business trust.

CISM CIPM CDPSE CCISO PCI/DSS ISO 27001

Core Expertise

GRC CISO Advisory IT/OT Security Data Privacy AI Risk Enterprise Risk Management Digital Transformation Energy Security Board Advisory

01

AI & Cybersecurity

Governing AI risk before it governs you. Translating the intersection of generative AI and enterprise security into board-level strategy and operational resilience.

02

Energy Security & IT/OT

Protecting critical infrastructure across converged IT/OT environments for the world's largest energy and utility operators. Where downtime is measured in lives, not revenue.

03

GRC & Risk Management

Enterprise-wide governance, risk, and compliance frameworks built for accountability, not optics. Regulatory strategy across NIST, ISO, NIS2, and global data privacy regimes.

04

Board Advisory & Digital Transformation

Elevating cybersecurity from IT function to corporate governance imperative. Advising boards, C-suites, and investment committees on risk posture, resilience strategy, and digital transformation.

2023

IAPP Global Vanguard Award

International Association of Privacy Professionals

2022

LinkedIn Top Voice

Cybersecurity & Technology

2008

IRM Professional of the Year

Institute of Risk Management

Harvard Business School

Generative AI Strategy and Execution · Jun 2026

Harvard Business School

Executive Education, Disruptive Strategy

FGV

MBA in Applied Technology in Business · Security Professor, 25+ years

London School of Economics

Certificate in Negotiation

UCP

Bachelor in Computer Science

Eight books on information security, risk management, and innovation.

Information Security Management

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Gestão de Segurança da Informação

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10 Anos de Gestão de Riscos

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Other Data Protection and Security Books

Amazon →

Published Articles

LinkedIn →

Keynote Speaking

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Photography

Gallery →

Photography Books

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Let's build
what's next.

I enjoy connecting with CISOs, CIOs, CEOs, and board members navigating cybersecurity, AI risk, and enterprise resilience in energy and critical infrastructure. If you're building something that needs this kind of experience, I'm always open to the conversation.