Kevin Mandia receives inaugural IWP National Security Award

On Thursday, June 26, The Institute of World Politics (IWP) hosted a reception to present the inaugural National Security Award for Outstanding U.S. Business Leaders.

This award honors business leaders who exemplify dedication to the country’s national and economic security while preserving the highest level of ethics in their service. The selection process gave individuals in government, business, and academia the opportunity to nominate those who best embody these qualities, leading to a competitive and robust pool of candidates.

Mr. Kevin R. Mandia was chosen to receive the inaugural National Security Award. The Founder and Former CEO of Mandiant Corporation, and Former CEO of Mandiant at Google Cloud, Kevin has dedicated over thirty years to strengthening cybersecurity for both the U.S. private sector and government organizations. He currently holds the position of Strategic Advisor at Google Cloud and serves as the Co-Founder and General Partner at Ballistic Ventures, where he uses his threat landscape knowledge to mentor entrepreneurs.

IWP President Amb. Aldona Woś provided opening remarks at the award ceremony, highlighting the connection between IWP’s mission and the creation of the National Security Award. IWP’s Executive Director for Corporate Relations Michelle Watson then introduced Kevin Mandia.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Mandia detailed his journey to understanding the intersection between cyber and national security, starting from his time in the United States Air Force. Through a series of anecdotes, he illustrated how his military experience parlayed into a successful career in the private sector, where he used his expertise to combat numerous nation-state adversary attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. In his closing words, Kevin encouraged the audience to keep thinking about the cyber domain, urging that cyber warfare will only become more prevalent over time. “There is currently no deterrence in the cyber realm,” he warned.

Amb. Aldona Woś took the podium again to present Mr. Kevin R. Mandia with the National Security Award for Outstanding U.S. Business Leaders, followed by closing remarks by IWP Executive Vice President Captain Chris Glass.

The private event was attended by many in the IWP community as well as business and government professionals supporting Kevin Mandia’s award recognition and the launch of IWP’s Inaugural National Security Award for Outstanding U.S. Business Leader annual program.

Congratulations, Kevin Mandia!