Service will assist users of SEDC products in strengthening their infrastructure from all types of cyber attack and intrusion
SEDC, an industry leader in utility IT solutions, has selected Jacek Szamrej to guide the company’s Cyber Resilience Initiative as Vice President of Cybersecurity. Szamrej was selected after an extensive nationwide search and meets the company’s stringent requirements for knowledge of IT standards and protocols from the viewpoint of both the utility and the IT solution provider.
Szamrej brings over 30 years of experience to the post, starting his career as an electrical engineer before expanding his capabilities into networking and communication technologies. He has served the last 12 years as the IT Manager at Vermont Electric Cooperative, where he covered all areas of information technology from fiber optics to voice radio to software applications and network infrastructure. During his tenure at Vermont Electric Cooperative, Szamrej was an active participant in the growing cybersecurity landscape, participating in Department of Energy pilot programs, expanding his knowledge through continuing education, and collaborating with cyber experts on studies and protocols.
“Cybersecurity is a very broad territory, so we needed someone with a diverse background,” states RB Sloan, SEDC’s President and CEO. “Jacek’s name kept coming to the forefront. He understands utilities. He understands networks and the importance of protecting the information infrastructure. With his background, he really brings a holistic approach to cybersecurity.”
As head of the Cyber Resilience Initiative, Szamrej will be working hand in hand with Elaine Johns, President/CEO of EnerVision. SEDC has contracted with EnerVision, an independent management and technical consulting firm, to facilitate and coordinate the development of the Cyber Resilience Initiative. As an expert in utility strategic planning and management consulting, Johns will partner with Szamrej in his efforts to build and grow a cybersecurity platform that will meet the needs of SEDC’s utility customers.
Both Johns and Szamrej understand the ever-changing panorama of cyber threats. Together, they see an urgency for both education and implementation of protocols in order to safeguard the information and infrastructure maintained by utility providers. “The Cyber Resilience Initiative will provide a suite of products and services to help utilities implement policies, procedures, and best practices,” according to Johns. “It will grow and evolve just as cyber threats grow and evolve.”
Szamrej agrees. “This is a great time for collaboration between co-ops, between utilities, between organizations,” he states. “The bad guys – they collaborate. We need to collaborate, too.”