Paul Connelly

Paul Connelly is Chief Security Officer and leads the programs for Cyber Security, Privacy, Information Governance, and Physical Security for HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services.  The Company comprises more than 2,000 sites of care, including 185 hospitals as well as surgery centers, freestanding Emergency Rooms, urgent care centers, and physician clinics in 21 states and the United Kingdom.  HCA Healthcare has more than 35 million annual patient encounters.
Paul started as an information security analyst at the National Security Agency in 1984, spent nine years as the Information Security Officer at the White House, and six years as a partner leading an information security audit and consulting group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has led HCA’s program since 2002.
Highlights of Paul’s career include:

• The first Information Security Officer at the White House, serving under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. 
• The first civilian Presidential Communications Officer, leading communications and emergency support for the President during travel throughout the world.
• Inducted into the White House Communications Agency Hall of Fame.
• Recipient of the federal government’s top award for achievement in Information Security, the Rowlett Trophy.
• Recipient of the Private Sector Information Security Executive of the Year Award for North America.
• 32 members of Paul’s teams have been selected as Chief Information Security Officers at other organizations.

Paul has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Resource Economics from the University of Florida, completed the US Naval War College National Security Studies program, holds the National Association of Corporate Directors/Carnegie Mellon University  Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight, and is part of the Leadership Nashville class of 2018.