Renee Small is a talent acquisition and executive recruitment expert who is passionate about building best-in-class cybersecurity teams. In 2017, Renee received the Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

She is a #1 Amazon best-selling author of Magnetic Hiring, a contributing editor to several cybersecurity magazines, and she co-hosts a podcast called “Breaking into Cybersecurity.”

As the founder and CEO of Cyber Human Capital, she brings a uniquely powerful background of almost 20 years of experience in both human resources and cybersecurity to her clients. Her direct experience with both fields gives her valuable insight into the challenges that companies face in attracting and retaining top cybersecurity talent. A consummate HR professional, Renee has worked across all disciplines in the field. She has made significant contributions at Fortune 500 companies including Freddie Mac, Verizon, Charter Communications, AXA Equitable, and Citigroup’s Investment Bank.

Renee’s business acumen and understanding of the increasing sensitivity surrounding confidential information naturally led her to work in the field of cybersecurity within Freddie Mac. In her role as Cybersecurity Program Manager, Renee was charged with strategic direction of internal security projects, management of cross-functional teams, task force creation, threat risk analysis and more. She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. Renee currently blends her knowledge of the complete HR life cycle with a hands-on knowledge of the challenges facing the cybersecurity industry today, to bring concrete solutions to her clients.

She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. She lives in McLean, VA with her husband and three children.

Why I chose Cybersecurity as my field: My dad was a computer science professor and bought us a computer to play with when I was in elementary school so I was interested in technology from an early age. Fast forward to high school and I was the friend who was helping my friends get amazing afterschool jobs. I knew how to “get them in” by giving tips on interviewing and completing their applications. Little did I know, there was a career in blending my love of technology and my love of recruiting. In 2011, I was introduced to Information Security recruiting and never looked back. I then had the opportunity to join the department I recruited for and became a security lead. I am in awe of cybersecurity professionals at all levels and the level of ingenuity that is possessed by a community of amazing people who want to collectively change the world for the better.