PCI SSC veteran promoted to Director of Emerging Standards
WAKEFIELD, Mass., 16 February 2022 — The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) announced the promotion of Mike Thompson to Director of Emerging Standards at the PCI SSC. In his new role, Mike is responsible for leading the research, development, and maintenance of PCI SSC security standards and program initiatives.
“We are excited for Mike to take on this vital role,” said Lance Johnson, Executive Director of the PCI SSC. “Staying ahead of threats and the ever-changing ecosystem of payment security is critical to the mission of the PCI SSC. With technology and payment system platforms changing at an incredible pace, this position is more important than ever.”
“Having worked with Mike for years, I have seen his talent and expertise up close,” said Emma Sutcliffe, Senior Vice President, Standards Officer. “Mike has worked at the PCI SSC for eight years and in the payments industry for seventeen years. He is a terrific fit for this important role.”
Mike’s work at the PCI SSC has included serving as a Senior Manager of Emerging Standards where his role included technical contributions to the PCI SSC standards and programs. In that role Mike chaired the PCI SSC Cloud Security task force and the Point-to-Point Encryption working group. Prior to his work at the PCI SSC, Mike began his career in the industry working for a PTS lab performing POI device evaluations. Mike holds a degree in Computer Engineering and is listed on five U.S. patents from previous collaborations.
On the new role, Mike notes, “I am excited to tackle this new challenge. In my previous role as Senior Manager of Emerging Standards I have worked with many terrific professionals across our industry and at the PCI SSC. With this new role, I’m excited to further work in collaboration with our global stakeholders to author standards and guidance for protecting payment information within a constantly evolving threat landscape.”
Mike started his new role in January 2022, reporting to the Vice President of Standards.
Mike is an avid traveler, having visited 40 countries to date. In his free time, Mike enjoys visiting the coast and being up in the mountains, usually in his Jeep Wrangler.
About the PCI Security Standards Council
The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks and breaches. Connect with the PCI SSC on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on Twitter @PCISSC. Subscribe to the PCI Perspectives Blog.
###
