Truist Financial Corporation announced Howard Whyte has joined the company as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Whyte is an industry veteran with more than 20 years' experience as an executive leader of information technology and security in the federal government, military and private sector.

"We've committed to building a culture that makes Truist a highly attractive destination for the best cybersecurity professionals. Howard brings a wealth of experience in this space to Truist, and I'm thrilled to welcome him to our team," said Chief Information Officer Scott Case. "The security and reliability of our information, cyber and technology systems are essential elements that enable Truist to provide distinctive, secure and successful client experiences through touch and technology, and Howard's expertise will help drive that mission for the organization."

Whyte was most recently CISO and Vice President of Information Security for The Boeing Company. Prior to that, he served as Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, led the Threat Management Center at Goldman Sachs and served as the CISO at NASA.

Whyte will succeed Steve Scott who plans to retire in the first half of 2022 after a storied career of more than 40 years in information security. Scott, who has led corporate cybersecurity at Truist since the merger of equals between BB&T and SunTrust in December 2019 and at BB&T prior to that, will serve as an advisor to Whyte to ensure a smooth transition prior to his retirement.

"Steve has led our information security organization with purpose and a firm foundation of his values," Case said. "He is a highly regarded leader in our industry, and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside him as a partner and teammate."

Whyte will lead enterprise-wide efforts to advance the security, resiliency and reliability of technology and data for Truist and ensure the company meets stringent regulatory requirements. He will be instrumental in driving innovation and capitalizing on next-generation tools, techniques, data and analytics to help Truist integrate best-in-class cyber capabilities into all business and technology solutions.

"Truist's passion for building client trust through touch and technology is evident in the leadership team's commitment to a resilient IT ecosystem where cybersecurity is a top priority," Whyte said. "I look forward to working with leadership and the board to build upon the strengths of Truist's cybersecurity team, technologies and processes."