Nick Gicinto is a distinguished executive security leader with extensive experience spanning the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Tesla, Uber, and the cybersecurity industry. He currently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity at William Jewell College.
Nick began his career as an Operations Officer (OO) at the CIA, where he served for a decade. During this tenure, he earned five promotions and 14 exceptional performance awards. As an OO, Nick specialized in collecting foreign intelligence to inform senior U.S. policymakers, contributing to critical briefings, including the U.S. President’s Daily Briefing. His work centered on state-actor threats, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism operations across the U.S. and abroad.
After his government service, Nick transitioned to the private sector, leading global intelligence and insider threat programs. At Uber, he helped build a global intelligence capability spanning 40+ countries, ensuring the safety of riders and drivers while tackling intellectual property leaks. Recruited by Tesla, Nick established the Global Security Response (GSR) team, focusing on insider threat mitigation and IP protection. His leadership resulted in successful civil lawsuits against competitors, law enforcement referrals, and criminal convictions.
Nick later joined RiskIQ (now part of Microsoft) as Vice President, where he built the Incident, Investigation, and Intelligence (i3) team—a managed intelligence services division supporting RiskIQ’s cybersecurity SaaS platform. Under his leadership, the team grew to nearly 40 members and achieved $18 million in ARR. Subsequently, at Chainlink Labs, Nick served as VP of Security Intelligence, developing a world-class security program for the web3 leader.
In addition to his executive roles, Nick has founded two security-focused consulting firms. One specializes in security training for Christian missionaries, while the other was integrated into Red Five Security, where he served as Executive Vice President before joining William Jewell College.
Most recently, Nick is the co-founder of Hilltop Technologies (HT), a cybersecurity startup that combines mission-driven purpose with venture-backed innovation. Born from the belief that "Main Street"—not just Wall Street—deserves robust protection, HT focuses on safeguarding the Higher Education sector, Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses, and more against the escalating threat of cyberattacks. By delivering accessible, high-impact cybersecurity solutions, HT empowers institutions with limited resources or expertise to defend themselves against increasingly sophisticated threats. Beyond protection, Hilltop is committed to educating the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, bridging the talent gap and preparing future leaders to secure critical systems and institutions for years to come.
