Press Releases

Accomplished Entrepreneur Takes Helm of a Global Leader in Third Party Risk and Cybersecurity 

Santa Fe, NM, January 30, 2020 —Catherine Allen, Founder and Chairman of The Santa Fe Group, managing agent of The Shared Assessments Program, today announced the appointment of David J. Perez as Chief Executive Officer. Catherine A. Allen, who founded the firm in 1996, will remain as Chairman of the Board.   

Perez, a senior executive and successful entrepreneur, is widely regarded as a creative business leader and accomplished expert in sales, marketing and branding. His appointment brings added strength and depth of experience to lead the organization’s expansion and development of innovative tools, best practices, education and research required in today’s dynamic cyber and physical threatscapes. 

Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) is among the fastest growing segments of the hot cybersecurity market, projected to grow from $3.2 billion in 2019 to $6.8 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 15.9 percent. The Santa Fe Group is aggressively growing the Shared Assessments program through international expansion, educational and certification programs, tool innovation and thought leadership to address strong demand in the global TPRM segment. The need to comply with various governance standards and adherence to different TPRM policies and regulations is anticipated to surge and increase the use of Shared Assessments‘ solutions across the globe in virtually every market segment.  

“Organizations increasingly understand that third party operational and IT security risks can result in both irreparable reputational damage and millions of dollars in loss and penalties. Over 300 of the world’s leading and most innovative corporations and public sector entities including BNY Mellon, Capital One, CVS and others rely on Shared Assessments,” said Chairman Allen.  “David’s vision and his deep experience in growing organizations that address complex needs are perfectly aligned to the challenges ahead. He will ensure that the many organizations now relying on Shared Assessments will have the insight, tools, best practices and community resources they need to bring their risk management programs to greater maturity and optimal effectiveness.” 

Perez has successfully started and built technology companies in the fields of healthcare, data analytics, and digital marketing. In 2011, Perez founded Seamless Medical Systems, creating the leading iPad platform for improved patient experience and medical practice efficiency. He successfully grew the business and exited to a strategic buyer in early 2017.  Prior to Seamless Medical, Perez founded Latin Force, the first Latinx consumer digital marketing agency, partnering with iconic brands such as Nike, Wells Fargo, the NFL and Nickelodeon. While at Latin Force, he led the acquisition of GeoScapeInternational, a data analytics company, in a transaction financed by Goldman Sachs. 

“The last two decades have ushered in levels of unprecedented risk and change. The tools, guidance and collective intelligence of the Shared Assessments’ membership equips organizations to be proactive and resilient in the face of these rapidly evolving threats,” said Perez. “The Santa Fe Group and Shared Assessments are well positioned to expand our leadership in the enterprise risk arena across a broad array of industries.  It is my privilege to work with Shared Assessments’ talented, creative and diligent team of professionals and its global member community to build on the accomplishments of the last 15 years under Cathy’s visionary leadership.”    

Two independent directors, Joseph Prochaska and Charlotte Whitmore, will join the board of The Santa Fe Group along with Robin Slade, COO and David Perez. Mr. Prochaska is a seasoned corporate executive and public board member. He is former CAO and EVP at MetLife and chairs the Audit Committee at Synovus Financial. Ms. Whitmore is an expert in data analytics and former CEO of Analytics Pros. 
 

About the Santa Fe Group 

The Santa Fe Group’s risk management experts work collaboratively with organizations worldwide to identify meaningful trends, risks, and vulnerabilities, and to advise, educate, and empower organizations in the areas of cybersecurity, third party risk, privacy and enterprise risk management programs. The Santa Fe Group is the managing agent of the membership-based Shared Assessments Program, whichguides many of the world’s leading organizations with the best practices to manage and protect against third party IT security risks. www.sharedassessments.org 

About the Shared Assessments Program  

As the only organization that has uniquely positioned and developed standardized industry resources to bring efficiencies to the market for enterprise risk management for more than a decade, the Shared Assessments Program has become the trusted source in third party risk assurance. Shared Assessments offers opportunities for members to address global risk management challenges through leadership, best practices, tools, training and special interest groups.  Join the dialog with peer companies and learn how you can optimize your compliance programs while building a better understanding of what it takes to create a more risk aware and resilient environment in your organization. www.sharedassessments.org