Nicole Darden Ford

Before joining Microsoft, Nicole served as Senior Vice President and CISO at Nordstrom and held global CISO roles at Rockwell Automation, Carrier, and Baxter International. Her experience spans retail, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, legal services, and government. Across those roles, she has built security functions from the ground up, led major transformation programs, managed global teams and multimillion-dollar budgets, and worked closely with business leaders through periods of significant change.

Nicole holds a Master of Science in Management of Information Technology from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. She also completed the Chief Information Officer Certificate program at Carnegie Mellon University, along with executive development programs through Harvard Business School and McKinsey & Company.

Nicole’s perspective on cybersecurity leadership comes from years of making the decisions security leaders face every day: where to invest, how to communicate risk, how to build the right team, and how to earn support across the business. She also cares deeply about developing the next generation of cybersecurity leaders, with a particular focus on mentorship, sponsorship, and helping practitioners build the communication skills needed to lead at the executive level.

Qualifications Summary

• Roles and Affiliations: Vice President, Customer Security Officer, Microsoft; SANS instructor; previously Senior Vice President and CISO, Nordstrom; former global CISO at Rockwell Automation, Carrier, and Baxter International
• Education: Master of Science in Management of Information Technology, University of Virginia; Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, University of Phoenix
• Course: LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership
• Executive Development: Chief Information Officer Certificate, Carnegie Mellon University; executive programs through Harvard Business School and McKinsey & Company
• Professional Experience: Built and transformed enterprise cybersecurity programs; advised executive teams and boards; led global security organizations across retail, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, legal, and government environments
• Recognition: Two-time Top 100 CISO Award recipient, CSO Hall of Fame Honoree, and CSO 50 Award Honoree
• Community and Industry Contributions: Cybersecurity speaker and advisor with appearances at RSAC, InfoSec World, Gartner Global CISO Community events, and other industry forums; active in mentorship and cybersecurity workforce development