Blackhawk Network Expands Security and Technology Team with Addition of Selim Aissi as New Chief Information Security Officer

Aissi brings more than 20 years of information security experience and leadership, supporting Blackhawk’s growth as a leader in branded payments solutions

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blackhawk Network, a global financial technology company and a leader in payment technologies and solutions, today announced veteran information security executive, Selim Aissi, has been named its Chief Information Security Officer. Aissi will lead cybersecurity for Blackhawk, including security strategy, engineering, infrastructure and governance, business continuity and third-party risk management.

Aissi brings more than 20 years of experience in numerous leadership positions in the technology and financial industries. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President & Chief Security Officer at ICE Mortgage Technology (previously known as Ellie Mae) where he was responsible for security engineering, operations, strategy, cyber resilience, GRC and third-party risk.

Prior to ICE Mortgage Technology, Aissi served as Vice President of Global Information Security at Visa. During his tenure, Aissi was recognized for leading companywide security initiatives including Apple Pay, Visa’s APAC data center, and Visa’s data protection programs.

“Selim’s experience in shaping the future of cybersecurity for the payments world is a perfect fit for our world-class Blackhawk team and will be a critical part of our goals to continue delivering innovative security solutions as part of a new commerce landscape,” said Nik Sathe, Chief Technology Officer at Blackhawk Network. “It is critical for Blackhawk to be an industry leader in both technology and security, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of the developments that will shape how we shop, spend and save, today and in the future.”

Aissi has received industry accolades for security innovation and leadership, including the 2019 and 2021 CISO of the Year Award and 2021’s Top 100 Global CISOs. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Ponemon Institute.

“Blackhawk’s focus on the future of emerging payments is what drew me to the exciting potential of this company,” said Aissi. “I’m thrilled to join this incredible team in a time of growth where the future of digital security is taking center stage.”

Aissi earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. engineering degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Senior Member of IEEE, and member of ACM and ISACA. He holds over 100 US and global security-related patents for the productization of security products and innovation of financial solutions for products, services, consumers and firms globally.

Aissi has served as a Board Member for several startups, venture capital firms and security institutions, including FS-ISAC MRC, the State of California’s Cybersecurity Task Force, the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC), UC Berkeley’s CISO Institute, the Bay Area CISO Executive Governing Body and CISO Magazine. He co-authored the book, “Security for Mobile Networks and Platforms” (Artech House).

About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network delivers branded payment solutions through the prepaid products, technologies and network that connect brands and people. We collaborate with our partners to innovate, translating market trends in branded payments to increase reach, loyalty and revenue. We reliably execute security-minded solutions worldwide. Join us as we shape the future of global branded payments. Learn more at blackhawknetwork.com.