Bruce W. McConnell
Distinguished Fellow
Bruce W. Mcconnell
HIGHLIGHTS*
2013-2021: CEO and President, EastWest Institute.
2009 to 2013: Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
1986-99: Chief of Information Policy and Technology in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, White House Office of Management and Budget.
*Final position shown
Bruce McConnell has been a leading player on global cyberspace peace and security issues at the intersection of governments, business and civil society for over thirty years. As a distinguished fellow at ORF America, he is playing a critical role in developing and leading strategies and proposals to ensure current and future success of the technology policy program. He is also providing leadership and oversight on a project to promote cyberspace cooperation in the Global South.
McConnell is also President and CEO of the EastWest Institute, leading the migration of the institute’s programs, which focus on reducing and mitigating security conflict among nations, to new homes in other nonprofit organizations including ORF America. Prior to becoming President, McConnell led EWI’s Global Cooperation in Cyberspace program, working with governments and companies to increase the safety, security and stability of life in cyberspace. He co-led the secretariat of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. In January 2016, he opened EWI’s San Francisco center, reflecting the institute’s increasing emphasis on addressing security risks from emerging technology and on the Asia-Pacific region.
From 2009 to 2013, McConnell served at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he was Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity. He served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. From 2000-2008, he created, built and sold two consultancies that provided strategic advice to clients in technology, business and government markets. In 1999-2000, McConnell led the International Y2K Cooperation Center, which was sponsored by the United Nations and the World Bank. He served at the White House Office of Management and Budget from 1986-99, where he was Chief of Information Policy and Technology in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
McConnell holds a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School for Public Policy at the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Sciences from Stanford University. He serves as a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center and as a member of the advisory committee of the Fuxi Institution (China). He is a business advisor to several technology companies.
Selected Publications *
Weathering TechNationalism: A Security and Trustworthiness Framework to Manage Cyber Supply Chain Risk, EastWest Institute, May 2020.
Cyber Insurance and Systemic Market Risk, EastWest Institute, June 2019.
Smart and Safe: Risk Reduction in Tomorrow’s Cities, EastWest Institute, February 2019.
Encryption Policy in Democratic Regimes: Finding Convergent Paths and Balanced Solutions, EastWest Institute, February 2018.
Purchasing Secure ICT Products and Services: A Buyers Guide, EastWest Institute, September 2016.
* Co-authored with Dr. Andreas Kuehn
