The Aegenis Group is led by
Chris Mark, CISSP, CIPP; CEO/President and Founder
Mr. Mark is an experienced information security professional and PCI expert. Over the past six years, Mr. Mark has worked in various information security capacities within the payment services’ segment. Most recently, Mr. Mark was employed at MasterCard Worldwide where he was one of MasterCard’s representatives on the Payment Card Industry Security Standards’ Council (PCI-SSC) Technical Working Group. In addition to founding an information security company and conducting numerous PCI assessments for merchants, service providers, and members, Mr. Mark has worked with both MasterCard Worldwide and Visa USA on components of their respective data security programs.
Mr. Mark is also contracted with Visa to train all of their major acquirers and the top 3000 merchants in the PCI DSS. Prior to joining the civilian sector, Mr. Mark served in both the United States Marine Corps, where he operated as an elite Force Reconnaissance Marine and Marine Scout/Sniper, and in the US Navy where he was selected to serve as a Navy SEAL Officer. Subsequent to sustaining a career ending training injury, Mr. Mark served as the Training Officer and Chief Instructor of the US Marine Corps Basic Reconnaissance Course where he was responsible for screening, selecting, and training elite Reconnaissance Marine Candidates. Mr. Mark is a combat veteran of Operation Continue Hope, Mogadishu, Somalia. Mr. Mark holds the CISSP, and CIPP professional certifications, numerous technical certifications, and has an MBA and BA degrees.
Dr. Heather Mark, PhD, CISSP, CIPP; Senior Vice President
Dr. Mark is an experienced information security and privacy professional that is both well known and respected within the Payment Services industry. Prior to joining The Aegenis Group, Dr. Mark owned a Qualified Security Assessment Company and worked at various technology companies supporting PCI efforts.
Dr. Mark helped to develop a variety of assessment methods and practices that assisted companies in achieving compliance in a cost-effective, timely manner. Dr. Mark has spoken at numerous industry events on the topic of information security, privacy and the intersection between the two. In addition, Dr. Mark is an experienced instructor and taught for two years at Auburn University while a Doctoral Candidate. Dr. Mark writes a monthly article for Transaction World magazine and has a PhD in Public Administration and Public Policy from Auburn University. Her knowledge of public policy and the ability to analyze the impact of that policy on day-to-day business practices gives her a unique insight into the compliance landscape.
In addition to Dr. Mark’s experience with information security and privacy issues, she is an experienced marketer, having run both competitive intelligence and marketing functions at a variety of companies. She also has significant experience with channel development and management. She has consulted with companies in a variety of industries to help them properly message and position their products and services in complex regulatory environments. Dr Mark was named a 2007 “Mover and Shaker” by Transaction World Magazine.
Dr. Mark holds a Certificate in Marketing Research from the University of Georgia, is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP).