Tony Spinelli has spent his entire 30+ year career devoted to pioneering and advancing technology, digital transformation, and cybersecurity capabilities across the globe. Mr. Spinelli is best known for his breakthrough technology leadership in bringing the world’s first major bank, Capital One, to become a digitally enabled cloud native enterprise in partnership with his strong risk management and regulatory compliance leadership. Through his roles as a technology executive, he has led digital and technical transformation for some of the world’s most critical companies.
Mr. Spinelli is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Urban One, a publicly traded media, entertainment, and urban content company with significant radio and televisions channels throughout the US. Mr. Spinelli is also currently the Founder and CEO of S7 Advisors LLC, a cybersecurity consultancy focused on providing strategic digital and cloud transformation to cybersecurity and enterprise technology through thoughtful risk management navigation, new digital strategies, and cloud security solutions. Mr. Spinelli is also a Partner at Sorenson Ventures an early-stage venture capital firm and a member of the Board of Directors of Peapack Gladstone Bank (PGC), a publicly traded boutique private bank listed on the NASDAQ where he is a member of both the Risk and Compensation Committees. Mr. Spinelli is also a Board Member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and part of their Cybersecurity Subcommittee.
Prior to these roles, Mr. Spinelli was Senior Vice President/CISO for Capital One Financial Corporation. As Capital One’s Chief Information Security Officer, Mr. Spinelli was responsible for developing and executing security programs to ensure customer and proprietary corporate data is protected from cybersecurity threats. Mr. Spinelli played the central role in transforming Capital One’s digital and technology agenda with the secure adoption of public cloud native computing and engineering cybersecurity innovations that leverage emerging technologies, open source, analytics, and machine learning.
Prior to joining Capital One, Mr. Spinelli held roles as was SVP, Chief Information Security Officer of Tyco International, Equifax and also First Data Corporation where he led the strategic cybersecurity program development while developing global teams responsible for security engineering, security operations, security compliance and policy, and cybersecurity threat management.
Mr. Spinelli was honored in 2007 to be appointed to the US National Security Agency Board, providing leadership, policy direction, and counsel in cybersecurity matters while holding a current Top Secret security clearance. He also maintains an external presence on corporate advisory boards of emerging cybersecurity companies and leading universities focused on cybersecurity such as Georgia Tech and Washington University in St. Louis.
During his career, Mr. Spinelli has contributed to advancements in cybersecurity practices and research. He holds multiple patents: in the area of data loss prevention to ensure the security of electronic communications data; in methods of network risk reduction and internet browsing habits.
Mr. Spinelli is a graduate of Saint Louis University and received his MBA at Washington University in St. Louis with residency at Fudan University in Shanghai and Imperial College of London to complete his degree abroad.
Away from work Mr. Spinelli spends his time with his wife Uttara and their children, Teresa, Anthony CBC 2025, and Luca CBC 2027. He also devotes his time to ‘Stop Hunger Now’ humanitarian relief efforts; diversity and equality causes through leadership with YearUp, Women In Technology and also Per Scholas, where he served on the Board of Directors.