Anthony Candeias
CISO // PROFESSOR // INVESTOR
Anthony Candeias is a Chief Information Security Officer and an active angel investor in cybersecurity and AI startups.
Previously, Anthony served as CISO and VP of IT at WeightWatchers, where he built and led the company's security program. Before that, he was Director of Cybersecurity at Columbia University. He began his career at Goldman Sachs and the Ford Foundation.
Anthony has taught graduate-level cybersecurity courses at Columbia, NYU, and Fordham for over a decade. He holds master's degrees from Columbia University and Fordham University, where he also earned his bachelor's degree in Computer Systems.
Portfolio
Investments & Advisory
Partnering with founders building the next generation of cybersecurity, AI, and infrastructure companies.
Glow Security
Next-generation cybersecurity platform securing enterprise environments.
Vivid
Stealth-stage technology company building intelligent enterprise solutions.
Accel OS
Infrastructure platform accelerating deployment and operations at scale.
Generate Security
Stealth-stage cybersecurity company building next-generation security tooling.
News
News & Media
Recent media appearances, publications, and portfolio company milestones.
In The Press
Speaker — ISC2 NYC/Long Island Chapter Meeting with Columbia University
Columbia University Technology Management
Anthony Candeias Joins Bridgewater Associates as CISO
Columbia University Technology Management
Faculty Spotlight: Anthony Candeias
Columbia University Technology Management
CISO Perspective: From Manual Chaos to AI-native Governance
Opti
Speaker — CrowdStrike Fal.Con 2025
CrowdStrike
The Necessity of Proactive Threat Detection in a Breach-Filled World
ISMG Healthcare Security Summit NYC
Joins Clarity CISO Advisory Board
Clarity
The Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence
CalypsoAI
Portfolio News
Introduces Security Context Graph for AI SOC Agents
HackerNoon
RSAC 2026 Innovation Sandbox Finalist — Awarded $5M SAFE
RSAC Conference
F5 Launches AI Guardrails and AI Red Team Powered by CalypsoAI
F5 Press Release
First Cross-Hypervisor Anti-Ransomware Platform
GlobeNewsWire
Raises $20M Seed for AI-Native Identity Security
SecurityWeek
Emerges From Stealth With $15.5M Seed
SecurityWeek
Partners With Reality Defender to Combat Deepfake Threats
Dune Security Blog
Acquired by F5 for $180M
F5 / BusinessWire
Experience
Career Timeline
Over 15 years of cybersecurity leadership across finance, healthcare, education, and technology.
Chief Information Security Officer
Leading Hedge Fund · Connecticut
- Lead and execute enterprise security strategy protecting $100B+ AUM, prioritizing threat management, adversary defense, and secure AI adoption.
- Set global security engineering vision and architecture strategy across infrastructure, detection platforms, and product security.
- Command incident response strategy, red team operations, and penetration testing governance, driving resilience and executive decisioning in crisis events.
- Define security data engineering and security warehouse direction to ensure trusted telemetry, detection insights, and scalable cyber analytics.
VP, Chief Information Security Officer
Weight Watchers · New York, NY
- Led development and execution of global technology, AI, and information security strategy aligned with business goals; managed $10M budget and 30-person department.
- Drove AI integration across key business functions to accelerate growth and improve decision-making.
- Reported quarterly to the Board of Directors on technology, information security, and GRC strategy; assisted in SEC 10-K filings.
- Reduced SOC tooling costs by 75% through strategic consolidation while enhancing threat detection capabilities.
Director, Cybersecurity
Columbia University · New York, NY
- Directed cybersecurity strategy as a service for 55 business units, including the medical center.
- Led software engineering development and implementation of a comprehensive security program including SOC and threat detection.
- Cut security incident triage time by 50% through SOAR automation, API integrations, and threat intelligence.
Information Security Manager
Ford Foundation · New York, NY
- Oversaw information security and privacy, defining a roadmap for vulnerability management and incident response.
- Partnered with federal law enforcement and MSSP SOC to investigate and neutralize APTs.
- Developed and led GRC operations, establishing a vendor risk management program.
Infrastructure Specialist
Goldman Sachs · New York, NY
- Led and managed a 20-person team to execute data center and infrastructure operations.
- Executed server consolidation from physical to virtual infrastructure, resulting in significant cost savings.
Academia
Faculty Appointments
Over a decade of graduate-level cybersecurity instruction at top-tier New York institutions.
Lecturer in Professional Studies
Columbia University
New York, NY · 2025 — Present
Developing and delivering graduate-level cybersecurity curriculum focused on enterprise risk, threat management, and secure architecture.
Adjunct Instructor
New York University
New York, NY · 2017 — 2025
Designed and led graduate courses in cybersecurity engineering and management across the Tandon School of Engineering and School of Professional Studies.
Adjunct Faculty
Fordham University
New York, NY · 2014 — 2025
Built and led graduate cybersecurity engineering and management coursework bridging academic theory with industry practice.
Education
Education & Certifications
M.S. Technology Management
Columbia University
2019 — 2021
M.S. Cybersecurity
Fordham University
2014 — 2015
B.S. Computer Systems Management
Fordham University
2009 — 2013
Certificate in Privacy Law & Cyber Security
Seton Hall University School of Law
2023 — 2024
CORe: Credential of Readiness
Harvard Business School
2016
Certifications
CISSP & CISSP-ISSMP
ISC2
GWAPT & GMON
GIAC
CEH
EC-Council
MCSE Cloud Platform
Microsoft
Security+, Network+, A+
CompTIA
CCNP Security, CCNA, CCDA
Cisco
Contact
Let's Connect
Interested in discussing cybersecurity, startup investments, or academic collaboration? Let's start a conversation.