Marcos Marrero

Marcos Marrero is an American cybersecurity executive and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of H.I.G. Capital, a global alternative investment management firm with over $70 billion in assets under management and offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Born and raised in part in the Dominican Republic before relocating to the United States, Marrero developed a passion for technology at age eleven and built a career spanning more than two decades, rising from a helpdesk technician to the C-suite. He has been featured in Hispanic Executive magazine and profiled by Inc. Arabia as one of the speakers to watch at Black Hat MEA 2025.

In addition to his executive role, Marrero serves on the CISO Advisory Councils of Harmonic Security and Dune Security, and holds advisory positions with several cybersecurity-focused companies. He is a member of the FBI InfraGard program and volunteers as a computer science instructor through the Microsoft TEALS program at Alonzo Mourning Senior High School in Miami-Dade County. He holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Information Systems Security Management Professional (ISSMP), and Boardroom Certified Qualified Technology Expert (QTE) credentials.

Early life and education

Marrero grew up partly in New York City and partly in the Dominican Republic. His interest in computers was sparked at age eleven during a visit to family in the Dominican Republic, where his aunt owned a computer institute. There, he encountered an Apple IIe computer and spent hours exploring it. After his parents divorced, Marrero moved to the Dominican Republic permanently with his mother and younger brother at age fifteen. Rather than treating the move as a setback, he enrolled in a computer class at his aunt's institute and within six months had become the instructor, teaching adults in their thirties and forties how to use computers. "It all came very natural to me," he has recalled. "After just that one class, I was teaching adults how to use a computer."

At nineteen, Marrero returned to the United States and relocated to Miami, Florida, where he began pursuing a career in information technology through contract work. Later in his career, he completed the Mastering Negotiation program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government through its Executive Education division.

Career

Lloyd's Banking Group and entry into information security

Marrero's entry into information security was the result of a chance interaction early in his professional life. What began as short-term contract IT work led to a full-time position at Lloyds Banking Group in April 2001, where he joined as a helpdesk technician. While setting up a workstation for the bank's new Head of IT Risk and Information Security, Ramon Iturrioz, Marrero asked how he might transition into the security field. Iturrioz, impressed by his aptitude and familiarity with the company's infrastructure, offered him a security analyst position despite Marrero's lack of formal security experience. "Doesn't matter. I can teach you the security aspects. The important thing is that you know the company, infrastructure, and technology," Iturrioz reportedly told him.

Marrero spent twelve years at Lloyds Banking Group, crediting Iturrioz's mentorship as foundational to his career. "He was willing to take a chance on me," Marrero has said. "It's the reason why I am where I am today, and it's the reason why I have a passion for mentoring others."

Legal sector and regional finance roles

Following his tenure at Lloyds Banking Group, Marrero held a series of IT and information security positions at Miami-based organizations including Greenberg Traurig, Greenspoon Marder, and Itaú International. At each organization, he was responsible for building the information security program from the ground up. His work at Itaú International provided experience overseeing regional security programs spanning the Caribbean, South America, and the United States. He has described these positions as sequential stepping stones: "Each company and position was a stepping stone for the next. I've been able to continuously learn and grow my expertise in ways I never thought possible."

CrowdStrike

Prior to joining H.I.G. Capital, Marrero worked at CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity technology company known for its cloud-delivered endpoint protection and threat intelligence platform. His time at CrowdStrike deepened his technical fluency in endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat hunting, and adversary-focused security operations.

H.I.G. Capital

Marrero joined H.I.G. Capital and rose to the role of Chief Information Security Officer, where he is responsible for the cybersecurity posture of the firm and its portfolio companies across private equity, credit, and real assets strategies. H.I.G. Capital manages over $70 billion in assets and operates through a network of offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He has articulated his philosophy: "At H.I.G., cybersecurity is not treated as a compliance checkbox or an IT function — it is a strategic business enabler."

Marrero architected and implemented a modern security reference stack across the firm, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Identity and Access Management (IAM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Multi-factor authentication (MFA), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM). He has led incident response efforts for approximately 13 portfolio-company security incidents, including cases involving ransomware, business email compromise, and data exfiltration, working alongside forensic partners and mapping attacker behavior to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

Marrero manages a team responsible for cybersecurity across the entire firm and serves as a cybersecurity consultant for the firm's investments, assessing portfolio-company cyber risk and ensuring appropriate protection programs are in place. He also represents the firm's technology and security posture to institutional investors in limited partner due diligence reviews.

Industry involvement

Advisory roles

Marrero serves on the CISO Advisory Council of Harmonic Security, a data security startup focused on protecting sensitive data in AI-enabled workflows, and on the CISO Advisory Council of Dune Security, a human risk management platform. He additionally holds advisory positions and equity interests in NetRise, ShadowHQ, CriticalStart, Black Kite, YL Ventures, and Digitalware, spanning market segments including supply chain risk, third-party risk management, managed detection and response, and crisis communication.

Public speaking and thought leadership

Marrero is an active speaker on the global cybersecurity conference circuit. In December 2025, he spoke at Black Hat MEA 2025, held at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, Saudi Arabia, running from December 2–4, 2025. Marrero was profiled by Inc. Arabia as one of the event's "Speakers to Watch," a recognition extended to a select group of the conference's most anticipated presenters. His talk addressed the intersection of private equity and cybersecurity, examining how investment strategies are evolving in response to escalating cyber risk and how firms can leverage security as a competitive differentiator.

He also participated as a panelist at the "Cybereconomy" executive summit alongside Dr. Chenxi Wang (Managing General Partner, Rain Capital), Anne-Marie Zettlemoyer (Fellow, National Security Institute), and Anshu Gupta (Investor, Silicon Valley CISO Investments). His broader themes include AI governance in the enterprise, the cultural dimensions of cybersecurity compliance, and the evolving role of CISOs as advisors and early adopters in the venture capital ecosystem.

FBI InfraGard

Marrero is a member of FBI InfraGard, a public-private partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the private sector focused on the protection of critical infrastructure. Through this membership, he participates in threat intelligence sharing and contributes to national cybersecurity awareness initiatives.

Microsoft TEALS

Marrero volunteers as a computer science instructor through the Microsoft TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) program at Alonzo Mourning Senior High School in Miami-Dade County, Florida. TEALS connects industry professionals with K–12 schools to teach computer science courses in communities where qualified instructors are scarce.

Habitat for Humanity

For more than twelve years, Marrero has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build homes for underserved communities throughout Miami-Dade County. His involvement began through his local church. "My dad was a general contractor for fifty-plus years, so I've always had a special connection to that kind of work," he has explained. "I attended one of their sessions and really just fell in love with the organization and what it stands for."

Media coverage

In March 2021, Marrero was profiled in Hispanic Executive magazine in a feature titled "For Marcos Marrero, Technology Is More Than a Job." The article traced his path from discovering computers at age eleven in the Dominican Republic through his mentorship at Lloyds Banking Group and his rise to the C-suite at H.I.G. Capital. It highlighted his philosophy that technology is a lifelong passion: "It's not just a career or something I have to do: I do it because I have a passion for it."

In November 2025, Marrero was featured in Inc. Arabia ahead of Black Hat MEA 2025, profiled as one of the conference's "Speakers to Watch." The article described his role leading cybersecurity strategy at H.I.G. Capital and his view that security functions as a strategic business enabler.

Recognition and awards

• ORBIE Global Leadership Award – Finalist, 2025 and 2026
• CISO of the Year – Finalist, 2015
• Security Leader of the Year for North America – Nominee
• Top 50 Chief Security Officers – Nominee
• Boardroom Certified Qualified Technology Expert (QTE) – Digital Director Network, 2023
• Certificate, Mastering Negotiation Program – Harvard Kennedy School, Executive Education

Credentials

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) – (ISC)²
• Information Systems Security Management Professional (ISSMP) – (ISC)²
• Boardroom Certified Qualified Technology Expert (QTE) – Digital Director Network
• Mastering Negotiation Certificate – Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government

Personal life

Marrero is bilingual in English and Spanish and is based in Hialeah, Florida. He is active in his local church community. Outside of professional life, his interests include home renovation, travel, cooking, country and live music, scuba diving, and technology. He completed his PADI Open Water scuba diving certification in August 2024. His father was a general contractor for more than fifty years, a background that has informed his ongoing interest in construction.

See also

• H.I.G. Capital
• Chief Information Security Officer
• FBI InfraGard
• Microsoft TEALS
• Black Hat (conference)
• CISSP
• Alternative investment management
• Habitat for Humanity

External links

• "For Marcos Marrero, Technology Is More Than a Job" – Hispanic Executive, March 2021
• "Speakers to Watch at Black Hat MEA 2025" – Inc. Arabia, November 2025
• Marcos Marrero – Black Hat MEA Speaker Profile
• Marcos Marrero on LinkedIn

Category:Living people Category:People from Miami-Dade County, Florida Category:People from Hialeah, Florida Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni

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