Why Nominated: During his more than 25 years in the industry, Williams’ focus has been on software security. As a result, he’s founded the well-known, not-for-profit Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), along with two cybersecurity companies, Aspect Security in 2002 and Contrast Security in 2010 with partner Arshan Dabirsiaghi. In addition to these accomplishments, Williams remains unflagging in his continued work to advocate for and educate executives and industry practitioners about application and software security.
What colleagues say: “Jeff Williams’ passion to radically improve the security of the world’s software was a key factor in our decision to invest in Contrast Security. He has an altruistic vision as well as a commitment to building a product that developers and security experts truly love. This is a killer combination, and we couldn’t be more proud to back the Contrast Security team.” – Dr. Stephen Herrod, managing director, General Catalyst