John Michaels

Chief Technology Officer - Chief Information Security Officer at Maxim Group

New York, New York, United States

About John Michaels

John Michaels is Chief Technology Officer - Chief Information Security Officer at Maxim Group. Location: New York, New York, United States.

Founding Partner | Chief Technology Officer & Chief Information Security Officer Maxim Group LLC A founding partner and executive technology leader with decades of experience building, securing, and operating enterprise technology platforms within regulated financial services environments. From the earliest days of Maxim Group, responsibility has included designing and protecting the firm’s technology foundation while ensuring it evolves to meet changing business demands, regulatory expectations, and an increasingly complex threat landscape. Specializes in aligning technology and cybersecurity strategy with business objectives, risk management, and operational resilience. The approach emphasizes pragmatic design, defense‑in‑depth security, disciplined execution, and long‑term sustainability over short‑term fixes or trends. Operating at the intersection of CTO and CISO responsibilities, consistently bridges the gap between technical teams and executive leadership. Complex infrastructure and security challenges are translated into clear, actionable decisions that support governance, scalability, and continuity. A strong emphasis is placed on team development — mentoring professionals, empowering ownership, and creating environments where accountability, reliability, and continuous improvement are expected. Technology succeeds when people succeed. Looking forward, focus remains on thoughtful transition, knowledge transfer, and ensuring that the systems, teams, and strategies developed over decades remain durable, secure, and well‑positioned for the future.

Skills

  • Executive Technology Leadership Cybersecurity Strategy IT Governance Enterprise Risk Management Financial Services Technology Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Information Security Governance
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Storage

Additional experience

  • LAN Manager - Disaster Recovery Manager

    Investec Ernst And Company

    March 2000 – October 2002

Education

  • BFA, New York Institute of Technology
  • Glen Cove High School