By Tom S. Noda
Computerworld Philippines

It may not sound too popular like Superman or Iron Man, yet Jonathan Pineda’s “Weigh Man” status as information security officer (ISO) is definitely a noble one, as he weighs the risks involved related to information technology and handles them right.

But long before achieving his present rank, Pineda already had the aptitude in weighing things that produced positive results. This involved risking his career on Electrical Engineering (EE) as he attempted the IT waters in 1992.

Being a fresh graduate of EE 17 years ago, Pineda thought that technology was the way to go at that time describing the IT arena as the most “dynamic” industry.

“When I got into IT instead of the power industry after college, this was what I had in mind: If in five years time and I decided that IT is not for me, I can always go back to the power industry. The learning curve will not be steep. It will be the same power supplied by power plants, distributed by substations using the same power cables and transformers. But it will not be the same case for IT,” says Pineda, who now serves as assistant vice president and chief ISO of Chinatrust (Philippines) Commercial Bank Corporation.

It was the fast evolution in the IT space that convinced Pineda that he can’t have his craving for technology waiting.

“I witnessed the computer evolve from the Apple II to IBM XT’s, to the 486DX, and from DOS to Windows in such a short time,” he says. “The same still holds true for me. Each day brings an excitement of what’s new and the possibility of how IT can help improve our lives.”

Although not his forte, Pineda says he pushed himself to learn IT by accepting a job as technical support staff of Citibank Asia Pacific Support Center in 1992. And only a year later, he became system administrator of Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan Chase), a position which he held for three years.

Yet the turning point of Pineda’s quest for a successful IT career would happen in 1996 when an offshore Belgian bank, the KBC Bank Manila Offshore Bank, hired him to be its IT manager. He worked there for 10 years.

“I consider myself lucky to be hired as IT head of KBC at age 26. It was a relatively young age in the industry. It involved a lot of hard work from there to polish my technical, leadership and people skills. It was a small bank but it gave me the opportunity to be exposed with some of the best technologies and processes available,” he shares.

Pineda says it was in the latter part of his stay at KBC that he came to appreciate information security. This made him to focus his IT career on ISO.

“I got lucky to be hired by my present bank to be its IT Service and Security Manager, so I was polishing skills in information security while still doing a lot of IT work. It was in November of 2008 that I was designated formally as Chinatrust’s Information Security Officer (ISO),” reveals Pineda.

The IT executive says that he formally shifted careers last year with his ISO appointment. He describes it as an “exciting and dynamic” field where people, technology and process are deeply involved.

“ISO is a field where you look at IT in a different perspective. You do not only look at the benefits IT can provide but also weigh the risks involved and plan on how to handle such risks,” he notes.

For Pineda, IT aspirants must be well-rounded in order to succeed. He says that although technical skills may be important, non-IT skills such as leadership, people skills, and common sense are very important.

“You need to be technically knowledgeable but at the same time be able to communicate ideas to management and users in plain English,” he says. “And as an IT boss exposed to varied personalities, it is important that you can communicate well. You must be able to resolve conflicts either internal or external and inspire your team to deliver its targets.”

TIDBITS
Age: 38
Civil Status: Married
Children: Two
Education: BS Electrical Engineering, University of Santo Tomas
Favorite Technologies: Open-source software, iPhone
Philosophy in a nutshell: “I believe that it is in the hardest times where the opportunity to shine may be at its greatest.”
Hobbies and Interests: Golf, Formula 1, family time.
What people don’t know about you: “That I am a registered Electrical Engineer.”

UPDATE: Last September 2009, Pineda joined the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as their Information Security Officer (ISO). The information secuity office is a new IT group at GSIS.

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• Henry Aguda Chief Information Officer Globe Telecom
• Mariels Almeda Winhoffer: First Female President of IBM Philippines
• Jeffrey Uthoff
• Keeping IT Positive
• Harnessing Excellence

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