Biography
Amanda Fennell has taught courses ranging from incident response & digital forensics to operationalizing threat intelligence since 2013. Amanda entered the industry after completing a master’s in digital forensics (High-Tech Crime) from The George Washington University. After several years working as a government contractor and managing security for the Fortune 50, Mrs. Fennell accumulated certifications to ensure mastery of some of the most important tools and theories in security: CHFI, EnCE, ACE, CISSP, ITIL, and most recently a Certificate in Cybersecurity from the Rutgers College as a commitment to ongoing education. Amanda has been a remote leader in the security space for 12 years and now lives in New Orleans with her husband (also Tulane adjunct faculty for neurosurgery), and three children.
Amanda joined the Relativity team in 2018 as CSO and became both CSO and CIO in 2021. In her role, Amanda is responsible for championing and directing security strategy in risk management and compliance practices as well as building and supporting Relativity’s information technology. What was once a vision is now a fully developed global team called Calder7, where cybersecurity, product security, and compliance specialists converge to deliver Relativity’s fully integrated security program.
Before joining Relativity, Amanda served as the global head of cyber response and digital forensics at Zurich Insurance Company. She also held several management and consulting positions at Symantec, Dell SecureWorks, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Guidance Software where she garnered a wealth of knowledge on how to build and scale intelligence-driven security programs.
As an advocate for pro-active career management and advancement, Amanda served on the advisory board of Rutgers University - Rutgers Cyber Academy, an educational institution committed to creating the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Amanda is an active supporter of closing the opportunity divide with organizations like Year Up where the mission is to close the opportunity divide by ensuring that young adults gain
the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
Never run on deck. It makes everyone else nervous.
What are your favorite activities when you are not working?
Reading, archery, cooking, painting, and whatever my most recent hobby is that I am working to become a pro.
Without saying what the category is, what are your top five?
Racing a Formula 1 race car driver.
Jumping out of a plane.
White water rafting in Uganda.
Training my Rottie in Klingon.
Finding a woolly mammoth under 6 feet of clay.