CMMC Accreditation Body Appoints Matthew Travis, Former CISA Deputy Director, as Organization’s First CEO

Respected Cybersecurity Veteran Charged with Guiding Ongoing CMMC-AB Initiatives and Helping the DoD Fulfill its Mission of Minimizing Supply Chain Cyber Threats

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Matthew Travis as the CMMC-AB’s first CEO effective April 1, 2021. In this role, Mr. Travis will oversee the day-to-day development and management of the CMMC-AB to support the goals and objectives of its ultimate customer, the Department of Defense (DoD). Mr. Travis’ appointment is the result of an intensive nationwide search by the AB Board of Directors.

“We are extremely thrilled to have someone as respected and accomplished as Mr. Travis lead the Accreditation Body. His organizational development skills as well as in-depth understanding of security and the Federal government will enable us to continue to quickly ramp-up AB operations and execute against our mission in service of the nation’s defense,” said Board Chair Karlton Johnson.

Most recently, Mr. Travis served as the first Deputy Director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation’s leading civilian cybersecurity agency. There he designed and led the internal transformation of the organization following its creation in 2018. He was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the $2 billion, 2000-employee agency.

“Joining and leading the CMMC-AB is a tremendous opportunity. I look forward to using my collective experiences of running a security company start-up as well as my time at CISA, where I focused on supply chain risk, to ensure we mitigate risks as they relate to both the DoD and the contractor community,” commented Mr. Travis. “There is no more important cyber mission right now than building a trusted, verified, and resilient cybersecurity ecosystem within the Defense Industrial Base. When we look at where true cyber risk currently resides, the CMMC mission is a critical component of the safety and security of our nation and its citizens.”

Prior to his service at CISA, Mr. Travis served as vice president for homeland security at Cadmus, a security, energy and environmental professional services firm. He was also a co-founder of startup Obsidian Analysis, a DC-based security consultancy acquired by Cadmus in 2016. A former naval officer, he served aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Carr (FFG 52) and as a White House Liaison to the Secretary of the Navy. Mr. Travis is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University.

About CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB)
The CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) incorporated in January 2020 as a non-stock corporation in the State of Maryland, with an application pending for a tax-exemption determination by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3). The CMMC-AB is an independent accreditation entity with responsibility to establish, manage, control and administer CMMC assessment, certification, training and accreditation processes for the Defense Supply Chain in accordance with a contract signed with the Department of Defense.