Brian Harrell.
As Hawaiʻi Pacific University celebrates its 60th anniversary and the collective impact of its alumni around the world, Brian Harrell ’02, ’03 stands out as a powerful example of that legacy in action.
When Harrell thinks back on his time at HPU, he sees it as the bedrock of his decades-long career in national security and energy resilience. “It’s been the foundation of everything I’ve done,” he said. “Whether it was the class sizes, the personal attention, or the instructors’ subject matter expertise, the quality of education at HPU continues to surpass peer institutions, which creates an excellent return on investment.”
Harrell earned both an AA in 2002 and a BA in 2003 both in Justice Administration. He was serving in the Marine Corps in Kaneohe Bay at the time and credits the programs’ intimate format for setting him up for success.
“The availability of in-person classes allowed me to work full-time while having plenty of options to engage with fellow students, study, and complete my degrees,” he said. “HPU is a leader in national security education given its strategic Pacific location, access to military and policy experts, and its powerful alumni network all over the globe. Its influence will continue to grow as conflicts and technologies shape our future.”
Harrell also emphasized how his HPU experience prepared him for the real-world challenges of operating in such a dynamic industry. “National security, and specifically energy security, is central to our way of life. Living in a first-world country, we have an expectation that when we hit the light switch, the lights come on every time, uninterrupted,” he said.
“Yet, we have hackers and nation-state adversaries who would love to attack our way of life and cause major disruptions to local systems and the larger power grid for the United States. I’m happy to report that we have groups in government and industry that work hard every single day to keep the lights on, keep attackers at bay, and invest in the safety and security of our critical infrastructure.”
After HPU, Harrell pursued further education, earning master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and Penn State University, and completing executive programs at Yale School of Management and the Naval Postgraduate School. “These programs complemented my HPU experience nicely,” he said, adding that they also positioned him geographically closer to opportunities on the East Coast, where he now resides in Washington, DC.
Reflecting on lessons learned throughout his extensive career in both government and private sectors, Harell believes in the importance of preparedness. “The government’s not here to save you,” he said. “The private sector needs to have the ability, subject matter expertise, and plans in place to respond and recover from major events. We need a well-trained, well-educated workforce to do that. That’s the role of HPU and higher education.”
This conviction in resilience is what inspired him to launch his own firm, The Cutlass Security Group, in 2015. “When you work for a utility or security company or the government, it’s difficult to take a holistic look behind the curtain at what that company is struggling with,” he explained. “But as a consultant with no real dog in the fight, you’re brought in to help, and that allows you to get your hands dirty, find the root of problems, and carve out a roadmap to build resilient and secure systems.”
A year prior to founding his own venture, Harrell was awarded the 2014 GovSec “Gov30” award in developing the Grid Security Exercise, or “GridEx”, the first national-level cybersecurity exercise for the U.S. power grid involving thousands of utilities. “Trying to get everyone on the same page was like herding cats,” he recalled. “But we built a robust exercise that tested the United States’ ability to restore and respond to a catastrophic cybersecurity incident. What makes me most proud is that GridEx continues today, growing bigger and better every time.”
Today, Harrell is an executive at a private energy firm, overseeing cybersecurity, privacy, physical security, and resilience portfolios. He also had the pleasure of serving as the sixth Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Security at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. His leadership spans numerous advisory boards and councils, including the DOE Electricity Advisory Committee, Security Industry Association Board of Directors, TSA Security Advisory Committee, and more.
Brian Harrell with his wife Kate at the White House.
When asked what drives him to take on so many strategic advisory roles, Harrell was clear: “I live my life needing a sense of mission. Maybe that’s the military culture in me, but I need to get up every morning and do something greater than myself. All of these boards are tied to security, resilience, or critical infrastructure, and I take it upon myself to help carve out strategy, are we looking at the right threats today, and can we anticipate where the enemy is going?”
Balancing proactive strategy with crisis management is core to his role as a security executive. “Being a Chief Security Officer is a bit of a unicorn,” he said. “You need to manage the monster of the moment—day-to-day threats and crises—but also speak to the board and CEO, breaking down complex issues so they can understand and support risk reduction strategies. Sometimes CSO stands for Chief Security Officer, but oftentimes it also means Chief Storytelling Officer.”
For HPU students or recent graduates looking to enter the national security field, Harrell offered candid advice: “You’re not going to enjoy this career if you’re looking to get rich, but you will if you’re looking to make a difference nationally, regionally, and locally. Embrace a sense of mission accomplishment—doing something greater than yourself. Critical infrastructure services like clean drinking water, electricity, or financial networks are the services we depend on daily. This mission is critical, and we cannot fail.”
Outside of his professional commitments, Harrell credits his family for keeping him grounded. “I have a great wife who ensures my head doesn’t get too big and three wonderful children who are also focused on national security,” he said.
Looking back, he’s most proud of the relationships he’s built. “You can’t do this job in isolation,” Harrell explained. “You have to be able to lean on relationships and your rolodex to get ahead of crises. Never burn a bridge. Today’s political enemy might be tomorrow’s friend, and this world is even smaller today than ever before.”
As global threats and technological advancements continue to shape our future, Harrell remains dedicated to his lifelong mission: protecting people, data, infrastructure, and the critical services that keep our world moving—an example of HPU’s enduring impact, 60 years strong.
