“My Purdue degree provided me with skills to be a problem solver,” says Chris Reffkin. “The ability to understand a broad array of concepts, translate business challenges into technical requirements, develop solutions, and then deliver those solutions to meet challenges is a substantial part of my career.”
Reffkin has been employed by Crowe Horwath LLP since graduation and has steadily risen through their ranks. As a national leader for cybersecurity and risk management leader, Reffkin performs enterprise-wide privacy and security risk assessments. In addition to finding areas for improvement and developing solutions, Reffkin helps Boards and executives understand the impact cybersecurity has on their organizations.
As one of the first in a long line of Computer and Information Technology (CIT) graduates to be hired in the cybersecurity field at Crowe Horwath, Reffkin’s efforts in recruiting were instrumental in the hiring of several additional Purdue CIT graduates to join the growing practice. In addition to recruiting Purdue students, Reffkin also participates in the CIT Industrial Advisory Board, guest lectures for professor Phil Rawles and serves as an advisor to the newly launched cybersecurity major.
Reffkin credits Purdue for his drive for success. “In the professional world, my career performance is rooted in the expectations that had been set in college. Anything less than what had been acceptable at Purdue is not acceptable in the real world.” Looking toward the future, he says, “I aspire to write a book on cybersecurity or otherwise influence the industry on effective cybersecurity risk management.”
Reffkin lives in Minnetrista, Minnesota, with his wife, Cathleen , their two children, Alexandra and Francis, and they are expecting their third this fall.