Claudette McGowan is a global information technology leader with more than 20 years of success leading digital transformations and implementing cybersecurity platforms and solutions. She has worked in the technology industry for several organizations such as Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, North York General Hospital, Bank of Montreal, and TD Bank.
At BMO, Claudette served as the Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology Employee Experience, and at TD Bank she was the Global Executive Officer for Protect Fusion & Cyber Experience.Claudette is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Protexxa, an innovative cybersecurity software and services company. She is the creator of Protexxa Defender, an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that helps companies and individuals find and fix cyber vulnerabilities. Protexxa also offers cybersecurity training and advisory services.
In 2024, McGowan shattered records by raising $10M in VC funding for her company and Protexxa now has government and corporate customers worldwide.
Claudette is an active member of the global innovation ecosystem. She is Vice-Chair MaRS Discovery District and Chair of CILAR, a group of senior business leaders committed to creating platforms that break down systemic barriers within the innovation economy. McGowan recently co-led the launch of Phoenix Fire & The Firehood, a multi-million-dollar women-focused angel fund and network for women in technology.
Her commitment to community is evidenced by her multiple board seats for leading organizations such as Air Canada, MaRS Discovery District, SickKids Hospital Foundation, Black North, CILAR, Elevate Technology Festival, and University of New Brunswick Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity.
Claudette holds a BA from Lakehead University, MBA from Athabasca University, three Hon Doctor of Laws degrees from Carleton University, McMaster University and University of Waterloo. Claudette is currently in the Computer Science PhD program at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Over the past decade, Claudette has received recognition as Top 100 Global Leaders in FinTech by FinTech Magazine. Toronto Life recognized Claudette as one of the city’s Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians, Digital Finance Institute honoured her as one of the Top 50 Canadian Women in FinTech, IT World Canada named her as Top 20 Canadian Women in Cybersecurity, and the Women’s Executive Network recognized her as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
In 2022, Claudette received the DMZ Women of the Year Award and NACO named her as a Nation Builder of the Year in Canada.
In December 2024, UBS, the global investment bank and financial services giant selected Claudette as the winner of their Female Founder Award, which recognizes the next generation of women-led companies around the world, in the fields of financial (“fintech”) and enterprise technology.
Claudette is an innovative cybersecurity leader who has set an ambitious goal of building platforms and services ready to protect all 5 billion internet users from cyber attacks.