Troy Leach Says Farewell to PCI SSC

It is said that change is the only constant in life. And the last 21 months have been a time of unprecedented change in the way we live, work and travel.

These changes have brought with them a wave of changes as many companies and individuals reevaluate their opportunities and family responsibilities in the new way of working.

Today, the PCI Security Standards Council is announcing one such change, and it’s a significant one. After fifteen years of dedicated service to the Council, Troy Leach is stepping down from his role as our Senior Vice President, Engagement Officer for Market Intelligence and Stakeholder Engagement.

When the PCI Security Standards Council launched in 2006, Troy—then with American Express—was a key driver of the Council’s formation and a member of the Council’s first technical working group. Shortly after our launch, when it was time to hire a Technical Director, the Council turned to Troy to become our second employee.

Since that time, he has been a vital part of the Council’s executive team. He’s served in multiple leadership roles and has become one of the most visible faces not just for our organization, but in payment security worldwide. Whether educating the marketplace on initiatives, traveling to industry events as a keynote speaker, or representing the Council before Congress, Troy has been an external face of the Council. Internally, he has played an essential role in the creation of so many of the programs that are now synonymous with the Council—our Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) program and training, our PCI Professional Program, our Acquirer Forums, Technical Advisory Board, Community Meetings and so much more. His stewardship helped the Council grow from a single standard to a portfolio of fifteen standards. Troy has always shown a commitment to driving awareness of the critical issues facing the payment ecosystem—helping create numerous communication vehicles such as our industry bulletins that have reached stakeholders worldwide.

As PCI SSC Executive Director Lance Johnson shared, “To borrow an analogy from American football, Troy’s time with the Council has been like Tom Brady’s years with the New England Patriots. He helped us build something great and became the face of the franchise. But as the time came for Tom Brady to leave the Patriots, the time has come for Troy to move on to his next endeavor. And just as Tom Brady went on to win a championship in his next role, I have no doubt that Troy will continue to be successful in all that he does.”

In reflecting on his tenure, Troy commented, “I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with many great minds at the intersection of payments and information security all over the world. Together, we were able to blaze the path for how to effectively demonstrate the protection of payment environments. It is now a globally recognized roadmap for payment security,” said Leach, “Now I’ll leave it to others to drive those roadways while encouraging innovation and new approaches regularly. I am excited to see what the future holds for PCI SSC and our industry.”

Over the coming weeks, PCI SSC will be communicating with you on our plans for filling the void that Troy leaves behind, but for today, join us in celebrating Troy and the tireless work he has done for the Council and our entire community to advance payment security worldwide.