CISO - Head of Cyber Security, ENEL Group, Italy
Since June 2016, Yuri Rassega has been Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Enel one of the main integrated operators in energy, operating in 30 countries around the world, mainly producing and distributing electricity, serving almost 75 million end-users. Yuri is in charge of leading all the processes of IT&OT&IoT Cyber Security Risk Management, Governance, Engineering, Assurance and Operation including group CERT (CSIRT) and Digital Identity Management. Previously, between 2014 and 2016, he was head of the Global ICT Solution Center, AFC, HR, Procurement and Holding Functions. Between 2004 and 2014, he headed the Group's ICT Global Audit Function carrying out more than 150 deep analyses on digital assets and processes at global scale. He joined the Enel group in 2001 as head of the ICT function (CIO) at Enel Hydro SpA. Before working in Enel, Yuri Rassega served, with various responsibilities, in the ICT industry, including the development of systems in the banking sector, TELCO & ISP, ERP, SCADA, ACS, and ICS solutions for several clients. His experience has developed through a wide range of roles, from software development and electronic design, to consultancy, to entrepreneurial roles and senior management positions. He began his professional career, very young, in late ‘80s, working on the implementation of many IT solutions in banking sector (for 12 years), including very early digital financial services development. In the early 1990s, he co-founded a start-up company providing enhanced ERP solutions and developing SCADA / ACS / ICS solutions to automate municipal wastewater treatment plants, drinking water distribution networks, and improved HVAC solutions for large buildings. From 1999 to 2001 Yuri Rassega served as the CIO of a private Telco Company (landline phone service and ISP) leading the start-up journey from the green-field to the scale-up phase. He is member of some institution’s expert WGs such as those sponsored by EU authorities and forums, G7, G20, WEF-World Economic Forum (with 5 publications), CIGRE. He serves teaching, being a subject-matter expert adjunct professor, in some Master courses: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (since 2016), University of Genova (since 2018), University of Bologna - B. Business School (since 2018), Il Sole24Ore Business School (since 2020), LUISS Business School (since 2021), University of Firenze (since 2021) and presenting many Lectures at civil and military Academies: eg. Accademia Aeronautica Pozzuoli (2017); Accademia Navale Livorno (2018); Accademia Militare Modena (2018); Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa CASD Roma (2018); European Security and Defence College & Interagency Law Enforcement Academy of Advanced Studies Rome (2023); CINI (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale Italy) & CCSIRS (Center for Cyber Security and International Relations Studies) (2023). He wrote his first paper on Artificial Intelligence in 1988. He is a founding partner of national “Accademia di Ingegneria e Tecnologia” - Italy. He participates as a speaker, and/or as a panel chair, and/or as a member of the Advisory Board at dozens of international conferences, in Europe, North America, Middle East, Asia, on cyber security, digital transformation and wireless communications technologies since early 2000’s. Yuri is also an inventor, he thought up of some digital fraud-detection tools and methods patented in Europe, the USA, and some Latin American countries.
