James Sipe named Chief Information Security Officer at Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Office of Administration announced that James Sipe was selected as the Commonwealth's next Chief Information Security Officer. Sipe was set to start in the role on November 27, coming from Amazon Web Services, where he oversaw cybersecurity for the company's largest global customers.

The Office of Administration says the CISO maintains cybersecurity strategy, standards and posture for agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction, and leads the team defending Commonwealth IT systems and data from cyber-attacks. According to the release, the CISO's office also oversees incident management, threat and vulnerability management, risk management, monitoring and compliance, auditing and cybersecurity governance.

The Office of Administration says Sipe has more than 20 years of cybersecurity experience, advising and working for companies in diverse industries. Before Amazon, Sipe worked as an IT security executive at MessageBird, which the release describes as a digital communications and marketing company with more than 29,000 customers worldwide. The release says he has also led cybersecurity and compliance at global firms in engineered materials, building technology, accounting, management consulting, weather and environmental monitoring, and hospitality and entertainment. According to the release, Sipe's past employers with headquarters or offices in Pennsylvania include Johnson Controls, Glatfelter and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. Sipe holds a Bachelor of Science in English Language and Literature/Letters from Millersville University, according to pa.gov.

The Office of Administration says the CISO's office works with local governments, offering shared services such as network intrusion monitoring, vulnerability testing, anti-phishing exercises and security awareness training. According to the release, the office is working with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, other state agencies and local government associations to expand its services through the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Grant Program.

According to pa.gov, his CISO duties covered enterprise-wide management of the Commonwealth's cybersecurity programs, with data privacy and risk management among them. According to pa.gov, in February 2026 Sipe was appointed Executive Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Commonwealth. In that post, according to pa.gov, he is responsible for planning, implementing and overseeing enterprise security, network, infrastructure and related technology services.