Pape Cisse

Dr. Pape Cissé is a seasoned executive and cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience in technology management and leadership. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Cyber Diplomacy and Leadership (CCDL), which aims to bridge the cybersecurity knowledge gap among African leaders, equipping them with the tools to address cyber threats effectively. Additionally, Dr. Cissé serves as Founder and Principal at Digital Sources LLC, where he advises organizations, government entities, and nonprofits on cybersecurity transformation, compliance, and digital transformation strategies.

Dr. Cissé's career highlights include serving as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), where he led the agency through a groundbreaking cloud migration, making it the first fully serverless, FedRamp-certified entity in DOT. He was also an IT Strategic Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Research and Innovation, where he advanced IT innovation for automated vehicles and other technologies. An accomplished academic, Dr. Cissé has lectured for over 20 years at George Washington University, covering programming languages and management principles, and currently teaches management in the MBA program at UMUC. He holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Management Information Systems from Peru State College, dual Master’s degrees from George Washington University, a Doctorate in IT Security Management, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Harvard Kennedy School. Fluent in English, French, and Wolof, Dr. Cissé enjoys scuba diving, skydiving, and reading non-fiction in his free time.