Frequently Asked Questions About Keith Brautigam CIO

Keith Brautigam is an IT and cybersecurity leader with a decade of experience in identity and access management (IAM). Over more than 20 years in IT, he has advanced from systems administration to executive roles, including Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Deputy CIO, and Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO), leading initiatives that strengthen security, streamline IT operations, and support regulatory compliance.

Keith focuses on identity and access management, cybersecurity strategy, IT compliance, and enterprise IT leadership. His experience spans higher education, healthcare research and clinical services, and global manufacturing.

Keith’s interest began with early Amiga and Atari computers, where he became more interested in tuning their performance than in playing games. After graduating from the University of Iowa into a difficult IT job market, he worked as a supervisor at a Borders bookstore in North Carolina, which he credits for valuable customer service and supervisory training. He then joined a medical research center in Iowa City as an IT Systems Administrator, managing secure systems for lung imaging research.

In the medical research environment, Keith saw the growing importance of IT compliance and data security as HIPAA regulations took effect. Since then, he has treated compliance and security as part of delivering IT services. He sees IT and cybersecurity as distinct disciplines, but two sides of the same coin.

Keith worked in research administration, where he adopted Agile Scrum practices, and then joined the University of Iowa’s central IT Identity and Access Management team. He was later recruited to a management position at a large public research university, where he was promoted to Director, Senior Director, CISO, and Deputy CIO, and was then appointed Interim CIO, leading the institution’s information technology enterprise.

As CISO, he led an information security program supporting more than 200,000 students, faculty, and staff, and protecting over $1 billion in annual research expenditures. Highlights include a change of multi-factor authentication platform that saved $500,000 annually, the modernization of Web Single Sign-On leveraging Microsoft Entra ID, which moved more than 500 applications in 12 months, and an enterprise identity governance system managing 1.2 million user accounts. As Deputy CIO, he led the reorganization of a 600-person central IT department to align services with key stakeholders and improve span of control.

Shields Up was an enterprise-wide initiative that Keith planned and implemented to apply best practices from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It focused on better protecting the organization’s network, devices, and business email.

Keith has a decade of IAM experience, both as a technical lead and in leadership roles. He has formed IAM programs for three organizations, one in higher education, one in manufacturing, and one in healthcare, helping each meet compliance obligations and improve security.

In March 2024, Keith joined Hunter Douglas in Broomfield, Colorado, as Global Cybersecurity Director of Identity and Access Management. He established the company’s IAM program, covering strategy, staffing, and software, and led a fast-paced, six-month identity governance implementation across North America and EMEA to replace legacy systems and support SOX compliance. He also designed a global access management architecture covering privileged account management, unified single sign-on, and privileged remote access.

His work has covered HIPAA in a medical research setting, SOX compliance and regulatory controls for HR and finance systems across multiple countries at Hunter Douglas, and SOC 2 at Radiology Partners,

Keith has been a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) since 2019, earning the certification through self-study. He holds an MBA, a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership, and a BA in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Iowa, and has completed several leadership programs with MOR Associates.

Keith cycles on the Denver Metro Area’s trail system, especially the Cherry Creek Trail, and enjoys indoor climbing. He reads epic fantasy, espionage fiction, and science fiction, and counts William Gibson and Neal Stephenson as influences on his career in IT.

In 2025, Keith transitioned to Radiology Partners, continuing his focus on IAM strategy. He is based in the Denver Metro Area (Aurora, CO).

Use the form on the contact page to reach Keith about IT leadership, cybersecurity, or identity and access management.