Mark McGovern

Mark began working with Sands Capital as an adviser in 2019 and joined Sands Capital full time in 2021. He is a respected cybersecurity industry professional with significant technical, operational and investment experience that includes developing covert and clandestine communication systems for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), serving as Director of Technology at Cigital where Mark was responsible for the company’s original security business, serving as Vice President of Technology at In-Q-Tel where Mark was responsible for In-Q-Tel’s cybersecurity investments for 9+ years, and co-founding a cybersecurity startup (Mobile System 7) that he led as CEO from inception through acquisition. Mark is a regular speaker at industry conferences, including the RSA Conference, Blackhat, and Defcon. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and an MS in Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Mark is a licensed professional engineer and holds four US patents.