Chris Kennedy

Pioneer
DISC Type : DIS

Governing Body Member, Bay Area CISO C-level Community at Evanta, a Gartner Company

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Chris Kennedy is the SVP of Technology Operations and CISO at OpenTable, where he architects operational excellence for global infrastructure and security in an AI-first organization. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, colleagues describe him as a visionary, versatile, and supportive leader who excels at driving innovation.

Outside of his executive role, Chris is deeply committed to his community. He serves as a Board Member for the Walnut Creek league of boys team charity, a philanthropic organization that encourages volunteerism among young men in grades 7 through 12 and their parents.

Unique fact: Chris describes himself as the “Architect behind both uptime and trust, ” reflecting his dual focus on driving secure innovation at scale.

Personality Overview

Dynamic But Sincere

Decisive But Friendly

Friendly But Fast

They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed  If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)

Topics They Care About

AI Governance
Leads an "AI-first" organization and is part of a CISO community focused on balancing GenAI innovation with practical governance.
Cybersecurity & Risk
As CISO, he is responsible for the end-to-end security of OpenTable's platforms and advises other leaders on governance, risk management, and compliance.
Youth Mentorship
Serves on the board of 'boys team charity, ' a non-profit dedicated to creating volunteer opportunities for young men and their parents.

Media Appearances

Chris has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2026
Governing Body Member, Bay Area CISO C-level Community at Evanta, a Gartner Company
11-2025
Board Member at Stonecastle
6-2025
Board Member at boys team charity, Inc. (btc)
7-2024
SVP, Technology Operations & CISO at OpenTable
2-2024 - 6-2024
Post breach analysis - cyber and cloud operations SWOT actionable report and program mgmt at TechBV Consulting

Education

Bachelors from University of California, Berkeley

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 2 Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Governing Body Member, Bay Area CISO C-level Community at Evanta, a Gartner Company
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Insights For Selling To Chris

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it
  • Use phrases like ‘your decision will’, ‘you will impact’ etc.
  • Showcase existing customers and use case-studies to grab their attention

DONT's

  • Don’t be very informal during the early interactions even if they are being so themselves
  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Chris is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Chris

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Chris move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can Chris take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And Chris

Personality Compatibility


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