Steve Schwartz

Head of Cybersecurity / Partner

Steve Schwartz brings nearly two decades of hands-on experience in cybersecurity, risk management, and IT leadership. Steve's career began in 2006 spending five years as a submariner in the US Navy. In the Navy he took multiple courses on building, managing, and securing systems and offensive security. Steve has worked with organizations of all sizes, from global enterprises to small financial firms, helping them build smarter, safer, and more resilient operations.

Before joining Optima Partners, Steve led security consulting at Eze Castle Integration, where he built new programs and integrated teams across continents. At Alphaserve Technologies, he launched a CISO-as-a-Service model and developed innovative security operations platforms. Earlier roles at S&P Global, PwC, and others gave him deep expertise in audits, compliance, and managing complex security challenges.

Steve is also a published author on cybersecurity topics and is known for making complex security issues understandable for business leaders. At Optima, he focuses on helping financial services clients strengthen their cybersecurity programs, manage vendor risks, and stay ahead of regulatory demands.

Areas of expertise:

Cybersecurity governance & compliance
Vendor risk management
Vulnerability management
Regulatory frameworks for financial services
Incident response

Education & Certifications:

M.S. & B.S., National Security Studies, New Jersey City University
CISM, CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor & Implementer