Shane Callahan brings over 25 years of experience in technology, intelligence, and leadership to his role as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Vanderbilt University. He first joined Vanderbilt as the university’s inaugural Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), where he built the information security program from the ground up. In 2024, he was named CIO, continuing his leadership in advancing Vanderbilt’s technology strategy and operations.
Before coming to Vanderbilt, Shane served as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at naviHealth, an Optum Company, where he transformed the company’s approach to cybersecurity as its first CISO. He also led the global Data Protection program, Federal Security, and supported M&As at Deloitte, and at Tractor Supply Co., oversaw Information Security, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery, and Privacy.
Shane’s career began with four years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force, followed by twelve years in the Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Officer. After multiple deployments, he resigned his commission to focus on family life. He has also contributed to the field as an educator, teaching for nearly a decade as an adjunct professor in security and forensics, and as a leader in the professional community. He is a founding board member of the Nashville Chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), serves on Flare.io’s advisory board and Dell’s advisory board, served on the Nashville Mayor’s Information Security Advisory Board, and is a graduate of the FBI CISO Academy.
Based in Nashville for the past 20 years, Shane lives in Nolensville with his wife, Brianne, and their three children: Eliza, Louisa, and Evan. Outside of work, he is a lifelong musician and recording artist—and, despite his family’s best efforts, still not quite ready to give up skateboarding.