Hunter Ely

Hunter Ely is an Associate Vice President at Vantage, leveraging his extensive background in security and networks on behalf of our clients. His experience spans higher education, healthcare, and the private sector. Throughout his career, Hunter has brought a strategic lens to improving security programs and practices that help institutions face complex security challenges. Hunter helps Vantage clients bridge the gap between security strategy and technical execution. He advises on everything from high-level program development to the practical implementation of Zero Trust and cybersecurity controls.

Before joining Vantage, Hunter served as Director of Education Strategy and Education Field CTO at Armis. He engaged higher education customers through large, complex implementations and initiatives. He also served as Field Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Higher Education at Palo Alto Networks, where he worked closely with universities and research institutions across the country to design security strategies aligned to their missions. As Assistant Vice President and Chief Information Security and Policy Officer at Tulane University, he built a robust information security program that managed processes, products, and support across the university and police department. His background also includes leadership and engineering roles with Duo Security, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, and Louisiana State University.

An active contributor to the higher education security community, Hunter has presented at EDUCAUSE, Internet2, and regional security forums, and has been recognized for his innovative partnerships between IT, public safety, and emergency management. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University, and he is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).