The Company Will Scale Operations with a U.S. Secret Service Veteran and Industry Experts to Meet Surging Demand for Digital Executive Protection
ORLANDO, Fla., March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BlackCloak, a pioneer in Digital Executive Protection (DEP) for corporate executives, boards of directors, and Family Offices, announced the strategic expansion of its senior leadership team to accelerate product innovation and strengthen its presence in executive protection and its alliance partnerships.
BlackCloak has tapped Jeff Putz as Vice President of Engineering, Hazel Cerra as Director of Digital Security Convergence, and Chris Hamilton as Managing Director of Alliances. These professionals bring specialized expertise spanning decades of scaling B2B and consumer software, 25 years in the U.S. Secret Service, and high-level networking within the risk management ecosystem, solidifying BlackCloak as the gold standard for protecting the personal digital lives of the world's most targeted individuals.
Jeff Putz, a seasoned software engineering expert with experience in B2B and B2C environments, is BlackCloak's new Vice President of Engineering. Additionally, Hazel Cerra, a nationally recognized executive protection and cybersecurity leader with a distinguished career with the United States Secret Service, joins as BlackCloak's Director of Digital Security Convergence. Christopher Hamilton, a veteran business development leader in high-growth companies at the intersection of Risk Management, Wealth Management, and Digital Assets, joins as BlackCloak's Managing Director of Alliances.
In their respective roles, Putz, Cerra, and Hamilton will contribute to BlackCloak's rapid growth and continued market leadership in Digital Executive Protection, enhancing the value of the company's specialist cybersecurity technology, expertise, and concierge support for BlackCloak members.
"We are immensely proud to have Jeff, Hazel, and Chris join our team. Their combined experience in cybersecurity and protection, business development, software engineering, and customer experiences will enhance the value and experience for BlackCloak members as we enter our next stage of expansion," said Dr. Chris Pierson, Founder and CEO of BlackCloak. "With BlackCloak's ongoing momentum and innovative DEP advancements, the skills and expertise of such an elite group of leaders will be essential to further our mission of safeguarding our clients' personal digital lives."
Jeff Putz: Scaling Meaningful Customer Experiences
Putz has more than 25 years of experience in software engineering leadership roles, most recently at True Fit, Yottaa, and Hydrow. At True Fit, he built and scaled the company's AI-native personalization platform to 250+ top-tier retailers and 250 million users, and at Yottaa, he led multiple departments driving the development of the company's security and acceleration platform. At Hydrow, he scaled the engineering team to deliver a superior experience to the company's more than 200,000 members while delivering new, high-impact experiences.
At BlackCloak, Putz oversees the strategy and architecture of the DEP Platform, including the mobile app and all technical capabilities that will deliver value across the client landscape. "Technology is evolving quickly on the threat side, and I'm excited to help our concierge team scale while delivering highly personalized services to enrich our members' digital safety," he said. "Joining BlackCloak's executive team is an incredible opportunity to continue to build software that positively impacts the lives of enterprises and individuals."
Hazel Cerra: An Expert in Sophisticated Cyber Threats
With more than 25 years as a cybersecurity leader with the U.S. Secret Service, Cerra most recently served as Resident Agent in Charge of the Atlantic City Resident Office, where she led protective intelligence operations, complex financial crime investigations, and strategic partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Throughout her career, she held senior supervisory roles in cyber fraud investigations and previously served on the protective detail of President William J. Clinton, supporting global security operations associated with the Clinton Global Initiative. She is recognized for translating presidential-level protection principles into scalable security frameworks that protect senior executives, families, and enterprise leaders in an increasingly complex threat environment, and is a Certified Information Security Manager through ISACA.
In her role as Director of Digital Security Convergence at BlackCloak, Cerra is responsible for building relationships with executive protection firms and those protecting high-profile individuals and their families. "BlackCloak sets the standard for DEP, and I'm excited to help bring our comprehensive protection to targeted high-net-worth individuals and their families," she said.
Christopher Hamilton: A Proven Track Record Based on Trust
Hamilton brings more than 20 years of experience in building strategic partnerships, managing complex risk, and developing growth strategies to BlackCloak, having held leadership roles at companies such as Aura, HQ Digital, and Digital Currency Group. Having spent most of his career in the Risk Management sector, working in cross-border geopolitics, private client risk, and leading risk for a wealth management platform, he has a proven track record of driving meaningful revenue growth and has built a robust network of trusted relationships that spans risk, wealth, and high-net-worth private client services.
In his role as BlackCloak's Managing Director of Alliances, Hamilton is building strategic partnerships with companies seeking to provide BlackCloak's leading DEP offerings to C-Suite executives and board members of Fortune 1000 companies. Similarly, to work with trusted advisors, including private banks, Family Offices, wealth management, and private client law firms, to deliver DEP to their high-profile and high-net-worth clients. "My career expertise is in fostering relationships built on trust and best practices, an approach that strongly aligns with BlackCloak's approach to DEP. I'm beyond excited to join this incredible team," he said.
For more information about BlackCloak's Digital Executive Protection services, visit blackcloak.io.
About BlackCloak
BlackCloak protects corporate executives, board members, high-profile individuals, and their families from privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Platform is a comprehensive solution that includes mobile and desktop apps, as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals gain complete peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats from executives without invading their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io and follow us on LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Beth Trier, BlackCloak, 1 4156018104, [email protected], https://blackcloak.io/
SOURCE BlackCloak
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