Julia (Klepner) Sussman

Overview

Julia Sussman serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Accel [1]. Sussman is a security executive with deep experience building and scaling security programs at leading technology companies and financial services institutions [2]. Sussman advises leadership teams, boards, investors, and founders on cybersecurity strategy, risk management, data governance, and regulatory compliance, translating complex technical risks into strategic business decisions and partnering closely during periods of transition, transformation, and increasing threat complexity [2]. Prior to joining Accel in May 2026 [3], Sussman held the position of Head of Security at Thrive Capital from April 2023 to November 2025 [5], followed by a role as Security Advisor at the same firm [4]. Earlier positions include Staff Lead for Trust & Security at Confluent [6], roles in product security and infrastructure security at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative [7][8], Product Manager for the Cyber Insurance Group at Symantec [9], and Technology Risk Security Analyst at Goldman Sachs [10]. Sussman holds a Master of Arts in Applied Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, both from Stanford University [11][12].

Career history

1. Chief Information Security OfficerMay 2026 to presentAccel
2. Security AdvisorNov 2025 to May 2026Thrive Capital
3. Head of SecurityApr 2023 to Nov 2025Thrive Capital
4. Staff Lead, Trust & SecurityMay 2021 to Feb 2023Confluent
5. Product Security and PrivacyOct 2020 to Apr 2021Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
6. Infrastructure SecurityJan 2019 to Oct 2020Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
7. Product Manager, Cyber Insurance GroupMar 2017 to Jan 2019Symantec
8. Technology Risk, Security AnalystJul 2015 to Mar 2017Goldman Sachs

Education

1. Master of Arts (M.A.), Applied PsychologyStanford University
2. Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), PsychologyStanford University