Service King Collision Repair Centers has announced the addition of Anil Varghese to the role of chief information security officer (CISO).

Varghese, a veteran with two decades of global experience in the information technology sector – including stints at American Express and Sony – joins Service King as the organization’s very first CISO and will commence his duties immediately.

“Anil is a vital addition to the Service King team as we continue in our journey to become the premier provider of collision repair services,” said Derek Kramer, Service King chief information officer. “As our organization continues to grow and evolve, the need for a seasoned security expert rises as well. Anil brings decades of expertise and global experience to those facets of our business as we continue to proactively address security and IT solutions at Service King.”

Varghese joins the Service King team amidst a growth period as the organization nears 300 locations in 23 states across the U.S. His appointment continues Service King’s ongoing investment in security and developing a robust network of IT systems integrating its collision repair facilities, regional support centers and insurance carrier partner networks.

“In today’s business climate with customers and the board of directors alike, it is essential that companies instill confidence in the marketplace with their vigilant attention and focus on the security of data,” said Varghese. “As we continue to grow and expand into different markets, I will continue to mature Service King’s enterprise security strategies with an eye toward achieving our corporate risk management goals.”

Most recently serving as the chief security officer at Targetbase, an Omnicom Group company, Varghese’s vast tenure includes setting strategic direction on IT risk, security, compliance and privacy issues as a senior leader at American Express. He also has served as an esteemed thought leader and security evangelist across the industry community for PayPal, and others.

Varghese also is an active member of the information security/assurance community as a frequent speaker and presenter to ISSA, Evanta, CISO Roundtable, InfraGard ISACA and the FBI.

His appointment follows Service King’s hiring of longtime industry veteran Derek Kramer to the role of chief information officer in October.