2021 Engineering Leader Under 40: Alan Raveling, 39

Alan Raveling, 39. OT Architect, Interstates, West Chester, OH, United States. BS Computer Science, Iowa State University, MS Information Assurance, University of Dallas.

By CFE Media September 8, 2021
Alan Raveling, 39 OT Architect Interstates

Alan Raveling, 39
OT Architect
Interstates
West Chester, OH, United States
BS Computer Science, Iowa State University
MS Information Assurance, University of Dallas

Why should this person be recognized for this award?

Alan has been part of the Operational Technology team for over 15 years. He has been vital in building our team, offerings, and client relationships. Alan has also filled many roles on the team over his career, from analysts, senior, team leader, and architect. No matter the role, he has always focused on the client first. Alan is one of our strongest technical experts. He is driven to constantly learn, both in the field and academically. Alan’s expertise and drive have placed him in a critical role in building our cybersecurity team and defining our unique value to the client.

Achievements, Advancement & Career-related Industry Contributions

Alan began working for Interstates in 2005 as one of our first hires to focus on Operational Technology. He started his journey as an analyst and took the initiative in his role right away. Alan quickly acquired certifications relevant to our industry in Microsoft and VMWare. Around 2010, our clients began asking about cybersecurity in the Operational Technology space. Alan started to expand his expertise into understanding standards from NIST and ISA to serve our clients better. Alan developed training programs and lead instructional courses with our clients to better help them meet compliance requirements around cybersecurity for their sites. At this time, Alan also passed his CISSP cyber exam and completed his Master of Science in Cybersecurity. Alan has transitioned into leading our Cyber Security Audit and Compliance offering for our Operational Technology group. Alan regularly presents at conferences and is engaged in industry best practices. Alan has held key roles with a Fortune 50 client in helping to guide their cybersecurity for Operational Technology into the future. Alan is currently continuing his education journey with his pursuit of a Doctorate in Computer Science.

Non-work-related Activities & Hobbies

After becoming a homeowner, Alan decided to dive deep into adding more automation to his house. Taking this as an opportunity to learn more about programmable logic controller (PLC) and Human Machine Interface (HMI) development, Alan developed his own HVAC controls and a security system. The ability to have a more direct level of control over equipment, security concerns related to IoT devices, and an excuse to play around with some technology result in some fun and valuable outcomes.

Interesting Details

  • Alan’s drive to serve the client led us to an opportunity to help a site in Japan. The client needed our unique technical assistance. They were pressured to meet cyber compliance standards and remediate issues the site was having in their OT environment. Alan developed the relationship and negotiated an agreement to embed a resource at the site for a year. Alan served most of this contract, relocating to Japan for months at a time and directing other team members there on rotation when he was not onsite. The client has been extremely satisfied with service received.

Why did they choose this career?

“Working with different companies presents new challenges to overcome and opportunities to build lasting partnerships that wouldn’t be possible without working for a System Integrator. Partnering with companies to solve their cybersecurity concerns to bring value and address business risk is a rewarding experience. Seeing the results of multi-year efforts, which required careful planning, skills and expertise of multiple departments, and buy-in from all levels of the business is truly amazing. I look forward to every opportunity to repeat the process with a new client.”

Original content can be found at Control Engineering.


Author Bio: Since its founding in 2010, CFE Media and Technology has provided engineers in manufacturing, commercial and industrial buildings, and manufacturing control systems with the knowledge they need to improve their operational efficiency. CFE delivers the right information at the right time around the world through a variety of platforms.