Krista Arndt never imagined she would be a chief information security officer; however, she reached this level through intentional career moves, learning opportunities and through taking the opportunities nobody wanted. Her journey was all about risks with a move to Virginia and her first process improvement role before moving closer to Pennsylvania for an opportunity with an IT and InfoSec contractor.
All of these risks and opportunities led her to the role of chief information security officer at United Musculoskeletal Partners to build the program from the ground up before taking on the role as associate chief information security officer at St. Luke’s University Health Network.
St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a nonprofit, regional, fully integrated, nationally recognized network providing services at 15 campuses and more than 300 sites in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks, Monroe and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.
In her previous role at United Musculoskeletal Partners, Arndt helped save almost $500K in security expenses through a revamp of the security strategy and entire national program. She has also worked to improve the company’s security posture along the way with less money and resources. Her efforts have led to appointments to the WiCyS Delaware Valley Board and the InfraGard Philadelphia’s healthcare sector chief.
Embracing the failures she faced while finding her place in the industry, Arndt said that failure is necessary to grow. “I recognize that even titans can fail, and through failure, we learn our most valuable lessons,” said Arndt. “However, present-day titans are often looked upon as those who have just everyday human abilities but find a way to use those average abilities through prowess, strategy, intentional action, tenacity and fortitude to accomplish or achieve significant goals or to become an influencer in their respective field.”
Arndt credits her ability to stay grounded and remember where she came from to helping her succeed as a leader. “Staying grounded helps me to maintain empathy and understanding in tough situations and helps me approach everything I do with a very unbiased and authentic context,” she said. “There is no speed limit on the road to success and everyone takes their own path, and learns at a different rate with different goals.”
