Bio
Randy Pestana is Deputy Director of Florida International University's Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, where he provides executive leadership for the Institute's strategic initiatives, applied research, and partnerships across the U.S. national security enterprise. A national security professional specializing in defense policy, regional security cooperation, and cybersecurity strategy, his expertise includes U.S. foreign policy, civil-military relations, and security cooperation. He brings experience from the Pentagon driving defense strategy, coordinating interagency efforts, and engaging international partners. He has led initiatives to strengthen integrated security ecosystems, expand public-private collaboration, and address evolving threats facing the United States and its allies and partners.
Mr. Pestana recently served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs. He led U.S. defense engagement with Mexico and the Caribbean and directed cybersecurity defense engagement across the Western Hemisphere, strengthening partner capacity, advancing regional security cooperation, and aligning policy on shared defense priorities. During his tenure, he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Previously, Mr. Pestana served as Director of Cybersecurity Policy at the Gordon Institute and Director of Training and Education at Cybersecurity@FIU, where he led partnerships with the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Commerce, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, the Organization of American States, and private sector leaders. Mr. Pestana attended the United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course in Quantico, Virginia, earning a top-five peer ranking as a Candidate Platoon Sergeant, and later served as a recruiting assistant preparing future Marines for basic training. He holds a Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with a Graduate Certificate in National Security Studies from Florida International University and an Executive Certificate in Cybersecurity from Harvard University.