10 Questions with DoorDash’s Chief Information Security Officer, Justin Grudzien

For all of us, 2020 was a year of unprecedented change. Our platform served as a critical lifeline to local communities, and with that responsibility it was paramount that we offer a new level of trust, security and confidence in our platform and services.

Amidst the many new innovations and developments that we made at DoorDash last year, we were fortunate to add another teammate to our Leadership Team: Justin Grudzien, our new Chief Information Security Officer. A seasoned technologist, Justin leads the security, IT, and engineering teams tasked with protecting the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of DoorDash information and assets.

Justin has worked in security and technology for over 20 years, with the last 10 years spent in security leadership roles. Justin has built successful security programs within the e-commerce and travel sectors, having previously served as the Chief Security Officer and Data Protection Officer at Journera, Chief Security Officer at Raise Marketplace, and as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Orbitz Worldwide.

In his spare time, Justin loves to write, and has even won several writing contests. He hopes to one day be a published fantasy or science fiction author. In the meantime, he’s also written a Roblox game, and spends lots of time reading (we’re talking 50+ novels a year!).

To get to know Justin and understand what makes him tick, we asked him a few questions about his career and how his path led him to DoorDash.

What got you into the Information Security space in the first place?

When I was in high school, there was an emerging hacking scene growing in Chicago. A friend and I attended some gatherings and quickly learned about how telephony systems were fundamentally flawed — and how to circumvent their security. By the end of high school, I transitioned from trying to break everything to trying to prevent people from breaking things, and was working with Chicago’s largest internet service provider. This is where my love for information security started, and I have found myself working in the field ever since.

Most pivotal moment of your career?

Nearly a decade ago, I was given an opportunity to lead eight different technology teams at once, even though I only wanted to focus on security. I was told that it would be “good for my career if I could expand my leadership capabilities.” Agreeing to this was definitely the most pivotal moment of my career, because I was able to demonstrate I could lead areas not directly within my wheelhouse. Looking back, I believe this helped me to become a more well rounded leader who can deal with a variety of complex situations.

What fills up your free time?

Spending time with my kids consumes most of my free time these days, but I still try to find time to read every night.

Favorite book?

It’s far too difficult to name a single favorite book! I’ll say right now, my favorite is the Expeditionary Force novel series by Craig Alanson, but my all-time favorite series is The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson.

Tell us about your love for fiction writing…

I have always had story ideas in my head, and the part of the process I struggled with the most was getting those ideas down on paper. So, while reading has always been a passion of mine, my love of fiction writing didn’t start until high school, when I got the chance to take creative writing classes. After college, I started spending more of my free time learning how to write, joined a few writing groups online, and got to interact with and learn from other aspiring writers. Over the years, I have entered a number of writing contests and I have started working with a professional editor. It has been difficult to spend a significant amount of time writing since having children, but I plan to continue getting better and hope to one day become a published fiction writer.

So, we hear you wrote a Roblox game? Can you tell us more about that?

I have four children and they introduced me to Roblox several years ago. I have always wanted to make a video game and Roblox makes the process approachable, so I thought I would give it a shot. I started writing the game in my spare time at the beginning of 2019, and quickly learned that it wasn’t something I could do by myself. I ended up investing a small amount of money and hired some people from the Roblox community to help me with aspects of the game, like art and map making that I wasn’t good at. I released the game, Drill Quest Simulator in the middle of 2020.

Why is it important for the CISO to have a seat at the leadership table?

For an information security program to be effective in today’s complex landscape, it must be integrated into every business unit, and treated like a true business function that supports the larger company’s culture and objectives. A company’s CISO is best positioned to accomplish this with a seat at the leadership table because they can ensure that security is always top-of-mind for the organization. Because a break in the system is just as likely to come from an employee as it is from the infrastructure, CISOs must now also employ risk mitigation strategies that are less technology focused. Only with a seat at the leadership table can a CISO hope to have the influence required to shape the overall culture of an organization.

It was clear from my first conversations with the team that DoorDash holds this philosophy — toward not only security, but nearly all functions across the company — which made me excited to join.

Favorite restaurant available on DoorDash?

My wife’s and my favorite restaurant on DoorDash is Chef Soon, a contemporary sushi bar.

What’s a quote you live by?

“There are no secrets to success. It is a result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

This quote by Colin Powell sums up how I have approached my life and my career, with the most significant part being the learning from failure.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

The best piece of advice I have ever received is to never stop learning and always challenge yourself. I had several people tell me this from mentors to friends and it is a piece of advice I try to live by every day.

Welcome to the family, Justin!