Cdr. M. Ramanathan Kumar (Retd.) is the Head of International Certifications at the International Process Excellence Council (IPEC). An experienced consultant and auditor, he specializes in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Cybersecurity, Business Resilience, and Data Privacy. His expertise is built on a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, including 21 years of service in the Indian Navy as a submariner.
Since 2022, Cdr. Kumar has been an independent consultant, providing expert guidance and strategic consulting for the implementation and auditing of information security and privacy controls. He is a Lead Auditor for multiple ISO standards, including ISO 27001 (ISMS), ISO 27701 (PIMS), and ISO 22301 (BCMS). His extensive audit experience includes more than 150 audits across sectors such as BFSI, retail, automotive, and IT services.
Prior to his current role, he held senior consulting positions at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Mahindra Special Service Group. At TCS, he led the information security team for the BFSI vertical, managing cyber risk and business continuity programs. At Mahindra, he developed security roadmaps and provided consulting for ISO 27001 certification.
Cdr. Kumar holds multiple prestigious certifications, including Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). A prolific trainer, he has conducted courses and seminars at institutions such as NIT Trichy and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, sharing his expertise in information security and business continuity. He holds a Master of Financial Management from the University of Mumbai and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication from Thiagarajar College of Engineering.