Dr. Andrew Kirkwood is the CEO and co-founder of The Digital Strand, a company that provides zero-trust endpoint security for protecting data wherever it needs to be analyzed. With a talent for integrating technology, business development, marketing, and operations, Dr. Kirkwood builds and leads teams to execute strategies that drive value and growth in high-end data solutions markets. A 30-year veteran of the oilfield services industry, his career has centered on downhole measurements, geoscience, and digital solutions, with executive roles including Vice President of Products and Services, Senior Director of Strategy, Senior Director of Geoscience Services, and Director of Research at companies including Halliburton, Smith International and Baker Hughes.

Holding a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the University of Toronto and a Post-Doctorate in Solid State Physics from Eastman Kodak, he excels at mastering and deploying complex technologies in competitive markets. Outside of work, Dr. Kirkwood is a lifelong swimmer, with an obsession for figuring out how to get faster while getting older. Interestingly enough, the analogies in strategy and execution hold as true in the pool as they do in business.