Arun Kandel

Arun Kandel is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s chief information officer, overseeing the information technology (IT) serving the SPLC across the Deep South and Washington, D.C.

He is an experienced IT professional who has managed large-scale projects and used innovative technology to transform the capabilities of the organizations he has served.

Kandel possesses a deep understanding of the elements necessary for a successful information technology system. He particularly understands the critical role relationships between people, processes and technology play in achieving this goal. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated expert leadership, guiding teams as large as 140 people and collaborating across business and technical teams.

Before joining the SPLC, Kandel was chief technology and security officer at Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), the state agency dedicated to meeting child care and early education needs. He played a critical role in modernizing DECAL’s IT infrastructure and applications. He also created a cybersecurity program for the organization. 

Previously, Kandel worked for McKesson, a leading pharmaceutical distributor and a Fortune 500 company. As the company’s IT director and solution architect, he managed far-reaching initiatives, engaged in long-term planning and optimized McKesson’s business capabilities through technology. Earlier in his career, Kandel held software engineer and software analyst positions, including a position as senior software engineer at Cisco Systems Inc.

Kandel has extensive knowledge of defensive and offensive cybersecurity, IT operations, data centers, IT process automation and best practices in a variety of industries. He holds numerous IT certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Agile Service Manager, SAFe Agilist and ITIL Foundation.

Kandel received a Bachelor of Arts in computer science from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. He has an executive MBA from Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.