WASHINGTON—The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has appointed Andy Hendrickson as its new chief technology officer, tasked with providing strategic and technical advice on technological developments and issues with respect to the bureau’s work.
The regulator established the Enforcement Bureau’s CTO role “to confront the challenges of modern communications systems, including its revived focus on privacy and data protection,” the FCC said. Hendrickson will work with the FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, which Chair Jessica Rosenworcel established to combat issues such as data breaches within telecom, cable, and satellite providers; network outages caused by cyberattacks; and supply-chain vulnerabilities involving third-party vendors that serve regulated communications providers, including cloud providers.
“Andy’s expertise and deep understanding of how communications networks operate, and how they have come to operate with the rapid development of new technologies and new networks, will only enhance our investigatory capabilities,” Loyaan A. Egal, Enforcement Bureay chief and chair of the FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, said. “I am delighted that someone with Andy’s background in the private sector is joining the Enforcement Bureau to serve the American public and help protect the communications networks we rely on in so many aspects of our everyday lives.”
Hendrickson was a private-sector technology executive in telecom for more than 20 years, specializing in business and technology transformation. As senior director of technology at Verizon Communications, he was instrumental in the rollout of its 5G network and the engineering and operations of the Verizon Cloud Platform. He has also worked for Esri, where he led global technology initiatives.
He has been a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, teaching environmental geomatics, and is an active member of such industry groups as the Open Infrastructure Foundation and the Network Time Foundation. He holds dual degrees from Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the School of Communication and Information.
