Consulting Team Spotlight: ‍Michael Aminzade

Michael Aminzade

Vice President, Managed Compliance Services

Michael Aminzade, Vice President of Managed Compliance Services, has over 26 years of experience in the cyber, information security, and compliance industries. His background spans the full spectrum of internal information security, including serving as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for a large global service provider, and leading extensive global consulting teams.

In his current role, Michael advises VikingCloud’s largest clients and manages a team of over 100 Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs). Michael’s team delivers compliance and risk services to more than 1,000 companies and collaborates closely with internal teams, such as Product Management, to help guide the future of VikingCloud's compliance and risk services.

Michael is a member of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) Global Executive Assessor Roundtable (GEAR), and advisory board for QSA companies, where he helps shape the future of PCI SSC standards. As an industry leader, Michael regularly speaks at global industry conferences, such as the PC ISSC community meetings, Cyber and Crypto advisory committees, RSA, InfoSec Europe, and Black Hat.

Michael holds numerous certifications in Payments Security, Information Security, IT Risk, and Data Privacy, including QSA, PCIP, CISSP, C|CISO, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, and ISO LA27001. He frequently publishes articles in industry publications, including Computer Weekly and Compliance Today. Some of his published works include:

• Why investment is needed in the cyber insurance market | Computer Weekly
• Navigating compliance challenges: A strategic approach for IT decision-makers | ChannelLife
• Removing the cyber target from your Board’s back | Elite Business Magazine
• It’s G-Day: GDPR now operational so what do the experts think? | SecurityBrief
• Protecting patient data: Cybersecurity best practices for primary care physicians | Medical Economics

Michael is based in the U.K. on the south coast, just a short train ride from London. He is a Freemason and a member of two golf clubs. He is married with two young children, and a 3-year-old black Labrador named Eddie. In his free time, Michael enjoys balancing his professional life with family and personal interests, including golf, mountain biking, and skiing/snowboarding.

Get to know Michael Aminzade

Q: What gets you most excited/passionate about your job right now?

I am passionate about the changing landscape of the payment industry and the increasingly digital world in which we live and work. If we can improve security and make a positive impact each day, we are winning against bad actors. I also love the satisfaction that comes from helping customers, whether they are large enterprises or small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). I do that as part of a great team—working alongside so many world-class experts is rewarding, keeps me on my toes, and helps us develop real value to our clients.

Q: What is the biggest challenge organizations are experiencing when you first speak to them?

The main challenge most recently has been the transition to PCI DSS v4.x, as new and evolving requirements just took effect on April 1, 2025. Another ongoing issue is audit fatigue among companies. Additionally, clients often struggle with the adoption of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). While these technologies offer many benefits, they also introduce new security and compliance needs that are often overlooked.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to organizations, what would it be?

Don’t try to do everything yourself.  Given the rapid pace of change we are experiencing today, ensuring that you have access to the right skills when you need them is essential.  Stay flexible by partnering with outside experts to dial your resources up or down when you need to.  This is what enables success.

In Closing

Michael is passionate about advising VikingCloud’s clients, navigating the evolving payment landscape, and mentoring his team. He is a recognized industry leader and an active participant in shaping and influencing the future of compliance services and PCI standards. He is truly an expert in his field, and we’re proud to have him on the VikingCloud team.

Learn more about Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maminzade/.