Pretera Welcomes Former Swift CSO Karel De Kneef as External Strategic Advisor
Pretera, a cybersecurity firm specializing in offensive security and red teaming, is proud to announce that Karel De Kneef, former Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Swift, has joined the company as an External Strategic Advisor.
Karel is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of leadership experience spanning technology, operations, and cybersecurity. During his time as Head of Security Operations and CSO, he was instrumental in shaping and executing Swift's global security strategy, leading crisis management efforts, and building resilient cyber defenses across the financial ecosystem.
As CSO, Karel oversaw Swift’s entire global security posture, encompassing both logical and physical security across offices, operating centers, and staff. He was instrumental in establishing the Customer Security Programme (CSP), a global initiative aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity baseline across more than 11,000 financial institutions, and under his leadership the Swift ISAC was created, a trusted intelligence-sharing hub that has become a model for collaboration.
Karel was also instrumental in integrating offensive security practices into Swift’s defense strategy, promoting adversary simulation, red teaming, and threat-led testing to validate resilience at both technical and organizational levels. His leadership helped embed proactive security assessments as a core capability across critical systems and high-stakes operational environments.
In addition, Karel served on the Board of FS-ISAC, chaired the CPMI-IOSCO Industry Working Group on Intelligence Sharing, and played a key role in advancing collective cyber defense through global partnerships.
“We’re excited to welcome Karel as an advisor,” said Gega Efendija, Co-founder of Pretera. “His leadership experience, global perspective, and deep expertise in both strategic security and operational transformation will be instrumental as we scale our offensive security services and support our clients in navigating complex cybersecurity challenges.”
Karel holds a Master’s degree in Commercial Engineering with a specialization in Computer Science from KU Leuven. He is widely recognized for his pragmatic and people-focused leadership style, demystifying complex cybersecurity concepts and driving tangible results through strategic alignment and operational excellence.
“Joining Pretera as an independent strategic advisor is a great opportunity for me to share my experience and contribute to a bold and innovative team,” said Karel De Kneef. “I look forward to helping Pretera grow its offensive security capabilities and support them in tackling the constantly evolving cyber threat landscape with practical, forward-looking solutions.”
As part of his advisory role, Karel will also support the creation of Pretera’s External Advisory Board, helping to shape a robust and future-ready governance structure as the company expands its global impact.
About Pretera
Pretera is a cybersecurity firm specializing in offensive security, red teaming, and adversary simulation. With a mission to deliver impactful, hands-on security insights, Pretera empowers organizations to identify their most critical vulnerabilities and build stronger, more resilient defenses.
Media Contact:
Yllka Prebreza
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www.pretera.com