Simona Merchant-Dest

Simona Merchant-Dest, CISA has a diverse work experience spanning various industries and roles. Simona currently serves as the Principal DT Governance, Risk & Compliance at Amtrak. Simona is also actively involved with the ISACA Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter, where they hold the position of Board Member and was previously the Associate Director of Outreach and Professional Development.

In addition, Simona has experience as the President & Founding Member of Slavic American Sokol and worked as an IT Risk & Compliance Manager at Apex Systems. Simona also served as an IT Assurance Senior Associate at Grant Thornton LLP, specializing in Governance, Risk, and Compliance services.

Simona brings a unique perspective to their work with a background in design, owning their company, Simona Merchant-Dest Designs, LLC. Simona also gained experience as a Marketing Coordinator Intern at CloverDX, contributing to the sponsorship of the 2012 Czech IT Conference in New York City.

Earlier in their career, Simona worked as an Assistant to VP of Merril Lynch, London at the First International Bank of Washington. Simona also served as a Concierge at ICC, providing property manager support, and worked as a Concierge/Receptionist at Hotel Continental Brno, where they maintained guest databases and performed administrative tasks.

Overall, Simona Merchant-Dest, CISA brings a wealth of experience in governance, risk, compliance, design, and customer service to their professional endeavors.

Simona Merchant-Dest, CISA holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems Business/Business Analytics from the University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business, which they completed between 2013 and 2015. Prior to that, they earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) in Business Administration from Montgomery College in 2005. Simona also attended Gymnazium Krenova, Brno, Czech Republic from 1988 to 1992, majoring in Mathematics, Physics, and Information Systems. Additionally, they obtained the certification of Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) from ISACA in 2021 and completed a course in Building Business Acumen from Acumen Learning.