Accolade appoints new chief information security officer

With the addition of senior vice president and CISO, Kelli Burns, Accolade further elevates its focus on trusted, personalized relationships through exceptional information security for its members and customers.

SEATTLE, July 25, 2022 — Accolade, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACCD), the company that provides millions of people and their families with Personalized Healthcare, announced today that Kelli Burns has joined the organization as senior vice president, chief information security officer.

Burns, a former consultant with Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) focused on cybersecurity engagements for multiple Fortune 500 companies, will lead Accolade’s information security business unit and support the overall compliance and risk management function, enhancing its information security and privacy posture to support growth and protect the trust of Accolade’s customers and members.

With data serving as an essential and differentiating enabler of the organization's unique navigation and clinical excellence capabilities, this role is vital to further advance Accolade’s IT infrastructure and data security strategy.

“Our focus on delivering Personalized Healthcare requires us to place safeguarding our customer and member data at the center of everything we do,” said Rajeev Singh, Accolade CEO. “As our data and technology become more sophisticated, we’ll continue to invest in security and solutions that help our customers, members and consumers on their Personalized Healthcare journeys. We are thrilled to welcome Kelli, who brings diverse industry experience, deep security and privacy expertise and understands the complexity of servicing healthcare customers.”

Named one of Cybersecurity DIVAS’ “Most Influential Women in Cybersecurity”, Burns is a recognized information security leader who understands the regulatory frameworks for data and privacy. Burns and her team will support Accolade’s 600+ enterprise customers that represent some of the country’s largest employers, including health plans and local, state and federal governments, across a range of industries and sectors.

“I am excited to join Accolade in tackling the most challenging healthcare issues with its personal, data-driven and value-based approach that puts trusted relationships at the core,” said Burns. “A key component to that trust is protecting confidential customer and member information. I look forward to working with my team to innovate and continuously improve compliance and security controls to provide an unrivaled experience for members and customers alike.”

Prior to joining Accolade, Burns also held multiple positions at Symetra Financial including serving as CISO. During this time, she was pivotal in building out the cybersecurity program and enabling the business to make decisions swiftly while protecting the data of customers and employees. Expanding her leadership role beyond her technical capabilities, Burns was also the founding leader and executive sponsor for Symetra’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and developed their IT Emerging Leaders enterprise program. She is well-regarded in the Seattle community for mentoring women in cybersecurity and technology.

Burns holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of Montana and is currently pursuing an MBA from Penn State University.  

About Accolade 

Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD) provides millions of people and their families with an exceptional healthcare experience that is personal, data driven and value based to help every person live their healthiest life. Accolade solutions combine virtual primary care, mental health support and expert medical opinion services with intelligent technology and best-in-class care navigation. Accolade's Personalized Healthcare approach puts humanity back in healthcare by building relationships that connect people and their families to the right care at the right time to improve outcomes, lower costs and deliver consumer satisfaction. Accolade consistently receives consumer satisfaction ratings of over 90%. For more information, visit  accolade.com.