Distinguished Alumnus 2021

Art W. Coviello '71, technology investor & advisor; Former CEO of RSA Security

Each year, St. John's Prep proudly recognizes an alumnus whose life personifies the spirit and values of the Xaverian Brothers and the extraordinary commitment of our faculty and staff. In all endeavors, this individual models for fellow alumni what it means to be a Prep graduate and inspires current students to be change makers and forces for good in the world.

We are honored this year to recognize the service and leadership of Art W. Coviello '71. In addition to his distinguished professional career, Art has always prioritized his values and commitment to education through his philanthropic support and volunteer work. Art served on our Ryan Shaw '15 Entrepreneurial Education Program judges panel, connecting with young entrepreneurs in the community to help advance their work. He is currently coaching and mentoring two current students as they prepare their TedxStJohnsPrep presentations for December through the Centers for Mission and Research.

Headmaster Hardiman had the opportunity to connect with Art in a special edition of LIVE! Since You Asked, the Prep's on-the-go interview series. If you missed it, we encourage you to view the interview recording here to learn more about Art's Prep experience and how it influenced his professional career.

Art's professional achievements as a visionary in the security industry open the door for our community to have meaningful and relevant discussions about remote learning and protecting personal data in a digital world. Art exemplifies the best of the Prep community and serves as a standard of excellence to which we hope our current students and young alumni will aspire.

Art will be formally presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in the spring of 2021. He will also spend a digital day on campus, talking with student groups and participating in classroom discussions. In May, Art will celebrate his 50th St. John's Prep Reunion and plans to attend Commencement events.

Since his retirement in early 2015, Art has been an active investor and advisor in the technology industry, guiding a number of startups as a private investor, in addition to his roles as a Venture Partner at Rally Ventures (an early stage investor in business technologies), an advisor to ClearSky Security Fund, and as a Senior Advisor to Blackstone's Tactical Opportunities Group. Prior to retiring, Art was the CEO of RSA Security, a leading cybersecurity software company. Following the Company's acquisition by EMC he held the posts of Executive Vice President of EMC and Executive Chairman of RSA, the Security Division of EMC. Both before and after the acquisition he was responsible for RSA's strategy and overall operations and was a driving force in its rapid growth reaching revenues of $1B in 2014. Art's expertise and influence have made him a recognized leader in the industry. He is frequently a featured presenter at conferences and forums around the world, and plays key roles in several national cyber-security initiatives.

Art owns more than 35 years of strategic, operating, and financial management experience in technology companies. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts.

Established in 1993, the Distinguished Alumnus Award, allows the St. John's Prep community to present a living example of faith, brotherhood, and wisdom to our students. We continually strive for excellence in all that we do, and our Distinguished Alumnus is someone who has achieved professional success; has shown a commitment to lifelong learning; pursues enduring personal relationships; and serves as a model for servant leadership in the Catholic, Xaverian tradition. See the list of all St. John's Prep Distinguished Alumni!