Suvechha Sarkar
Netflix’s ‘Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea’ sheds the spotlight on the tragic shipwreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which sadly took the lives of 32 people. Among the passengers on board were John and Meghan Scimone, who fortunately survived the ordeal along with their beloved daughter. The documentary features in-depth interviews in which they discuss the night of the disaster and how they survived. It also examines the chain of events and the investigation that found the captain of the ship, Francesco Schettino, guilty of manslaughter and shipwreck, among other charges.
John and Meghan Scimone Had to Abandon Their First Lifeboat Amid the Chaos
John and Meghan Scimone’s daughter, Lilah, was just 14 months old in January 2012, when the pair decided to go on a big trip together. They boarded the Costa Concordia cruise ship and enjoyed visiting Barcelona, Spain; Venice, Italy; and Switzerland. However, their lives were turned upside down on January 13, 2012, when the ship unexpectedly struck a reef at around 9:45 pm. According to John and Meghan, the couple and Lilah were in their cabin when they felt vibrations.
John and Meghan reportedly rushed toward the deck, where the lifeboats were stored, but a sudden blackout separated them. According to the couple’s statements, they reconnected by following each other’s voices and eventually put on their life jackets. As per the records, John and Meghan managed to get onto a lifeboat, but they had to make their way out of a hatch when it tilted as the ship began to sink. When they got back on the ship, they realized that there were no lifeboats left on that side of the deck.
John stated that since the only way out was to reach the other side, he strapped Lilah to himself, and the couple slid down. Fortunately, he and Meghan managed to get the attention of a lifeboat captain there, and they were safely rescued to shore. In the aftermath, he shared, “I was diagnosed with PTSD, I had panic attacks, I had nightmares.” Although the pair was worried about the disaster’s impact on Lilah, they were overjoyed after speaking with specialists who confirmed that their daughter was completely fine.
John Has Built His Name Through an Impressive Multifaceted Career
John Scimone began his academic journey at the Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Spanish in 2004. In 2010, he obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence Studies from the Institute of World Politics. Following that, John completed Executive Education through the National Security Studies Program at The George Washington University in 2011. Three years later, he completed Executive Education in the Global Advanced Management Program at the ESADE Business & Law School, Georgetown University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. John began his professional life as a Security Analyst at the Defense Information Systems Agency in June 2005.
John left his first position in June 2006 to join the United States Strategic Command as a Senior Security Advisor and continued serving there until April 2008. Following that, he held several positions, including Director of Security Operations, Secretary of Defense Communications Office, Senior Director of Security Engineering, and SVP and Global Chief Information Security Officer at Sony Group. From September 2016 to May 2017, John served as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of World Politics Cyber Intelligence Initiative. In addition, he has served as a Member of the Presidential Cyber Moonshot Committee at the Executive Office of the President and as a Security Member of the Business Innovation Council at RSA Security.
John has also made his mark by becoming a Member of the Board of Directors at Security Advisor Alliance, an Advisory Board Member at CyberVista, and a Program Committee Member at the Executive Security Action Forum. In January 2017, he began working at Dell Technologies as the SVP and Chief Security Officer, before being promoted to President of the same department. Since March and August of 2017, he has been thriving as an Advisor for the International Security Management Association (ISMA) and as an Ambassador for the Executive Women’s Forum on Information Security, Risk Management, and Privacy.
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John and Meghan Have Built a Beautiful Life Centered on Faith and Family
The year 2020 had been incredibly fulfilling for John as he stepped into several positions. Since July 2020, he has served at Forbes Technology Council as an Advisor. Three months later, he joined the World Economic Forum as an Advisor. By December 2020, he became a Member of the Board of Directors of Hill Country Christian School of Austin. John’s hard work and dedication ultimately paid off when he became the Board Chairman in May 2024. In his personal life, his world revolves around his wife, Meghan, and their three children, Lilah, Graham, and Violet. Similarly, Meghan spends every waking moment doting on her family. The pair enjoys spending quality time together and creating beautiful memories during vacations.
Meghan and John often take their children to the beach and pumpkin patches, where they play and make memories that will last forever. The couple has consistently encouraged their children to walk in the path of faith, letting it guide them through every moment of their lives. Besides that, the couple often expresses their pride in their children, especially Lilah, who has become a talented ballerina. In July 2024, Meghan shared that Lilah would be starting a two-week-long ballet training in Portugal. The mother expressed, “We are so proud of you, baby girl. Shine your light BIG.” Aside from that, Meghan enjoys celebrating festivals like Easter and Halloween with her family.
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