Our Founder (Late) Mr.K.J.Bastian (B.E Mech), is a Graduate Mechanical Engineer from Madras University (1959 Batch). After retirement as GM of the largest Public Sector Fertilizer Industry – FACT, he setup ZIGMA for the noble cause of empowering organizations worldwide with highly skilled and high-quality Indian Engineers & skilled personnel. This initiative turned out to be a great blessing for Indians to get opportunities abroad and fetching financial stability for 10000+ families till date. Today we operate in Middle East & Europe and is a reputed and highly regarded Consulting Company with scores of satisfied Personnel placed across all industry verticals
Co-Founder & Practice Head
JOE BASTIAN
- Master’s Degree – BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore University (1989)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), ISACA – USA (2004)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), ISACA (2007)
- Certified Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), ISACA (2009)
- IRCA Registered Lead Auditor – ISO27001
- Lead Auditor – ISO27701
- Certified Auditor – ISO 20000-1
- Certified Auditor – ISO 9001:2015
- Certified Lead Auditor – ISO 22301
- HIPPA & HITECH Lead Assessor Certified
- Certified Payment Card Industry Security Implementer (CPISI)
- Certified Implementer of Personal Data Protection & GDPR
- XLRI, Jamshedpur – Executive Management (2018)
In 1999, he co-founded ZIGMA, an International Recruitment Company, which has since placed thousands of professionals in careers abroad, becoming a trusted name in global talent acquisition. His ability to build sustainable businesses allowed him the unique opportunity to take short breaks while ensuring that operations continued seamlessly under strong leadership. These breaks provided him with invaluable exposure to the corporate world, where he held key leadership positions such as CISO, CIO, and other strategic roles.
Currently he continues to lead as the Managing Director of ZIGMA, the recruitment company he co-founded in 1999, while also working on two new ventures:
- Consulting & Certification Services – A domain focused on expert advisory and industry certifications.
- Business Networking Initiatives – A collaborative platform being developed with close associates to enhance professional connections and business success.
With a proven track record of building and scaling businesses, Joe Bastian remains committed to innovation, entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities for professionals worldwide. His journey is a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and strategic leadership.
HIS PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Vice President : ISACA Cochin Chapter
Member – Rotary Club of Kalamassery, Cochin
Life Member : Indian Society For Technical Education
Alumnus of BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore
Managing Committee Member of Computer Society of India, Cochin
Life Member – Kerala Management Association
Board Member – Kerala Recruiters Association
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
He is recipient of the CIO award 2018 in Doha, Qatar.
UAE Emirates Award for highest score in CISM exam in Middle East, conducted by ISACA USA, 2010
– Testimonials –
“Joe is an experienced and mature manager. He combines detailed IT and IT-security knowledge with sensitivity and tenacity. Operates at the highest level of management, and is supportive to the COO, CIO and CFO. He ensures the company is operating at a professional level with regard to the IT-security requirements” …. Bart Koops, Managing Director at Eagleville Group B.V
“Joe is a proactive and tireless contributor who would make a great addition to the organization. While were conducting ISMS audit, he was the main point of contact. Joe impressed all of us by handling such kind of challenging assignment very easily. Joe is dedicated & completes all his commitments on time and never failed to add a creative touch when appropriate”…. Neeraj Goel, Internal Audit Professional at KNPC, Kuwait
“Joe Bastian is a highly qualified, talented and hardworking professional. His passion for Information Security Management is amazing. Having seen how Joe was driving ISO 27001 certification process in such a short span of time for the Alshaya Retail, an uphill task many felt initially, I have great respect and admiration for him. It is great pleasure working with such a committed and focused professional.”… Narayanan KR, Ex. Director, Alshaya Kuwait
“Joe demonstrated proven knowledge in security process development and audit during his tenure at Agility. His contribution in mitigating the security gaps for the ISO controls, greatly helped in acquiring the ISO27001 certification”. …Ghassan Farra, Ex. CIO, PWC Logistics, Kuwait
“You count on Joe to get the job done right from the very beginning and also make it look quite easy. He is a cool professional who insists in getting complex projects defined and completed in the stipulated time. His passion for getting ISO 27001 requirements implemented within IT at Alshaya in a very short time has earned him a lot of respect from all his colleagues”…. Anshuman Tripathy, IIM Amulmus, Associate Professor in Strategy
“I have worked with Joe on several security projects, most prominent being the implementation of ISO 27001 in Alshaya Retail. Information Security is Joe’s passion and his enthusiasm rubs on everyone he interacts with. His detail-oriented approach and knowledge of various industry standards make him an excellent auditor.”….Kaisar Amin, Enterprise Architect, London