2025

coming soon…

2024

CISO Speakers

Best Practices for Supply Chain Security

In today’s interconnected and rapidly evolving global market, ensuring robust supply chain security is more critical than ever. Supply chains have become increasingly complex, with numerous stakeholders, technologies, and geopolitical factors contributing to vulnerabilities that can disrupt operations and compromise data integrity. This presentation will delve into best practices for fortifying supply chain security, offering actionable insights for organizations seeking to protect their assets and maintain resilience.

Speaker: Sofia Herrera, CISO, CPO, EV/Automotive Industry, is an accomplished, well-rounded global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and global Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for a global EV company, built and scaled their security and privacy programs, and brought the company to IPO. Managing Partner at Omnian Legal, California based law firm providing information security and privacy law services for private and public companies. California barred attorney, previous academic experience lecturing at esteemed law schools on cybersecurity and privacy law. Developed PRISM™ Assessments (™ pending). Author of “The Founder, The Candidate, and The Biometric Gamble”, a privacy and security fable aimed at teaching practical security & privacy. Previous experience VC investing and consulting in technology start-ups in AR, AI/ML, gaming, healthcare, big data spaces, and more. Experience in cybersecurity by design, internal governance, compliance, threat identification and prevention, monitoring and audit, government and regulatory liaison, incident detection, response and reporting, cross-border and cross-functional collaboration, IPO/Form 8K Reporting, data protection, data governance, and privacy.

Learn more about her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiareinaherrera/

Stronger Together: Unifying Cybersecurity and IT for Greater Impact

Discover how aligning cybersecurity with IT operations can boost efficiency and performance in real-world settings. While this approach may not always follow traditional best practices, it often proves to be the most effective in practice.

This presentation will cover practical tips for integrating these functions, showcase successful examples, and highlight how this alignment can streamline processes and enhance overall effectiveness. Learn how to balance security with operational needs to achieve peak efficiency in your organization.

Speaker: Michael Irwin, CISO of Odyssey Logistics, a seasoned Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and IT Executive Leader, he brings a wealth of experience in cybersecurity leadership and technology transformation. His expertise spans baseline identification, GAP analysis, and the development of both short and long-term strategic roadmaps. He excels in threat prevention and detection, incident response—ranging from minor to sophisticated—and comprehensive user training and policy development.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljamesirwin/

Identify and Develop Cybersecurity Leaders

Speaker: Randy Raw, Chief Information Security Officer at Veterans United Home Loans in Columbia, Missouri. VU is the largest VA lender and a top 20 overall lender. He has nearly 30 years of experience building cybersecurity programs in public and private organizations.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randyraw/

The Bulletproof CISO: Proactively Protecting Yourself and Your Family

Speaker: Dan Anderson, CEO/CISO of MarkVSecurity. Dan has spent his life developing and implementing communications between systems and developing systems and applications in Military, Healthcare, and Mining.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dankanderson/

Harnessing the Strengths of Neurodivergent Staff for Cybersecurity

Speaker: Rick Doten, VP, Information Security at Centene Corporation and CISO of the Carolina Complete Health Medicaid healthplan based in Charlotte, NC.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-doten-633470177/

Cyber-resiliency: Why Security Best Practices Are All Wrong

Speaker: Yaron Levi, CISO at Dolby, is a global multi-industry Cyber Security Leader offering Startup and Enterprise security leadership. Expertise include Security Practice Creation, Strategy Development, Defense Doctrine Implementation, Security Architecture Development, Security Evangelism and Multi-Level Collaboration (including: C-Suite, Board, Clients and Industry), Team development, Coaching and more.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaronrl/

Building a Proactive Defense: The Critical Role of a Threat Exposure Monitoring Team

Speaker: Robert Fernandes, CISSP, CISM, CASP+, GPEN, GWAPT, GCPN, GCFA, OSIP, CCZT
Chief Information Security Officer, The Investment Center Inc.
is a dynamic cybersecurity leader with over 21 years of experience, currently serving as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for a prominent financial firm. In this role, he spearheads the development and implementation of cutting-edge security strategies that safeguard critical assets and ensure regulatory compliance.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Robert is deeply committed to giving back to the community. He is the founder of Cyberchance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free cybersecurity training and mentorship to underprivileged individuals. Through this initiative, he aims to bridge the gap in cybersecurity education and create opportunities for those who may not otherwise have access to them.

Robert is an out-of-the-box thinker and a recognized public speaker and keynote, known for his engaging and insightful presentations. He has spoken at FS-ISAC Summits, FINRA Cybersecurity Conferences, ILTACON, The Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ) Conference, and more, including delivering a thought-provoking TEDx talk on the impact of AI in colleges and universities. His expertise is widely sought after, making him a respected voice in the cybersecurity community.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-fernandes-cybersecurity/

CISO Panelists

Afia Phillips, CISO at Little Caesars Enterprises

Afia Phillips has over 20 years of experience in the Information Security field. As a highly respected transformational IT executive, Afia has extensive experience in building and leading global cyber security organizations and ensuring development of programs that align with the strategic goals and ambitions of the business. She is a part of the Little Caesar Enterprises Strategic Planning Committee and works closely with the other members of the senior executive team to create a brand, vision, and mission that elevates the security organization to be a strategic business partner. She promotes a security culture that enables risk-based decisions in support of achieving business objectives and outcomes, excels at developing and retaining high-performance teams and has proven ability to improve quality and efficiency, identify and mitigate risks, and reduce costs.

Learn more about her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afia-phillips-8664b77/

Mark Dunkerley, CISO at Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services

Mark is the author of Resilient Cybersecurity: Reconstruct your defense strategy in an evolving cyber world. Building a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Program addresses the current challenges and knowledge gaps in cybersecurity, empowering individuals and organizations to navigate the digital landscape securely and effectively. Readers will gain insights into the current state of the cybersecurity landscape, understanding the evolving threats and the challenges posed by skill shortages in the field. This book emphasizes the importance of prioritizing well-being within the cybersecurity profession, addressing a concern often overlooked in the industry. You will construct a cybersecurity program that encompasses architecture, identity and access management, security operations, vulnerability management, vendor risk management, and cybersecurity awareness. It dives deep into managing Operational Technology (OT) and the Internet of Things (IoT), equipping readers with the knowledge and strategies to secure these critical areas. You will also explore the critical components of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) within cybersecurity programs, focusing on the oversight and management of these functions. This book provides practical insights, strategies, and knowledge to help organizations build and enhance their cybersecurity programs, ultimately safeguarding against evolving threats in today’s digital landscape.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-fernandes-cybersecurity/

Brian Gardner Ph.D, CISO City of Dallas

Dr. Brian Gardner is a seasoned leader with over a decade of experience in shaping and securing the digital landscapes of various sectors, including Healthcare, Telecom, Nonprofit, and Government. A natural communicator and technology translator, Dr. Gardner excels at bridging the gap between technical teams and executive leadership, ensuring that strategic goals are met through effective and secure technology solutions. His ability to navigate and lead diverse project initiatives makes him a strong asset in any organization aiming to advance its digital and security posture. Dr. Brian Gardner is a seasoned leader with over a decade of experience in shaping and securing the digital landscapes of various sectors, including Healthcare, Telecom, Nonprofit, and Government. As a Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Information Security Officer, Dr. Gardner has consistently driven innovation in cybersecurity architecture, ensuring robust protection and compliance across complex environments. His recent tenure at the City of Dallas highlights his expertise in managing IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Applications Support, where he has led transformative initiatives to enhance the city’s technological capabilities.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gardner-ph-d-3588a929/

Lane Sullivan, SVP, CISO, Magellan (a Centene Corporation company)

A highly successful Fortune 500 Cyber Security and Risk leader with 25+ years of experience that develops high-performing teams and achieves transformation goals. Delivering best in class programs by establishing teams with the best talent, implementing the right processes, and understanding the right technology to identify and mange current threats and risks.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lane-sullivan/

Aradhna Chetal, Senior Director Executive- Cloud Security

Aradhna serves as a Senior Director Executive- Cloud Security at TIAA, a financial services company. She is responsible for the cloud security vision, strategy, standards, security patterns for a multi-cloud hybrid enterprise and engineer security solutions, to support the vision. Aradhna has worked in various Cybersecurity leadership roles at JP Morgan Chase, Boeing Company, Microsoft & T-Mobile. Aradhna is an active member in the cyber security industry. She is Co-Chair of Cloud Native Computing Foundation Security TAG, Co-Chair for CSA Serverless Working group and a Cloud Security Alliance Research Fellow; Contributing to CNCF, Cloud Security Alliance and NIST Cloud computing standards, Aradhna has influenced best practices & standards for cloud, containers and micro services security. She has also been providing expert guidance to a number of startups on security product roadmaps and feature development especially, in the area of Identity & Access Management, Zero Trust and Container Security etc. Aradhna has a Master’s in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, a CISSP and CCSP from ISC2.org. Outside of work, Aradhna enjoys hiking, snow shoeing and volunteering for women’s causes.

Learn more about her on CloudSecurityAlliance: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/profiles/aradhna-chetal

Richard White, PhD, SVP & Chief Information Security Officer at Flushing Bank

Dr. Richard White is a recognized expert in the fields of cybersecurity infrastructure and cybersecurity program development. With over 25 years of experience in systems design, security technology implementation and security policy development and enforcement, Richard has developed innovative and affordable approaches for the rapid deployment of cyber threat detection and remediation technologies.

In addition to serving as the Managing Director for Oxford Solutions Richard is also an adjunct associate professor teaching at the University of Maryland University College in the Cybersecurity & Information Assurance program where he also serves as the Course Chair for the CSIA capstone course – Practical Applications in Cybersecurity Management. Richard earned a PhD and two master’s degrees in Telecommunication and E-commerce. Prior to his tenure at the United States Capitol Police he provided systems engineering and information assurance consultation for the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense and civilian agencies of the federal government.

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardw1/

Sean Murphy PhD, CCISO, CISSP, CIPT, ISSMP, HCISPP , CISO of BECU

Accomplished information security and risk management executive with proven success in highly regulated, rapid-paced organizations. Executive leadership in multi-national, corporate, and global organizations. Industry-recognized for measurable achievements in bridging cybersecurity and business at the strategic, cultural, and operational levels. Demonstrated proficiency in building security programs to protect the most sensitive company and customer data. Adept at communicating at the Board, regulatory, and key customer levels on organizational cyber capabilities. An innovative, dynamic, effective, relationship builder and leader who excels in even the most challenging, chaotic environments. Navigated orgs through HITRUST, SOC2, ACET, DIACAP, HIPAA, FISMA, PCI, and federal, state, and industry regulatory audits, assessments, and depositions. Digital transformation, Azure cloud, DevSecOps, zero trust implementations. Author of several cybersecurity articles and references, including, “HCISPP All in One Exam Prep,” https://www.amazon.com/Healthcare-Information-Security-Privacy-Practitioner/dp/1260460061

Learn more about him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmurphy092009/

Speakers and Panelists