Speakers

Kapil Bareja leads cyber and strategic risk at Deloitte, operating at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI security, and institutional risk governance. He is a 2023 recipient for Cyber 40 Under 40 award, 2026 Senior Executive Fellow at The Digital Economist (Tech Policy and Governance workgroup), the U.S. Ambassador for the Global Council for Responsible AI, and a Forbes Technology Council member. He is a contributor for Artificial Intelligence Underwriting Company (AIUC-1). He is a keynote speaker at industry conferences and has authored papers and thought leadership for venues including the World Economic Forum (WEF), International Security Journal (ISJ), CIO, and the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), with earlier work contributing to standards and community initiatives with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and board-focused governance ecosystems such as the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence.

Nick Benson is CEO of CREST, the global not-for-profit body working to raise standards and build trust across the cybersecurity industry. He leads CREST’s work with governments, regulators, member companies and the cyber security community to strengthen cyber resilience and advance internationally recognized standards across all cyber domains; and has spearheaded CREST's latest work on responsible use of AI within cybersecurity.​

Nick has extensive experience leading organizations through growth and transformation. Before joining CREST, he was COO of ORX, the world’s largest association for operational risk in financial services, and previously held senior roles across finance and risk management at Nationwide Building Society.

He began his career with KPMG in London and Sydney, working in IT advisory, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with ICAS in 2005.​

Aaron is Chief Product Officer at Fortra, responsible for guiding the company’s global product vision and strategy. With more than 25 years of product leadership experience, he focuses on building security solutions that address real‑world enterprise challenges and deliver practical, measurable value for customers operating in complex and regulated environments.

Before joining Fortra, Aaron spent nearly ten years at Lookout as Chief Product Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, where he helped evolve the business from a consumer mobile security offering into a trusted enterprise cybersecurity platform. He also spent more than a decade at Citrix across two tenures, serving in senior leadership roles including Vice President of Security Products and Vice President of Mobile Technologies. There, he contributed to the company’s transition toward modern, web‑based architectures and worked closely with partners such as Google Cloud. Earlier in his career, he held product leadership roles at Akamai, OneSoft, and BHP (Australia). 

Across each role, Aaron has emphasized product clarity, long‑term scalability, and execution discipline—ensuring teams deliver solutions that align with customer security objectives, support growth, and meet evolving compliance requirements. He brings that same approach to Fortra, working closely with engineering, customer‑facing teams, and partners to build products that customers can rely on.

Mr. Cohen has an extensive background in homeland security and law enforcement operations and policy development. He was Senior Homeland Security Policy Advisor to a number of State and local officials including Governor Mitt Romney of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Janet Napolitano, Governor of the State of Arizona. In 2004 he was selected by the National Journal as one of the “100 Key People in Homeland Security.” He was also named “Law Enforcement Person of the Year,” by Law Enforcement News for his work in developing and establishing a national non-emergency number, 3-1-1. He has worked within the private sector and has held a variety of government positions including: Special Agent, Office of Naval Intelligence; Police Detective and Patrol Officer, City of Gardena, CA; Senior Investigator, House Judiciary Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Senior Policy Advisor to the Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President of the United States. He is the recipient of a number of awards and commendations including the Drug Enforcement Administration “Administrator’s Award,” The South Bay “Medal of Valor,” and the Department of Homeland Security’s “Distinguish Service Medal.”

Molly Dodge has worked as a cybersecurity analyst in positions focused on emerging cyber risks, security risk assessment and awareness, internal training, and outreach. She is a Senior Information Security Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and was previously employed at Penn Medicine, the hospital network of the University of Pennsylvania. Molly is a Penn State graduate and holds a CISSP certification, and she is a member of InfraGard Philadelphia and serves on the board of the Delaware Valley affiliate of WiCyS (Women in Cybersecurity). She lives with her husband and children near Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Leads Ory’s security strategy and customer success, as a Certified CISO (CCISO) with 25+ years building security cultures in global organizations.

Refael Franco is the Founder and CEO of Code Blue and the driving force behind Blue Castle, an AI-powered cyber crisis management platform. Previously Deputy Director General and Head of the Resilience Division at the Israel National Cyber Directorate, he led national cyber defense, critical infrastructure protection, and cyber emergency preparedness. An Israel Security Award recipient, Refael now advises enterprises, governments, and critical infrastructure organizations worldwide on cyber resilience, crisis leadership, and recovery.

Roni is a co-founder and the CEO of Legit Security. In previous roles, Roni led Product and Business Units at Checkmarx and Microsoft, both after startup acquisitions. Roni’s early career was in the Israeli Defense Force’s Unit 8200. In his free time, Roni enjoys traveling with his family and trying different local cuisines.

Susan Koski is responsible for Information Security Strategy, Digital Identity for customers and the workforce; Data Protection; Fusion Center (cyber, insider, physical and fraud monitoring); Vulnerability Management; Threat Intelligence; Security Incident Management; Application Security; Security Metrics; Cloud Security; and Security Policy, Governance and Assessments.

Susan has more than 25 years of experience in Information Technology (IT), cybersecurity, business continuity, third-party risk management and IT risk management. She has also served in executive leadership roles with BNY Mellon (Managing Director of Technology Risk Management), Synovus (Chief Information Security Officer - CISO) and Aetna (Chief Data Protection Officer).

Susan has a record of rebuilding programs and developing highly functional teams. She re-engineers processes and technology for efficiency and innovation – or “Effovation” – creating opportunities for teams to achieve continuous learning and development through the use of creativity to tackle complex issues.

Susan holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering (cum laude) from the University of Pittsburgh and an Masters in Business Administration (summa cum laude) from Duquesne University.

She is a CISO Executive Network Advisory Council member, Governing Body Member for the Evanta Pittsburgh CISO program, Advisor for the Robert Morris University Information Systems & Communications PhD Advisory Board and member of the BITS Security Steering Committee.

J.D. Miller has hosted more than 650 executive events and has been behind the microphone for thousands of live and virtual engagements throughout his 25+ year career. A former television journalist with CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates, he brings a journalist's curiosity and interviewing expertise to every discussion—asking insightful questions that uncover meaningful perspectives while creating content that informs, engages, and inspires.

A seasoned marketing executive and spokesperson, J.D. has led global marketing teams and developed strategic initiatives across technology companies, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and agencies. He has also helped organizations navigate mergers and acquisitions, leading transformational efforts across marketing, technology, and business operations.

An award-winning television journalist, J.D. has served as a global technology spokesperson and industry analyst for CNBC, FOX Business, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, TheStreet, and other leading media outlets. He is also the author of Ringmaster of AI: Suite Speak Conversations.

Recognized for his engaging and insightful moderation style, J.D. has led executive interviews, high-profile panel discussions, and industry conferences, facilitating conversations that surface valuable insights and spark meaningful dialogue. His ability to connect with executives, audiences, and industry leaders has made him a trusted moderator and sought-after host for both live and virtual events.

John Pepe is the Regulated Industry Advisor and Resident Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Proofpoint, where he oversees the legal and compliance practice within the Digital Communications Governance (DCG) Group. He advises highly regulated and litigious customers on industry best practices and helps shape Proofpoint’s DCG compliance strategy. John has more than 20 years of experience in legal and compliance technology, including 8 years at Proofpoint, and has also served as an Industry Advisor, Division Manager, Product Marketing Manager, and Product Manager at other leading DCG providers.

Before moving into technology, John spent 10 years in the legal and compliance departments of trading firms, broker-dealers, and investment banks. He held FINRA Series 7, 24, 14, 4, 51, and 55 licenses, and served as Chief Compliance Officer on the Floor of the New York Stock Exchange. He earned a Juris Doctor in Corporate and Securities Law from Rutgers Law School and a BA from Rutgers University.

Casey Reid is a cybersecurity leader and Field CTO at Tenable, bringing 22 years of cross-domain expertise across infrastructure, security engineering, and automated exposure management.

His career spans data center management, wireless network design, founding an automated physical security and IT firm, and scaling enterprise disaster recovery and PCI compliance programs prior to public offerings.

At Tenable, Casey created and maintains Navi, an open-source tool that automates Exposure Management. He frequently publishes thought leadership on automation and executive principles while remaining hands-on with complex regional deployments.

Donna L. Ross is a seasoned cybersecurity, risk, and compliance executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning financial services, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and retail. Throughout her career, she has built and led enterprise security, risk management, compliance, privacy, and resiliency programs for highly regulated organizations.

Most recently, Donna served as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Radian, where she was responsible for the company’s information security, cyber resilience, privacy, and risk management strategies. Prior to joining Radian, she held senior leadership roles at Accolade, Corning Incorporated, GMAC, and Prudential, leading global programs focused on information security, technology risk management, compliance, governance, and disaster recovery. At Accolade, a leading healthcare concierge and advocacy company, Donna served as Head of Information Security and Chief Compliance Officer. At Corning Incorporated, she led Information Risk Management initiatives supporting the company’s global technology environment.

Donna earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the State University of New York at Brockport and holds an Ithaca College Cybersecurity Certificate. A lifelong learner, she has earned numerous industry certifications, including C|CISO, CRISC, CGEIT, CISM, CDPSE, GSEC, FLMI, ACS, and CTM.

A recognized leader within the cybersecurity community, Donna has dedicated significant time to advancing industry collaboration and public-private partnerships. She was a founding committee member on the FBI’s Automated Network Cyber Attack Reporting System initiative and has served on the Advisory Board of SecureWorld Philadelphia, where she frequently speaks on cybersecurity, privacy, threat management, and emerging technology risks. She maintains strong relationships with government and industry cybersecurity professionals through her long-standing involvement with InfraGard and has received two awards from the Director of the FBI for Exceptional Service to the Public Interest, as well as the President’s Call to Service Award.

Donna’s contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the Titan 100, CISOs Connect CISO Choice Award, Global CISO 100, and HousingWire Women of Influence. She remains actively involved in professional and community organizations, including InfraGard, ISACA, Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), the United Way, the American Red Cross, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Following her retirement from Radian in September 2026, Donna continues to support the cybersecurity community through advisory work, board service, speaking engagements, mentoring, and industry events. She is passionate about helping organizations strengthen resilience, develop future cybersecurity leaders, and foster meaningful collaboration across the security profession.

Gal started his cybersecurity journey in the IDF and went on to lead SecOps Engineering from startups to big-tech giants like Siemplify and Google. After a decade helping organizations of all sizes build security operations from the ground up, he founded Fig company to solve the real-world problems he's seen from every angle.

Seth Summersett is the CEO and Founder of Embed Security. As CEO, Seth leads Embed in building its agentic security platform to support overburdened security teams. Seth’s deep technical expertise across malware analysis, incident response, endpoint and network security, and applied machine learning, is shaped by a career spent building innovative tools, leading teams, and responding to real-world threats. Prior to founding Embed, Seth spent a decade at the NSA and held leadership positions at both Mandiant and FireEye, where he drove customer-centric innovations across security products, custom engineering, and applied machine learning. Following FireEye, he served as Head of Security Partners at Facebook (Meta).

John is an international technology executive and innovator with over 39 years of experience in the fields of data, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

John is an independent consultant and he teaches at Grand Valley State University in the College of Computing. He also teaches at Penn State University in the Smeal College of Business, and the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan. He teaches classes based on his books and on the subjects of AI, and Building and Managing Analytics teams at leading universities in the US and Europe.

Previously, John was the global head of AI at EY. His role was to actively lead the design, development, implementation, and use of innovative AI solutions, including Generative AI, Traditional/Classical AI, and Causal AI, across all of EY Service Lines and functions and for EY's clients. The team was comprised of - an Applied AI Research group, a product development organization, and an AI Consulting Practice.

Prior to EY, he was responsible for the AI and advanced analytics team at CSL Behring, a leading biopharmaceutical company where he led a team that developed and deployed over 25 analytical applications in 4 years. John was an Executive Partner at Gartner, where he was management consultant to market leading companies in the areas of digital transformation, data monetization and advanced analytics. Before Gartner, John was responsible for the advanced analytics business unit of the Dell Software Group.

John’s most recent book – The Path to AGI examines the most practical and pragmatic path forward to developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The book focuses on the long-term evolutionary path of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a field of technology, we have developed a substantial body of technology, tools, techniques, methodologies, approaches, and more in the broader field of AI over the last 70 years. The advances and advancement have been impressive, continuous, and very useful to all of society. To date, AI has been a technological success. AI has been a business success. Also, AI has been a success for all of humanity. Most of the people in the world have heard about AI. While most people have heard of AI, they really do not understand much if anything about AI. This lack of knowledge presents an opportunity for those that are less interested in real technological progress and more interested in chicanery to have an opening to mislead people about where we are in relation to achieving AGI on a widespread basis. This session is about the real, practical, pragmatic journey needed to achieve AGI. AGI is not here now. AGI will not be here in the next 3 to 5 years. AGI is hard. AGI is a long way from where we are today. If you really want to know how we will arrive at AGI and when, then you will enjoy this book..

John’s 4th book – Causal Artificial Intelligence, is intended to provide guidance for data scientists, by providing deep technical information as well as the type of information needed to collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs). SMEs hold deep organizational knowledge about how each business operates. Business executives and managers must be able to guide the combined team based on the direction that the organization wants to take and the problems that need to be solved. The book is meant to be a primer on how teams can work together to derive value from this new pillar of the AI field.

John’s 3rd book is an effort to raise awareness and knowledge of the topic of data – Data for All, has been written for the general public, the book is an outline of how the world of data works today and how it will work in the near future. The book instructs people in how to protect and manage their data and the data of their loved ones. Data for All communicates how to do this in applied and practical terms.

John is the author of the bestselling book – Building Analytics Teams: Leveraging analytics and artificial intelligence for business improvement. The book was published in June 2020 and outlines how to hire and manage high performance advanced analytics teams. The book outlines how to engage with executives and senior managers, and how to select and undertake analytics projects that change and improve how a business operates.

John is co-author of the bestselling book – Analytics: How to win with Intelligence, which debuted on Amazon as the #1 new book in Analytics in 2017. Analytics is a book that guides non-technical executives through the journey of creating an analytics function, funding initiatives, and driving change in business operations through data and applied analytical applications.

Mr. Thompson’s technology expertise includes all aspects of advanced analytics and information management including – descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, artificial intelligence, analytical applications, deep learning, cognitive computing, big data, simulation, optimization, synthetic data, and high-performance computing.

John has built start-up organizations from the ground up and he has reengineered business units of Fortune 500 firms to reach their potential. He has directly managed and run - sales, marketing, consulting, support, and product development organizations.

He is a technology leader with expertise and experience spanning all operational areas with a focus on strategy, product innovation, growth, and efficient execution.

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Ferris State University and a MBA in Marketing from DePaul University.

Tony UcedaVélez is CEO and founder of VerSprite, a global cybersecurity consultancy serving Bank of America, Truist, NYSE, the IRS, Intact Financial, and other leading financial institutions. A former security practitioner at GE Capital, UBS, Morgan Stanley, SunTrust, and Equifax, Tony co-created the PASTA risk-centric threat modeling methodology and co-authored Risk Centric Threat Modeling (Wiley). He advises financial firms on CRI Profile alignment, NY DFS Part 500, and DORA resilience testing, serves on the CREST North America Council, and is a longtime OWASP leader.

Lee Weiner is the Head of AI & Security at A10 Networks, bringing more than 25 years of experience building cybersecurity products and scaling technology businesses. His career spans early stage companies, IPOs, and global enterprises, with leadership roles across product, strategy, engineering, and go-to-market execution.
 
Previously, Lee served as CEO of TrojAI, an AI security company acquired by A10 Networks. Before that, he spent 11 years at Rapid7, leading products, engineering, and innovation as the company grew and scaled to over 10,000 customers. He also held senior roles at LogMeIn, Symantec, and Netegrity.
 
Lee brings a practical perspective on AI and cybersecurity, connecting the challenges of securing emerging technologies with the realities of building products, leading teams, and driving business growth.