Influencer Awards

Revealed: The IFSEC Global influencers in security and fire 2021

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Managing Editor, IFSEC Insider

Author Bio ▼

James Moore is the Managing Editor of IFSEC Insider, the leading online publication for security and fire news in the industry. James writes, commissions, edits and produces content for IFSEC Insider, including articles, breaking news stories and exclusive industry reports. He liaises and speaks with leading industry figures, vendors and associations to ensure security and fire professionals remain abreast of all the latest developments in the sector.
July 21, 2021

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We are delighted to reveal the IFSEC Global influencers in security and fire 2021.

Chosen based on nominations judged by a panel of highly respected judges, the influencers span seven categories (six for security, one from fire), with nominees and winners coming from across the globe.

We defined ‘influence’ in the following ways:

  • Someone who has played a key role in driving technological innovation
  • Someone who has been a driving force in changing regulationstandards/guidance or best practice
  • Someone whose insights/opinions are widely respected and which are influential in shaping debate around industry issues
  • Someone who has been instrumental in the success of the organisation or business they lead or are employed by
  • Someone who has helped to raise the industry’s profile or been an influential voice in the national media

The process

The process consisted of two stages. First, we invited nominations from the IFSEC Global audience and beyond. Then, a panel of judges, drawn from across the industries and barred from featuring in the list themselves, assigned points to each nomination based on the persuasiveness of the nomination, their research into the nominee and their own knowledge of the nominee’s contributions to their field. The judges were also permitted to submit a limited number of nominations themselves, which were then scored by the other judges.

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Head Judge, Grant Lecky

Some categories have different numbers of influencers compared to others, which reflects the number and quality of nominations submitted for this year’s process.

We’d like to thank Grant Lecky, co-founder of the Security Partners Forum, for his tireless efforts as lead judge – for the fifth year in a row. Grant, who himself featured in IFSEC Global’s list of top influencers in 2014 and 2017, appointed the panel of security judges (which you can view here) and coordinated the nominations and judging process. Thanks also to Bonnie Butlin, co-founder of the Security Partners Forum and number one in 2017’s international thought leader rankings, for helping to coordinate the process.

We’d also like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination, and congratulate all those who were nominated, whether they are named here or not – both the quality and quantity of entries was extremely high this year. It is quite clear the passion so many of the professionals involved in security and fire safety hold for their respective sectors, and the IFSEC Global Influencer awards are designed to recognise the commitments from individuals across the globe, as widely as possible.

Only those nominated were eligible for the judging process. It is also worth noting that there is occasional crossover between some of these categories (for example, end users and security executives). To be clear, each category is as prestigious as the others, and individuals selected in the categories were purely based on their nominated category.

IFSEC Global Security & Fire Influencers 2021 – the categories

Commercial Security – Security Executives

Commercial Security – Association Figures/Academics/Thought Leaders

Commercial Security – End users (including some Security Directors/Heads of Security)

Cyber Security Professionals

Commercial Security – Manufacturers/Vendors/Integrators/Installers

One to Watch – Security

Fire Safety Influencers (Including One to Watch for the first time!)

Security Executives

1) Brian Tuskan, Chief Security Officer (Physical), Microsoft

Brian Tuskan has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement and the private security sector. He is the Chief Security Officer, Sr. Director for Global Security Operations in the Microsoft Global Workplace Services Organization, responsible for the physical security of all of Microsoft’s global corporate locations. Brian spent 12 years in law enforcement with the City of Redmond Police (Washington) and the Honolulu Police Department as a patrol officer, SWAT, ATV officer, and detective. Brian was named one of The Most Influential People in Security 2017. He founded Cop to Corporate, providing free advice for law enforcement professionals to plan their transition to the private sector. He is also a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting many Women in security associations and the International Organization of Black Security Executives (IOBSE). Brian has a Criminal Justice degree from Wayland Baptist University, is a graduate of the University of Washington (Foster School of Business, EDP), and received an Executive Leadership Certificate from Georgetown University.

2) Laura Lees, Country Business Information Security Officer, Citi

Laura has over 20 years’ experience in the technology, security and risk management industries with a focus on financial services. She is the Country Business Information Security Officer – Australia/New Zealand for a global Financial Services organisation and is responsible for all Information Security related matters in country. Laura is also the current Vice President for the ISACA Sydney Chapter having served on the board for the past three years. In addition, Laura is the Sydney Co-Chapter lead at AWSN along with being a member of both the FAIR Institute and AISA Sydney chapter committees. Laura holds an MBA from MGSM and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Computer Science, along with industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM and SABSA. Laura has been nominated for several industry awards including being the 2019 recipient of the Jo Stewart-Rattray award for Women in Leadership from ISACA International.

3) John Petruzzi, Executive Vice President (Northeast Region) & Head of Integrated Security Solutions, G4S

John Petruzzi, Jr. CBCP, CISM, CPP, currently holds the position of Executive Vice President of the Northeast Region of G4S Secure Solutions NA, and Head of Integrated Security Solutions for G4S Americas. John’s teams are responsible for providing a seamless customer experience, from an initial security risk assessment to a fully deployed technology and staffing solution designed to meet each customer’s specific needs. John has extensive security industry experience with in-depth expertise in implementing risk-based security programmes, deploying technology enhancements, and managing organisational resiliency programs within Fortune 500 companies. John’s career in corporate security leadership spans the financial services, energy, commercial real-estate, and telecommunications sectors. Additionally, John managed the international operations of a large security services firm where he focused on organisational engagements to corporate partners providing security and investigative services. John served in the United States Marine Corps as a Non-commissioned Officer, is an active industry volunteer and is currently the President of ASIS International’s Global Board of Directors.

4) Harold Wax, Security Director, PepsiCo

Harold has been working in the corporate security field for over 24 years and holds his CPP, PCI and CFCI professional designations. Harold is currently the Director of Global Security for PepsiCo, responsible for security management for all Canadian operations. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Harold led Corporate Security and Business Continuity Management for BGIS, and prior to that, Harold led Corporate Security & Investigations for Symcor Inc. Harold is considered a subject matter expert with respect to check fraud and organised financial crime, as well as critical infrastructure protection/counter-terrorism. Harold also has an extensive volunteer law enforcement career serving as an Auxiliary Member of the Ontario Provincial Police for 25 years, as well as holding a Reserve Police Officer commission with the Lafayette Police Department in Lafayette, Louisiana. Harold is a recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers as well as the Ontario Auxiliary Policing Medal, while in 2020 he was recognised as the Canadian Security Director of the Year.

5) Maria Carmela ‘Mel’ Migrino, Vice President and Group CISO, Manila Electric Company & Subsidiaries

Mel T. Migriño is the Vice President and Group CISO of Meralco and its subsidiaries, the largest Power Distribution Conglomerate in the Philippines. She was the Cyber Security Leader of a Big Four auditing firm as well as the largest fintech in PH. She has more than 15 years of  combined experience in Information Security Management, Cyber Security Governance, Assurance and Operations, Application and Infrastructure Security, Operational Technology Security, Cloud Security, Business Continuity, IT Disaster Recovery, Enterprise Risk Management, Privacy, IT Audit and Project Management across multiple industries. She is also the Chairperson and President of the Women in Security Alliance Philippines (WiSAP) which focuses on empowering and inspiring women in Security. She made it to the list of Women to Watch | Risky Women on February 2021 and was named an IFSEC Global Influencer Top in 2020.

6) Yatia Hopkins, VP, Cyber Risk Advisory and Solutions Architecture, eSentire

Tia Hopkins is VP of Global Solutions Architecture at eSentire. She has spent the past 20+ years of her career in various IT and IT Security roles and has over a decade of experience in the managed services and consulting space. In addition to her role at eSentire, she is an adjunct professor of Cybersecurity at Yeshiva University and is pursuing her PhD in Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Management. She was recognised by SC Media as an outstanding educator in 2019, as well as one of The Software Report’s Top 25 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense Magazine’s Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity; both in 2020. In 2021, Tia contributed a chapter to the book The Rise of Cyber Women: Volume 2. She is also the Founder of Empow(H)er Cybersecurity, a non-profit organisation aimed at inspiring and empowering women of colour to pursue cybersecurity careers.

7) Allison Miller, CISO, Optum

Allison Miller serves as the Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Vice President for Optum. Allison has accountability for the Enterprise Information Security Officers for the Group, Security Incident Response/Technical Investigations, Security Policy and Global Cyber Regulatory Programmes. In her existing role, Allison has developed a global security framework for the enterprise with a focus towards patient safety, security of clinical operations and a global cyber crisis response plan. In addition to global cybersecurity, Allison has over 20 years of experience in health information systems and crisis management. During her tenure at UnitedHealth Group, Allison developed systems to identify the gaps in care and predict health outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions. Allison continues to volunteer her time across organisations to help raise the awareness regarding the emerging cyber security landscape and the threats they present to patient care globally. Allison is passionate about diversity and inclusion. She serves on the Board of Directors for Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) and speaks publicly at schools and colleges around the globe.

8) Dave McGowan, VP Corporate Security Executive & Head of National Services, Kasier Permanente

David McGowan is the Vice President-Corporate Security Executive and Head of National Security Services at Kaiser Permanente. David has over 35 years of corporate security experience holding previous roles as Vice President and Head of Global Protection Services for Tiffany & Co. for over 24 years and Director of Loss Prevention and Safety at the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation. David is a former Board Director for the International Security Management Association (ISMA) including a term as President. David currently sits as a member of the Board of Directors for The Global Center on Cooperative Security and has spoken globally on topics ranging from “Security as Agents of Change,” to “A Leader’s Role in Setting Workplace Climate”.

9) James Nicholl, Managing Director, Tribus – TSG

James Nicholl is a focused and innovative security executive with extensive man-management experience and a decorated military and commercial security career spanning over 24 years of conventional and non-conventional government and commercial security service worldwide. He has a history of successful delivery of business change strategy, converting organisational intent into completed effective action even when operating in harsh non-permissive environments. James was awarded a CJO for distinguished service whilst on operations, and was also part of a team that were credited with successfully thwarting a terrorist attack in 2015 and deterring a credible threat against a national critical infrastructure site in 2020. As the MD of Tribus – TSG, Centum Investments, James has overseen an exponential business growth which has seen the company create fixed operations across 14 Kenyan counties, as well as project based contracts across seven other African countries.

10) Mark Rowan, Director, QCIC

Mark Rowan is the founder and managing director of QCIC, a global security engineering company specialising in designing, building and running security systems. QCIC was established 14 years ago, however Mark has over 30 years’ experience working within the built environment – the past 20 of which have been dedicated to security engineering. As a chartered engineer, Mark has built a reputation for engineering excellence across multiple disciplines including physical security, electronic systems, managing global enterprise systems and introducing future forward cloud technology to develop innovative security solutions. Mark is considered a pioneer in the industry, having developed award-winning security design software which holistically automates the design, delivery and configuration of security systems. Mark is passionate about sustainability and under his leadership QCIC was proud to be one of the world’s first carbon neutral security engineering companies.

11) Paul Jacomb, Chief Executive Officer, STM Group (UK) 

Currently CEO of STM Group (UK) LTD, an appointment which he assumed in May 2019, Paul Jacomb joined the security industry in 1992 (having spent the previous 11 years in the British Army’s Royal Tank Regiment, leaving in the rank of Major). Paul quickly made a positive impression on the industry, not only managing, but also significantly improving the performance of, three of the top 10 UK security companies, over the following 20-year period. This included service delivery in Europe and the Middle East. Having taken a five-year sabbatical to work as an Advisor for the UK Foreign Office, Paul was persuaded to return to industry, and join STM. The company has, subsequently, gone from strength-to-strength, winning multiple accolades and awards, including the prestigious British Security Industry “Business Of the Year 2020” in 2020.

12) Alessandro Maria Manfredini, Group Security & Cyber Defence Director, A2A

Alessandro Manfredini was Carabinieri Officer for 12 years, successfully managing the activities of the Judicial Police. Leaving Carabinieri Corps, as Security Manager at GEDI, he created and directed security functions, handling the protection and safeguarding of company assets and property, organising the risk assessment of commercial activities and developing security policies. As Chief Security Officer at NTV, he managed all facets of protecting and safeguarding tangible and intangible assets, defining and implementing the strategy for information protection, computers and human resources and material assets. Since 2016, Alessandro has created and led the Security Department of A2A Group, the first Life Company, born from the largest Italian multi-utility company with more than 100 years of history. Security in the A2A Group oversees specific hazards and threats through a holistic and integrated approach: from intelligence, to travel security, reputational due diligence in respect of third parties, fraud prevention, security training, physical security, logical security and cyber security.

13) Simon Pears, Security Manager, Sodexo

Simon Pears joined Sodexo in 2007 and is the Global Security Director and is a Chartered Security Professional, having gained this status in 2013. Simon operates at a strategic level and has a depth of security and legislative knowledge that allows him to work in partnership with many of Sodexo’s global clients. He has worked extensively on delivering industry leading regulatory compliance within the business and has built a network of global key industry contacts. Simon is focused on delivering credible security solutions which embrace technology whilst ensuring all solutions are aligned to their client’s risk strategy. In addition, Simon has been a board director at the International Professional Security Association (IPSA) since 2011, and in 2020 became Chair and has worked extensively on building the new IPSA App, which is now available in 12 countries, refocusing the membership to represent front line workers, fire and electronic security engineers.

14) David Sulston, Director of Security, Oxford Properties

David Sulston is the Director of Security for Oxford Properties, a global property management company, and is responsible through his team for overseeing Physical Security, Emergency Management and Health and Safety programmes. David has been involved in the industry for over 30 years, and holds a Masters of Science Degree in Security and Risk Management from the University of Leicester. David is board certified through the American Society of Industrial Security as a Certified Protection Professional and Physical Security Professional, and is a Certified Information Security Manager through the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. David is a founding member of the Commercial Real Estate Security Group, a co-founder of the Canadian Security Lifesaver Association, and is an active member of the BOMA Security and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

15) Badar Ali Said Al-Salehi, Director General, Oman National CERT

Eng Alsalehi is a professional and dynamic leader with more than 20 years of work and professional experience in cybersecurity, with an objective of making the world a safer cyber and digital space. He has a demonstrated track record on leading and contributing to national, regional and international efforts and initiatives including the establishment of National CERTs, National Digital Forensics Labs, ITU Regional Cyber Security Center and Capacity Building and has been a key speaker at regional, national and international events. In addition to being the Director General of Oman National CERT, he is the Head of the Regional Cyber Security Center of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) a specialised ICT agency of United Nations. He is also the chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation  Computer Emergency Response Team (OIC-CERT) and a co-founder of GCC-CERT.

16) Paul Harvey, UK Chair, TiNYg; Executive Director & co-owner, Ward Security

Paul Harvey has over 25 years’ experience at executive board positions in privately owned, publicly listed and private equity backed security businesses. Paul has an extensive high-level network, holds a BSc (Hons) degree; is a Chartered Security Professional; UK Chair and member of the International Leadership Team of TINYg (an influential global terrorism information network); an Outstanding Security Performance Awards winner; a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management; a member of the Security Institute; and is Executive Director and co-owner of Ward Security, a £45m independent UK security specialist. Paul is also a founding member of the Executive Committee of the City Security Council and Chair of a Winter Concert that raises funds for the City of London Police Charity for Children.

17) Otavio Freire, CTO, President & Co-Founder, SafeGuard Cyber

Otavio Freire is the President, CTO & Co-Founder at SafeGuard Cyber, responsible for developing and innovating the company’s security and compliance platform and providing global enterprise customers with visibility and protection across social media and digital channels. Otavio is an entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience in R&D, product development, business development, and engineering for cybersecurity and risk-based systems. He possesses rich experience in social media applications, internet commerce, and IT, serving the pharmaceutical, financial services, high-tech, and government verticals. Otavio is recognized in the Who’s, Who in Cybersecurity by Onalytica and has served as an expert advisor to major government organisations in the EU and United States.

18) Chineye Chizea, CISO, National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria

Chinenye Chizea has over 19 years’ professional experience with a diverse background in Information Security, IT management, Enterprise Architecture, Privacy and Compliance. She holds several industry certifications including CISSP, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Master, MCSEPrivate Cloud, OCP, ITIL and Cisco certifications. Chinenye is an advocate for implementing best practice security risk controls, common security frameworks and standards within an organisation. Her work experience over the years in the UK and in Nigeria has equipped her with the skills and knowledge in Information Security, Information Assurance, Governance and Management of Information Technology (IT), Risk Management, Business Continuity, Systems Security, Compliance and Controls. She has served in varying committees, and is frequently interviewed, and invited to speak at varying platforms on cybersecurity, privacy, compliance and related corporate governance responsibilities. In her current role as CISO for National Identity Management Commission, she is accountable for ensuring the security of her organisations information assets as well as driving its certification in ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and PCI DSS Program.

19) Stéphane Nappo, VP & Global CISO, Groupe SEB

Multicutural leader and renowed Global Chief Information Security Officer, Stéphane Nappo is passionate about people, risk management, and problem solving. As a proactive business strategist and advocate for the constructive deployment and implementation of digital technologies, Stéphane assembles talented, professional, and skills-based teams to carry an organisation’s transformation. Mr. Nappo believes in digital transformation as a means to fight the industrialisation of cybercrime. It is his lifelong objective and the foundation of his professional pledge to those he works with. Stéphane’s innovative research, investigative analytical methodologies, and managerial international experience have allowed him to develop and implement proactive and defensive cybersecurity strategies for a wide range of stakeholders. It is his passion to share knowledge through writing and public speaking, including multiple keynote addresses. Mr. Nappo has both a curiosity and thirst to learn and discover anything he can about reducing cyber risks around the world.

20) Albert Antwi Bonsinko, National Cybersecurity Advisor, Government of Ghana

Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako is currently the National Cybersecurity Advisor for Ghana. Albert has led the revision of Ghana’s National Cybersecurity Policy & Strategy (NCPS) and the passage of a landmark Cybersecurity Act (Act 1038) for Ghana in 2020. During his tenure of appointment, Ghana’s cybersecurity has improved on the ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index from 32.6% in 2017 to 86.69% in 2021, with Ghana becoming the third highest ranked country on the African continent and a global ranking of 43 from the previous 89th position. Albert has previously served as a Cyber Security Expert with the Interpol Global Cybercrime Expert Group (IGCEG) and is a Cybercrime Expert with the Council of Europe. Albert founded the e-Crime Bureau, the first and an award-winning cybersecurity and digital forensics firm to be established and operate in West Africa, in 2011. Albert is a member of the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), a Bureau Member of the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) and the Government of Ghana’s representative on the ECOWAS’ Regional Technical Committee (RTC) on Cybersecurity. Albert has introduced the Harmonized Model for Digital Evidence Admissibility Assessment (HM-DEAA) as a ground-breaking contribution to digital forensics standardisation.

Security: Association Figures/Academics/Thought Leaders

1) Jennie Vickers, CEO, New Zealand Defence Industry Association; CEO, Zeopard Consulting

Jennie Vickers describes her expertise as connecting people, building relationships, influencing, problem solving and supporting better business outcomes. For the last eight years Jennie has been focused on the Defence sector in Australasia. As CEO of the NZ Defence Industry Assoc for the past four years (recently stepped down) Jennie championed courageous and open conversations between Government and industry in the defence and security sectors to support better procurement outcomes and more SMEs in supply chains. During COVID-19 Jennie and her team ran a hybrid event to help NZ Defence launch its Information Domain and facilitate an open dialogue with the security and technology sectors. Along with qualifications to practice law (commercial/IT) in NZ, Australia and UK, Jennie is a WorldCC Fellow, Expert in SRM and CCMP qualified in CCM. In her consultant role to Fortinet, she will be focusing on helping businesses and Government employees in ANZ understand what security-driven Networking looks like.

2) Donna Kobzaruk, Executive Director, JP Morgan Chase; Vice President, ASIS Community

Donna is responsible for security and life safety of JPMorgan Chase assets for the North and Plains states. Based in Chicago, Donna oversees buildings, employees, and customers in 15 states, and her security team assists law enforcement with investigations of robberies, burglaries, and other crimes. Under Donna’s direction, the team provides leadership, education, and support on life safety and emergency preparedness, and also investigates workplace violence cases. Donna developed, and currently chairs, an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion group for all security employees. Donna serves as an ASIS Community Vice President, overseeing four ASIS Councils. She is a strong supporter of mentoring and is an active member of several women’s business resource groups.

3) Malcolm Reid, Managing Director, Brison; Member of Global Board of Directors, ASIS

Malcolm Reid, MSIA, MA, MBA is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Brison LLC, a risk management advisory firm based in Virginia, USA. He is a recognised industry leader and subject matter expert in the fields of risk management and resiliency, having gained a wealth of experience in the Americas region as an industry practitioner, management consultant, and adjunct faculty. Some of his projects have included Enterprise Business Resiliency Program development for several major international financial institutions, country-level critical infrastructure assessment, and Security Master planning for multi-national energy sector firms. Malcolm is a member of the global Board of Directors of ASIS International, having also been a Commissioner for Standards and Guidelines, a Regional Vice President, and a member of subject matter councils within ASIS International. He is also a member of the National Board of Directors for the Business Continuity Institute (BCI)- USA National Chapter. Additionally, he is the President and founder of a chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. A highly credentialed professional, he is one of less than a literal handful of experts globally, to earn the designation of Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute (FBCI) and attain the board certification in security management (CPP) simultaneously.

4) Dr Despina Spanou, Head of Cabinet of European Commission Vice-President in charge of Security Union, EU

Despina Spanou is the Head of the Cabinet of the Vice-President of the European Commission overseeing the European Union’s policies on security, migration and asylum, health, skills, education, culture and sports. Her work on security consists in coordinating all areas under the heading of the EU Security Union, ranging from counter-terrorism, cybercrime, cybersecurity to hybrid threats. In this capacity, Ms Spanou coordinates the implementation of the EU Security Union Strategy 2020-2025, the first ever EU Strategy encompassing the whole spectrum of security work in the EU. Previously, she was Director for Digital Society, Trust and Cybersecurity at the Directorate-General for Communications Network, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) of the European Commission. Ms Spanou has served as a member of the management board of ENISA, the EU agency for cybersecurity, and of the Steering Board of the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, bodies and agencies (CERT-EU). She is a founding member of the Women4Cyber initiative and advocate for the need for more cybersecurity experts in Europe.

5) Dr Stefanos Gritzalis, Professor of Information and Communication Systems Security, University of Piraeus

Stefanos Gritzalis is a Professor at the Dept. of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus, Greece. He is a Member of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy. Previously he was the Rector of the University of the Aegean, Greece, and has acted as Special Secretary for the Hellenic Ministry for Administrative Reform and Electronic Governance. The focus of his publications is on Information and Communications Security and Privacy. His published work includes more than 50 books or book chapters, and 320 papers in journals and international conferences. He has acted as Guest Editor in 35 journal special issues, as General Chair or PC Chair in more than 50 international conferences and workshops, and as a PC member of more than 600 international conferences and workshops. He acts as Area Editor for the IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials journal.

6) Michael Gips, Principal, Global Insights in Professional Security

Michael Gips, JD, CPP, CSyP, is principal of Global Insights in Professional Security which provides strategic security expertise and content development. He is also a strategic advisor for the Network Contagion Research Institute (which identifies online disinformation) an advisor with Cardinal Point Strategies, a partner in the Knowledgebase of Insider Threats, and an associate with insider risk company Signpost Six. He has published three major research projects with the ASIS Foundation since 2019, covering convergence, blockchain, and crisis management. Mike has a podcast hosted by Inside Access Control, writes a monthly leadership column for Security magazine, and is a frequent presenter and speaker in English and Spanish. Mike volunteers on the ASIS working group revising the CSO standard, serves as the Secretary for the Global Life Safety Alliance, heads the security committee for a house of worship, and mentors young security professionals. A former ASIS executive, Mike developed and ran the CSO Center and published Security Management.

7) Rick Mounfield, Chief Executive, Security Institute

Rick Mounfield MSc CSyP FSyI completed his career in the Royal Military Police as a Regimental Sergeant Major. His career spanned 23 years, eight of which were served on operational tours. He was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal by HM the Queen in 2011 for his outstanding career, including Close Protection services to British Ambassadors in hostile countries. For the past four years Rick has been the Chief Executive of The Security Institute. One of only 211 Security Specialists in the world to be awarded the highest accolade of Chartered Security Professional, he also has an MSc in Security Management from Loughborough University.

8) Jonathon Harris, Vice President, Group337

Jonathon Harris has been in the security industry for over 15 years. In his current role with Group337, he leads the organisation’s efforts in security industry metrics, data, analyst reports, and more, working closely with consulting, insight, and content development. Before joining Group337, Harris was Director, Enterprise Solutions for Guidepost Solutions, a leader in compliance solutions, monitoring, and security and technology consulting. Previous roles included A&E Consultant Program Manager for LenelS2, Associate Director – Security & Compliance for UTC Aerospace Systems, Security Account Manager for Whelan Security, and a Training Supervisor for Securitas. Professional activities include Board Member of the ASIS Minnesota Chapter, a committee member of the SIA RISE Young Professionals organisation, and a founding member of the Getting Security Done (GSD) crew. Additionally, Harris acquired his Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Physical Security Professional (PSP) certifications from ASIS International.

MartinGill

9) Professor Martin Gill, Director, Perpetuity Research

Martin Gill is a criminologist and holds honorary/visiting Chairs at the Universities of Leicester and London. He has published 14 books and is currently working on the third edition of the ‘Handbook’ of Security’ (to be published in 2022). He is the organiser and Chair of the Security Thought Leadership webinar series, which has attracted a global following. Martin is the Founder of the Outstanding Security Performance Awards (the OSPAs and Cyber OSPAs) and Tackling Economic Crime Awards (the TECAs). In 2010 he was recognised by the BSIA with a special award for ‘outstanding service to the security sector’. In 2015 and 2016 he was nominated and shortlisted for the Imbert Prize at the Association of Security Consultants and in the latter he won. In 2016 ASIS International awarded him a Presidential Order of Merit for distinguished service. In 2016 he was entered onto the Register of Chartered Security Professionals.

10) Dr Gavriel Schneider, CEO, Risk2Solution

Dr Gav is the founder of the concept of Presilience and an acknowledged subject matter expert in the fields of security risk management and counter terrorism. He is a leader in human based risk management and the psychology of risk. Dr Gav is a serial entrepreneur and has been running his own businesses since 2001 as well as serving as a postgraduate program director for the Australian Catholic University (ACU) for over five years. This is the third year in a row he has made the IFSEC Global influencers list, as well as being awarded the risk consultant of the year 2019 by the RMIA. He has conducted business in over 17 countries and provided a wide range of services for a very diverse client base. He is a leading academic and subject matter expert in his field and is a much-sought after International speaker. ‘He has trained thousands of people in his own right and to date, his companies have trained in excess of 150,000 people in numerous countries and provided services to a broad range of top tier clients. Dr Gav has also authored two books and numerous articles as well has leading various research projects related to the security and risk sector.

Read Gav’s article on Presilience for IFSEC Global, here.

11) Garry Bergin, Commercial Manager & Security Consultant, Manguardplus

Garry Bergin PC; MSc; CPP; CPOI; FSyI; F.ISRM is a highly qualified and experienced security professional, with over two decades of security operations management experience across a variety of industry sectors where he has managed some of the largest multi-national security contracts in Ireland. Garry holds an MSc in Security Management and is currently studying towards a Professional Doctorate at the University of Portsmouth focusing on the development of training programmes for the security industry internationally. Garry is an ASIS Board Certified CPP, a Peace Commissioner appointed by the Irish Minister for Justice and Equality and a Fellow of both the Security Institute and the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM). In addition, he is an IFPO Certified Protection Officer Instructor CPOI. Garry is the current Vice-Chair of both ASIS Ireland Chapter and the ISRM Ireland Chapter, a Director, Board Member and Lecturer with the Security Institute of Ireland and also serves as a Security Advisory Board Member to IFPO UK & Ireland.

12) Juan Munoz, CEO, Associated Projects International

Juan Munoz CPP CSMP CSyP F.ISRM MBA joined commercial security in 1982 and has held senior positions in the three sides of the industry triangle ever since: services provider, client and consultant. With operational experience in more than 30 countries he is specialised in corporate security, crisis & risk management, business intelligence and travel security. Juan’s experience covers training and special operations manager of one of Spain’s largest private security companies and later CEO of another, security and risk manager at a large global freight company, international crisis management and security consultant of an IBEX35 company, CSO of a large Spanish industrial group and head of security of the 32nd America’s Cup. He is now a consultant and has operated with prestigious companies from the UK and USA. Juan has developed a long carrier as volunteer leader of ASIS International, including, Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Spain chapter, and Vicepresident Region 9C and since 2014 he has been the Director of the ASIS/IE Effective Management for Security Professionals programme held in Madrid every year.

13) Gary Morrison, CEO, New Zealand Security Association

Gary Morrison has spent 40 years in the security industry, including running New Zealand’s largest security provider, establishing his own security company and more recently as the CEO for the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA). Since joining the NZSA in early 2016, Gary has been instrumental in resurrecting the association as the voice for the security industry and the catalyst for many positive industry developments. In the last five years, the NZSA’s membership has grown by over 70% and the association has led significant improvements in industry training and standards and developed a Good Practice Guideline that clearly articulates industry best practice. During Gary’s tenure, the NZSA has also developed and introduced a Skills for Industry programme with the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development that supports and encourages those on benefit payments into fulltime employment with NZSA members. This programme has seen in excess of 400 beneficiaries take up full-time employment with NZSA members over the last three years. In addition to his work with the NZSA, Gary is a long-term ASIS member and in his private capacity sits on the board for a Community Health Trust.

14) John Mack, Co-head, Mergers & Acquisitions, Imperial Capital

John E. Mack III is Executive Vice President, Co-Head of Investment Banking and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Imperial Capital. Based in the Los Angeles office, Mr. Mack joined Imperial Capital in 2008 as part of the firm’s acquisition of certain assets of USBX Inc., an investment banking firm focused on mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Mack was founder and Chief Executive Officer of USBX. Prior to USBX, Mr. Mack served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Protection One, Inc., then the nation’s second largest provider of life safety and property monitoring services. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Mr. Mack held the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development, where he was involved in over 200 acquisitions and oversaw the company’s growth from approximately 30,000 subscribers and $17 million in revenue to more than 1.6 million subscribers, $600 million in revenue and an enterprise value of over $2 billion. Before joining Protection One, Mr. Mack was a Senior Executive Officer with Westec Security, Inc.

15) Kathleen Carroll, Managing Director, Seven Seas Strategic Communications

Prior to founding Seven Seas Strategic Communications, Kathleen Carroll served as Vice President, Corporate Communications for HID Global, overseeing the development and implementation of public relations and government affairs programs. She has testified before Congress on a range of topics, including the use of secure identification documents in airports. Kathleen has also testified in several states on the use of secure credentials for physical and logical access control, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and privacy. Kathleen has been active in the security community throughout her career, serving on advisory boards at the Center for Identity at the University of Texas, Austin and Mission 500, a children’s charity.  She currently serves as Chairman of the Data Privacy Advisory Board for the Security Industry Association.

16) Ngaire Kelaher, Chair, ASIS International New Zealand Chapter

Ngaire Kelaher CPP PSP is the Security Risk and Training Consultant for RISQ New Zealand and Bespoke Security Group. She started her career as a security officer in 1995 and continued to develop into the training sector of the security industry designing, facilitating and assessing various security programmes over the years. Ngaire has been an ASIS International member for just over 15 years, and is the first female in New Zealand to hold two ASIS international Certifications – Certified Protection Professional (CPP),and the Physical Security Professional (PSP). Ngaire is also the first female Chairperson of ASIS New Zealand and has held a variety of roles on the executive committee previously, including Secretary and Deputy Chair. Ngaire is also a member of the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA), the New Zealand Institute for Professional Investigators (NZIPI), the Security Institute (UK) and the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO).

17) Brendan McFall, Technical Engineering Manager, Northland Controls

After graduating from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Brendan McFall “stumbled” into the security industry. Brendan’s career began in 2014 as the Executive Assistant for Northland Control’s CEO, Pierre Trapanese. Since then, he’s taken on several different roles at Northland – most recently becoming the Technical Engineering Manager of their Professional Services Department. Outside of Northland, McFall remains active in the wider security industry, and is passionate about helping young professionals advance in their career. In 2018, he served as the Chairman of SIA’s RISE Committee, joined PSA’s Leadership Committee in 2019, and in 2020 became a Board Member of the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST).

18) Dr John Battersby, Teaching Fellow, Massey University Centre for Defence and Security Studies

Dr John Battersby is a Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University, Wellington, lecturing in Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. John spent a decade as a research historian specialising in military and policing aspects of nineteenth century New Zealand history. In 2005 he took up a law enforcement role, with various duties including time as a police prosecutor and then Practice Leader at the Leadership, Management and Command school at RNZPC. In 2016, John returned to academia as Research Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University, Wellington where he commenced research into the impact of terrorism on New Zealand. John has published on New Zealand Wars, New Zealand security and the United Nations, and terrorism in Australian and Zealand contexts. He is also Managing Editor of the National Security Journal launched in 2019 and is a regular commentator on security issues in the media.

19 Lisa Oliveri, Director of Global Safety and Security, Education Development Center

Lisa Oliveri, CPP, PCI, is the Director of Global Safety and Security for the Education Development Center (EDC). EDC is a global nonprofit working in all 50 U.S. states and 22 countries to advance lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Lisa has more than 10 years of experience managing global safety and security functions for international non-government organisations, faith-based organisations, and academic institutions. Prior to her career in security, Lisa was a science teacher with an interest in international development and healthcare ethics. She holds an M.S. in Education and an M.A. in International Affairs from Fordham University. Lisa is a dedicated volunteer, trainer, and advocate for young professionals and women in security. She is the Chair of ASIS International’s CSO Center Board and Chair of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) International Development Sector Committee.

20) Miranda Coppoolse, Founder, MC Global Security Consulting

A distinguished behavioural analyst and security risk advisor on various interrelated security topics, Miranda Coppoolse is the founder of MC Global Security Consulting. Miranda has an extensive security background and is well known for her international leadership, training and coaching. Additionally, she serves on several international Boards and volunteers for the Children’s Rescue Initiative (CRI), an organisation that fights human trafficking worldwide. During her career Miranda has lived around the globe, gaining a broad understanding of cultures and languages. Miranda obtained various diplomas and certificates from: Dutch Police Force, Royal Netherlands Military Police, Ministry of Justice, Maritime Academy, Wesleyan University, University of South Florida and Leiden University, among others.

Security: End Users

1) Christina Alexander Alexandropoulou, Director of Security, Four Seasons – Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Christina Alexander Alexandropoulou is a driving force in security with over 20 years’ experience. She has been an influential voice in the Greek national media, identified as a top Woman in Security in Greece in the March 2020 Security Manager Magazine and was awarded by GDS Group as the GOLD Security Leader of the Year – Europe for 2021. As Vice Chair for the ASIS International Aegean Chapter, Steering Committee Member for OSAC in Greece, Member of the European Fire Safety Community and Working Group member for the project to develop a Fire Safety Rating Scheme for Buildings, Leader of the 1st Lean In Circle for Women In Security in Greece, Mentor for ASIS Women in Security (WIS) and WIS country leader, nominated for the 2021 GIWA in Hospitality (Greek International Women Award) and winner of the 2020 Gold Security Excellence Award in Greece, Christina is widely respected in the industry and her insights shape debate about Security issues. Currently, Christina is the Director of Security for Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel in Greece and is actively engaged with the security industry while being a volunteer for several organisations in Greece. She is well respected for visionary leadership in hybrid security and fire safety solutions and regularly presents at security conferences, focusing on sustainable security solutions – protecting people, planet and profit.

2) Andrew Thorburn, Enterprise Security & Risk Manager, Atlas Gentech NZ Limited

Andrew D. Thorburn is a highly experienced and commercially astute protective security and organisational development consultant with a career that spans both the private and public sectors. Andrew brings over 25 years of security technology and staff services strategy and implementation experience to colleagues and end user clients. Andrew regularly contributes to the profession through voluntary sector leadership, development and delivery of subject matter to special interest groups, such as New Zealand Security Association, ISC2 and ASIS International, and contributes thought leadership pieces for industry online and print publications. He is the immediate past ASIS International Chapter 148 Chairperson and the 2018 New Zealand Security Consultant of the Year. Andrew has demonstrable experience in local and central government critical national infrastructure projects and is currently working on establishing local, but globally supported, industry leadership and governance awards. He is continuing to drive for the development of culturally aligned sector training for indigenous people.

3) Sean Sportun, National Director, Strategic Accounts for Canada, GardaWorld

With nearly three decades in the Corporate Security Industry, Sean is a true security aficionado and has been recognised globally for his industry achievements. Sean recently joined GardaWorld as its National Director, Strategic Accounts for Canada; and prior to that he spent 15 years leading Circle K’s Central Canada Loss Prevention Department, where he pioneered a new culture and created a highly successful philosophy of Crime Prevention Through Community Engagement. A dedicated Community Safety Advocate, Sean joined the Toronto Crime Stoppers volunteer Board of Directors in 2002; where he is currently the program’s Chair – in addition, he serves as the 1st Vice President for the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners association, which provides crime prevention training on a global level. Sean’s innovative vision has been the focus of Harvard University’s School of Business which published two business reviews on his approach towards retail crime prevention.

4) Les Allan, Heriot-Wat University, Director of Safeguarding Services

Les Allan is the current Chairman of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO) in April. With 44 years of service in police, government, and senior security & safety roles, currently serving as Director of SafeGuarding Services at Heriot-Watt University.  He has previously served AUCSO as Vice-Chairman and prior to that as Chair of the AUCSO Scotland Group. He is a frequent guest speaker at conferences and panellist in leadership webinars. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Foundation of Protection Officers (IFPO), as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management and recently he was appointed as a Judge for the OSPAs. Les helps share best practice across the wider security sector, creating strategic alliances, contributing to professional journals, and encouraging collaboration with government and law enforcement agencies. He champions the use of innovative technology to enhance the reach of security provision.

5) Dean J Mini, Deputy Chief Security Officer, Global, Manulife/John Hancock

Dean is the US Director/Deputy Chief Security Officer for Manulife, operating as John Hancock in the United States, where he manages behavioral threats, facility threat risk assessments, security intelligence, employee and executive protection, travel security, event and venue security and the support of investigations within the region. Previously, Dean served in the USAF Security Forces squadron Incirlik Turkey and Albuquerque New Mexico where he supervised security force activities including installation, weapon system, and resource security within the 39th SPF and 1608th SPF squadrons. Dean received his business degree from Quincy College and in his spare time volunteers as a Police Officer in a Boston suburb. Dean is a member of ASIS (American Society of Industrial Security) as well as InfraGard, the FBI’s community conduit for shared infrastructure protection intelligence.

6) Kasi McLaughlin, Director of Cybersecurity, Avangrid Energy

Kasi is the Director of Cyber Security for AVANGRID, an energy company with assets and operations in 24 states. Kasi joined AVANGRID in 2005 and has progressed through various leadership roles during her career. She is now responsible for proactively protecting, establishing and maintaining a corporate wide cybersecurity and privacy management programme to ensure that Avangrid’s cyber assets and information are adequately protected. In this role, she oversees cybersecurity compliance, data privacy and protection, third party/supplier risk management and the company’s training and awareness programs.

7) Seema Sharma, Head, Technology Risk, PayU

Seema comes with 14+ years of experience in Information Security and Risk management with leading Management Consulting, SaaS-based and Fintech companies like McKinsey & Company, Cvent & PayU. During her professional journey, Seema has developed competencies in various domains of Information security, such as Risk Management, DevSecOps, Business Resiliency, Data Privacy & Protection, Cloud Security, Security Engineering and Operations. Seema is also a firm supporter of promoting and empowering Women in technology and Security and has taken many initiatives to mentor and coach young women professionals to excel in these fields. During her tenure in Information Security, she has received many accolades for contributing to enhancement and innovation in enterprise information security, and most recently she has been awarded the ’10th edition of InfoSec Maestros (CISO) Awards 2021′ for Leadership & Excellence In Security. She has also been a featured speaker at many cybersecurity events and conferences and firmly believes that security awareness programmes help address human risks and curtail cybersecurity risks in an organisation.

8) Ed Howard, Owner/Consultant, Pax Bello Security Solutions Hawaii

Mr. Ed Howard possesses a combined experience of 38 years in law enforcement and private security management. During Mr. Howard’s law enforcement career, he spent 22 years investigating and supervising criminal narcotics cases and after 26 years in law enforcement he retired and began a highly successful second career in healthcare security and safety management upon being hired by Adventist Health in Hawaii as their Security and Safety Director. Mr. Howard was later promoted to a Vice President Corporate Security Director position overseeing Adventist Health’s corporate security program. Mr. Howard’s corporate security responsibilities included oversight and management of the healthcare system’s security programme consisting of 23 hospitals in four US western states. In late 2020, Mr. Howard retired from his corporate security job and began working full time as the Owner/President & CEO of Pax Bello Security Solutions Hawaii, a professional security consulting and training firm. Mr. Howard’s firm provides a variety of services that include firearms training and qualification, workplace environmental safety analysis, risk assessments, security systems design and planning, program reviews, threat mitigation, workplace violence, outsourcing management, and litigation support.

9) Oliver Curran, Security Manager, University College London

Oliver Curran has been in the UK security industry for over 25 years where he started his career as a Security Officer in the corporate sector and is now a Security Manager at University College London (UCL), where he has been for more than 13 years. UCL has an operational Security Team of over 300 staff across 250 buildings to provide a safe working environment for over 60,000 staff and students. Oliver has many voluntary roles within the Security Industry and is the current Vice Chairman at AUCSO (Association of University Chief Security Officers) which is the leading organisation for Security Professionals working in the Higher and Further Education around the world, a Board Member at the Security Commonwealth, which is the umbrella organisation of independent membership bodies across the UK Security Industry and he is also a judge for the UK OSPAs (Outstanding Security Performance Awards).

10) Maiysa Said Al-Dhanki, Assistant Manager, Cyber Security, EY

Maiysa Al-Dhanki – Cybersecurity Assistant Manager (EY), is an ambitious professional experienced in cybersecurity, which she has demonstrated across MENA and at an international scale in multiple engagements, including participating in different cyber security events and projects. Maiysa graduated with a master’s degree from Royal Holloway University of London and is certified as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), ISO/IEC27001:2013 lead implementer and lead Auditor and Certified IT DR Planner. She was recently the WiCSME2020 Awards winner for woman cybersecurity Consultant. Her core competency is in Cybersecurity Strategies, governance risk and compliance. Currently she is working with EY as cybersecurity assistant manager and had multiple experiences with different governmental sectors in MENA. Maiysa also actively participate in prestige events as speaker, and she is a supportive of the agenda for empowering women in cybersecurity.

Cyber Security Professionals

1) Loredana Mancini, Vice Chair, OWASP WIA Diversity and Inclusion

Mrs. Loredana Mancini is involved in several projects connected with infrastructure and security for important customers, and has covered different roles from engineering to marketing, management, consulting, innovation programs definition in national and international companies. She is an active member of coaching and standardisation groups, one of the founders of the Italian Chapter on CSA, and Italian Metric Association. She is CCSK, CSA STAR, CRISC, COBIT, ITIL, ISO2000, ISO27001, ISO22301 and CGEIT certified. She is Vice Chair of the Committee OWASP/WIA, Italian Chapter leader for the Infosecgirl group, Central Italy Ambassador for Women4.0 Community, Founding member of the BlockChainLadies Community, member of the SheLeadsTech ISACA community and Women4Cyber. Loredana is presently delivering free training and mentorship on Cybersecurity for Women that lost their job and want to re-qualify themselves in technology. Author of books on privacy she was also involved and coordinated European Horizon2020 funded projects.

2) Adel Abdel Moneim, Cyber Security Expert, ITU – ARCC

Adel Abdel Moneim, Registered ITU/ARCC Cybersecurity Expert, has over 25 years of experience in the IT/Cyber Security fields, spending most of his career in Information Security Consultation and Training. Becoming the first Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT) in Egypt (2008), Adel has been awarded the Instructor of the year/Circle of Excellence awards from EC Council for Africa/Middle East regions eight times between 2008 and 2016. Adel is an international certified trainer fromISC2, ISACA, PECB, APMG, EC-Council, CertNexus and CIW who has delivered hundreds of official training courses and workshops. Capitalising on his proven expertise and hands on experience in executing security Governance, risk assessments, compliance, conducting security audits, assessing effectiveness of controls, ISMS, IPMS, BCMS, Data Privacy, Incident Response, Digital Forensics and Cyber Operations, Adel successfully provides consultation for large enterprise security projects in various government/industry verticals.

3) Noureen Njoroge, Director of Global Threat Intelligence, Nike

Noureen Njoroge is a passionate cybersecurity professional with vast experience in multi-faceted, complex, fast-paced environments in the public and private sector. Noureen excels proven leadership experience on issues concerning security and data privacy to technical groups and business stakeholders. She is the Director of Cyber Threat Intel at Nike and a member of several information security advisory boards. Noureen is a global keynote speaker, award winner of: 2021 Global Cybersecurity Ambassador, 2020 Cybersecurity Woman of the year, Cisco 2019 Cybersecurity Champion and is listed among the Top 30 Most Admired Minority Professionals in Cybersecurity by SeQure World Magazine, UK. Noureen is a people leader and very passionate about mentoring others. Founder of Mentor & Mentee women in Cybersecurity, CyberSecurity Mentoring Hub, and president of the North Carolina Women in Cybersecurity. Noureen sets an example for others to follow in her hard work to keep ahead of the pack in a rapidly changing industry, her commitment to generously share insights on an ongoing basis, and her desire to help clients protect their business and their data in a complex and uncertain world.

4) Emma Philpott, CEO, IASME

Dr Emma Philpott MBE is CEO of the IASME Consortium Ltd, a company which focuses on information assurance for small companies and the supply chain. IASME worked with the UK Government to develop the Cyber Essentials scheme and was awarded the contract to be the sole NCSC Cyber Essentials Partner from April 2020. IASME also delivers the IASME Governance certification scheme, an affordable alternative to ISO27001 and has just launched a security certification scheme for Internet of Things devices and Counter Fraud controls. Emma is also Founder and Manager of the UK Cyber Security Forum, a not-for-profit organisation leading an initiative to train unemployed neuro-diverse adults in cyber security and supporting them to find employment.

Read our interview with Emma Philpott, here. 

5) Alice Blazevic Namuli, Partner, Katende Ssempebwa & Co Advocates

Alice Namuli is Partner – Head Tech and Innovation at Katende, Ssempebwa & Co Advocates, as well as being an award-winning lawyer, international speaker and author. With over 16 years’ experience, Alice specialises in technology and the law with a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Crypto currencies, Fintechs , Cyberlaw and Data Protection. She represents some of the largest Fintechs and Blockchain Technology based businesses which are reshaping the mode of doing business in Africa. Alice is also a Board Member of the Innovation Advisory Board of the Uganda National Social Security Fund and cyber security expert for the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at the University of Stellenbosch.

6) Dr Magda Chelly, Head of Cyber Risk Consulting, Marsh

Magda Lilia Chelly is a well-acknowledged cybersecurity expert in the industry and a highly sought-after keynote speaker. She is also an entrepreneur and strong activist for women in cybersecurity. She was a member of the Advisory Board for the Executive Summit at Black Hat Asia and founded Women on Cyber’s chapter in Singapore, supporting female professionals in the industry. Magda obtained a PhD in Telecommunication Engineering from the Telecom SudParis and speaks five languages fluently. Magda’s research topics have focused on cybersecurity, the future of localisation and positioning, education, and more. Her research works and writings around cybersecurity have been featured by IEEE, RSA Conference, CYBERSEC, World Congress on Internet Security (WorldCIS-2016), CYBER RISK LEADERS Magazine, among others. Magda is currently leading cyber advisory for Marsh Asia, based in Singapore.

7) Dr Sokratis Katsikas, Director, Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity in Critical Sensors

Sokratis K. Katsikas is the Director of the Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity in Critical Sectors and Professor with the Center for Cyber and Information Security, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research interests lie in the area of information and communication systems security. In 2019 he has awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the Dept. of Production and Management Engineering of the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. He has authored or co-authored more than 280 journal publications, book chapters and conference proceedings publications and he has participated in more than 70 funded national and international R&D projects in these areas. He is serving on the editorial board of several scientific journals, has authored/edited 41 books and has served on/chaired the technical programme committee of more than 750 international scientific conferences.

8) Vandana Verma, Security Solutions Architect, Synk

Vandana Verma is a Security Relations leader at Snyk with a current focus on DevSecOps. In her previous experience, she has dealt with Application security, Vulnerability management, SOC, Infrastructure security and Cloud Security. She is a seasoned speaker/trainer and presented at various public events ranging from global events such as BlackHat, to regional events like BSides in India. She is part of the OWASP Global board of directors (Vice – Chair) and works in various communities towards diversity initiatives InfosecGirls, InfosecKids and WoSec. Vandana is a member of the Black Hat Asia Review Board as well as multiple other conferences including Grace Hopper India, and OWASP AppSec USA. She is also one of the organisers of BSides Delhi. She has been the recipient of multiple prestigious awards like Resilient CISO award by Dynamic CISO, Cyber Security Woman of the Year Award 2020 by Cyber Sec Awards and Application Security Influencer 2020 by Whitesource.

9) Christian Kengne, Manager, Cyber Defense, Accenture

Christian is a Manager within Accenture Security’ Cyber Defense group in Canada. Outside of helping clients improve their cybersecurity posture, Christian also sits on the Board of Directors of a few organisations volunteering his knowledge and talents. Christian was involved with the Greater Montreal Association of Information Security, ASIMM, where he helped organise the annual Information Security conference. More recently, Christian volunteers as Vice-President of Technology for ISACA Montreal Chapter. In 2020, he was appointed by the Minister of Finance of Quebec on the board of directors of the Chambre de l’assurance de dommages (ChAD), a self-regulating body for the damage insurance sector in Quebec. His work does not end here in the community, he is a passionate mentor and is always eager to share his experience and empower the next generation of security leaders.

10) Ambareen Siraj, Founder, Women in CyberSecurity

Dr. Ambareen Siraj is a professor of Computer Science and the founding director of Tennessee Tech’s Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center (CEROC). She has served as the leader on several NSF and DoD education and workforce development grants. As of today, she has secured external grants over 12 million. Dr. Siraj’s research focus is on security in cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things, situation assessment in network security, security education and workforce development. She has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Siraj is passionate about training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, and encouraging women and other minorities to pursue an education in Computer Science and other STEM programs. She is the founder of the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) conference and organisation. She is a frequent speaker in various cybersecurity conferences on topics ranging from education and curriculum, through to security issues and solutions for cyber-physical systems to diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity. She has addressed the Congressional House Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology in 2020 on ‘Developing the U.S. Cybersecurity Workforce’.

11) Katherine Ledesma, Policy and Resilience Manager, NERC Electricity Sharing and Analysis Center

Katherine Ledesma leads resilience and policy initiatives for North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center. In this capacity, she leads the design and development of the Grid Security Exercise (GridEx), which provides the electricity industry and partners the opportunity to exercise the resilience of the North American electricity system in the face of simulated cyber and physical attacks. Prior to NERC, Ledesma served as Senior Policy Advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In this role, she worked closely with government and private sector partners on policy issues affecting the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Ledesma also served as the Program Director for CISA’s Position, Navigation and Timing Program Office and the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Infrastructure Protection. Ledesma has also held positions within DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Ledesma is a graduate of the Eisenhower School at National Defense University where she earned a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy.

12) Sailaja Vadlamudi, Application Security Lead & Director Security & Data Privacy, Sap Labs India Pvt

With over 18 years’ experience Sailaja Vadlamudi is an award-winning leader, mentor, author, researcher, security strategist, and global advisory member. She is handpicked as SAP Labs India‘s first Application Security Lead. She is also Senior Director and Chief Expert of Security & Data Privacy, and drives security strategy for India location and works towards building security culture in the region. She is a noted speaker at national and international forums. Sailaja started her journey in Application security in 2008, and since then has championed, inspired, and drove a worldwide team on security and data privacy topics. She founded Non-profit Women in cybersecurity and privacy aiming to educate girls and women on cyber security awareness to alert them of digital threats and upskill them, prepare thought leaders of the next generation to shift the paradigm and add more diversity into these domains.

13) Brencil Kaimba, Lead Researcher/Senior Cybersecurity Consultant, Serianu Limited

Brencil Kaimba is the head of product strategy and development accountable for technology and cybersecurity solutions portfolio across a diverse and multilingual East, West and South African business unit. She has worked with different stakeholders to design industry frameworks including Risk Quantification Framework and other cybersecurity solutions for African SMEs. She is a keen believer in designing local solutions that address the unique challenges facing African SMEs. She is the Editor in Chief of Africa Cybersecurity report, a continent-wide annual report that highlights key trends and cybersecurity posture of different industries across African countries. She previously worked as a cyber risk consultant and Security Operation Centre Consultant. Brencil was recently elected into the ISACA Kenya Board as the Membership Director and is the recipient of the 2017 ISC2 ISLA EMEA, Upcoming Cybersecurity professional.

14) Amy Roberts, Lead, Women in Cyber program, Australian Signals Directorate

Amy Roberts leads the Women in Cyber program for the Australian Signals Directorate, part of the Australian Intelligence Community. She is an expert in women’s leadership and wellbeing, and her mission is to empower leaders to create a healthy and inclusive cyber security industry. Amy was an Advisor in the Office of Cyber Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and previously managed the Australian Government’s ‘Stay Smart Online’ campaign. She has 10 years’ experience in cyber and 20 years’ in the private and public sectors as a small business owner, program manager and policy advisor, with a reputation for exceptional stakeholder engagement. Additionally, she is a certified Organisational Coach, an experienced public speaker and facilitator, and is passionate about helping people become courageous and authentic leaders. Amy is a leader within the Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN), the founder of Lumen Coaching and, in 2019, was named “Australia’s Most Outstanding Woman in IT Security” in the Women in Security Awards.

15) Lisa Ventura, CEO & Founder, UK Cyber Security Association

Lisa Ventura is an award-winning cyber security consultant and is the CEO and Founder of the UK Cyber Security Association (UKCSA), a membership body that is dedicated to individuals and companies who actively work in cyber security in the UK. She has over 10 years’ experience in cyber security and is passionate about raising awareness of the growing cyber threat to prevent cyber- attacks and cyber fraud. She is a thought leader, author and keynote speaker and has been published in various publications globally. Her books “The Rise of the Cyber Women: Volume One”, “The Rise of the Cyber Women: Volume Two” and “The Varied Origins of the Cyber Men: Volume One” were published in 2020 and 2021, all to great acclaim. Lisa sits on the board of the Global Cyber Security Alliance, sits on the Advisory Board of the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre and sits on the board of Think Digital Partners as their cyber security advisor.

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16) Mahbubul Islam, CISO, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Mahbubul is a Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) and a highly skilled Cyber Security expert with a detailed grounding in personnel, procedural, physical, and technical security. He is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at HM Court and Tribunal Services, a UK Government Department. Mahbubul has been appointed a Non-Executive Director for the Security Institute and is their Deputy Chair. He is also involved with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a Board Member/Cyber Advisor. His passion and focus have been on building inclusive and diverse security teams that are able adapt to the dynamic changes within security, whilst delivering on Cyber, Technical, Governance, Risk and Compliance outcomes. Over the last 13 years he has led numerous multi-disciplined teams to help drive proactive security practices. He has been closely involved as a board member with the UK Cyber Security Council Formation Project representing the Security Institute. He continues to support Cyber Apprentice Schemes and Mentoring programmes across the Security Profession.

17) Neil Curtis, DXC

Neil Curtis is a Professor of Cybersecurity at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and a Senior Executive in Cybersecurity with DXC Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Neil heads the DXC Veterans Program engaging Military Veterans into the Cybersecurity workforce and is an Ambassador with Soldier On. He sits on USQ’s Cybersecurity Committee and works with students of the Masters in Cybersecurity. Neil has a rich security and emergency management service record in the Australian Army, Victoria Police Force, Crimtrac Federal Law Enforcement Agency, Victoria Bushfire Royal Commission and CIO of the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission. Neil has led cybersecurity operational technology with a global energy company and Queensland Rails $100M cybersecurity contract. He is currently providing GRC consultancy to the Australian Taxation Office while helping to shape the future of cybersecurity leadership with university students and military veterans.

18) Clement Arul, CEO, Cybertronium

A seasoned Security Professional with 23 years of IT experience in Ethical Hacking, SOC, Threat Intelligence, Cyber Security Framework, Security Risk & Governance, Systems Analysis, Secure Coding, Digital Forensics and Project Management, Clement Arul is the founder and CEO of Cybertronium Sdn. Bhd. – a Malaysian based cybersecurity product, services and training company. He is also a Security Consultant for many mult-national and leading IT companies in the APAC region, a frequent speaker at security events and a recipient of several national and international cyber security awards.

19) Daniel Dresner, Professor of Cyber Security, University of Manchester

Danny Dresner is the University of Manchester’s first Professor of Cyber Security and takes a diverse, community-based approach to the challenge. Danny co-pioneered innovative approaches to quality and security at The National Computing Centre including Toward Software Excellence, IT Department Accreditation, and the IASME benchmark. More recently, he’s worked on the cross-generational ‘Save the World (Wide Web)’ to help people learn how to cope with the risk of online harms. Daniel also furthers the opportunities cyber security offers SMEs as part of the four-university Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry, as well as reviving The Ratio Club (a thought leadership group for cybernetics where Alan Turing participated). Danny delivers modules on risk and cyber defence to cohorts from India and the Western Balkans at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom for the Chevening Programme. Danny contributes to books, conferences, and appears on the BBC explaining cyber risks to the wider community.

20) Amanda Finch, CEO, Chartered Institute of Information Security

Amanda Finch is the CEO of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) and has specialised in Information Security management since 1991. She has always been an active contributor to the industry and for many years she has been dedicated to gaining recognition for the discipline to be recognised as a profession. Over her career she has been engaged in all aspects of Information Security Management and takes a pragmatic approach to the application of security controls to meet business objectives. Through her work she has developed an extensive understanding of the commercial sector and its particular security needs. In her current role she works with Industry, Government and Academia, assisting all sectors in raising levels of competency and education. Amanda has a Masters degree in Information Security, Full Membership CIISec and is a Fellow of the BCS. In 2007 she was awarded European Chief Information Security Officer of the year by Secure Computing magazine and is frequently listed as one of the most influential women within the industry.

Security: Manufacturers/Vendors/Integrators/Installers

1) Andrew Lanning, Co-founder, Integrated Security Technologies

In 1994, after serving the US Navy, Andrew Lanning joined the electronic security industry and in 1998 co-founded Integrated Security Technologies with his wife Christine in Honolulu Hawaii. Nationally, Andrew serves on cybersecurity committees for the PSA Security Network and the Security Industry Association. He also serves on the SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) scholarship committee. In 2019 Andrew was honored to receive the Paul Marcus Award for industry leadership, the Jay Hauhn Award for industry partnership, and in 2020 he received the Progress Award for spearheading the SIA WISF scholarship program. Locally, Andrew serves the FBI’s InfraGard Hawaii Members Alliance BoD and as treasurer for the National Defense Industry Association Hawaii. He is a graduate of the Honolulu FBI Citizens Academy, an active member of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, and the host of Security Matters, a weekly, community-based security webcast.

2) Pierre Trapanese, CEO, Northland Controls

Pierre Trapanese is the 2020-2021 Chair of the Security Industry Association (SIA) Board of Directors. He has been the CEO of Northland Controls since late 2005, transforming a team of 10 people to more than 250, as “Northland has become the go-to integrator and advisor for the toughest challenges in the industry”. Mr. Trapanese has more than 30 years of experience in complex security solutions whether applied to the real world of construction or to the virtual world of the cloud. He embarked on his career as a project engineer for JCI, progressed to a project manager at JWP, went back to school, and was a struggling entrepreneur for 12 years prior to Northland. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

3) Kasia Hanson, Edge/AI Sales Director – Video & Safe Cities and Venues, Intel

Kasia Hanson, a 21-year veteran of Intel Corporation, is the Director of Global Partner and End User Video Sales for the Internet of Things (IoT) Sales Group. She is responsible for developing ecosystem partnerships, go-to-market and sales acceleration strategies to drive global revenue growth and adoption of computer vision and deep learning technologies in physical security and public safety. Kasia works with original equipment manufacturers (OEM), software analytics and integrator communities to enable the adoption of edge capabilities using artificial intelligence (AI) across multiple vertical industries, including smart cities and sports venues. She is recognised for her deep technology expertise across IoT, AI, computer vision, cybersecurity, datacenter, and storage. Kasia is also the Chair of the Security Industry Association Women in Security Forum and a Distinguished Fellow for the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX).

4) Rishi Lodhia, Managing Director EMEA, Eagle Eye Networks

Two decades ago, when the security industry was barely shifting from analogue to IP, Rishi already invented, together with his business partner Tijmen Vos, cloud video surveillance by launching the world’s first cloud-based platform – Cameramanager.com. A platform that universally serviced all different IP camera brands on a self-developed cloud. Rishi remains two product life cycles ahead in the security industry, by seizing every possibility to build a connected world, thereby never limited by existing technology boundaries. After selling Cameramanager to Panasonic in 2013, Rishi took the role of CEO of Panasonic’s Cloud Services Division and co-created the world’s first plug & play 4G monitoring camera: Nubo. Not finished with his mission to disrupt the security industry, Rishi acquired Cameramanager back from Panasonic and joined forces with Dean Drako’s Eagle Eye Networks, to continue his ambition of converging the entire video surveillance industry to the cloud.

Read our interview with Rishi Lodhia, here. 

5) Steve Van Till, CEO, Brivo

Steve Van Till is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Brivo, a worldwide provider of cloud-based access control and security solutions for commercial properties. He previously served in a variety of senior management roles in high technology companies spanning web development, healthcare, and satellite communications. Steve is the author of The Five Technological Forces Disrupting Security, winner of the ASIS International 2017 Book of the Year Award. He currently serves as Chairman of the Standards Committee for the Security Industry Association (SIA), and served multiple terms on the SIA Board of Directors, which recently awarded him the 2019 Lippert Memorial Award. He holds numerous patents in the field of physical security, and was previously Director of Internet Consulting for Publicis Sapient, where he led strategy engagements for clients ranging from venture startups to the Fortune 500.

6) Amit Samani, Vice President, Americas & UK, Dedrone

Mr. Samani has over 20 years of experience in the security technology industry and currently leads Dedrone’s Americas & UK go-to-market teams with the sole aim of protecting people, property and information from the persistent and escalating threat from drones. He regularly contributes thought leadership content to enable security professionals to address this emerging threat including articles in SDM Magazine, IFSEC Global, and International Security Journal, as well as a chapter in the NATO book: A Comprehensive Approach to Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems. He is also a regular speaker, most recently at events sponsored by GSX, IFSEC and PSA TEC, and even a segment on BBC News regarding drone disruption.

7) Andreas Pettersson, CEO, Arcules

As Arcules CEO, Andreas Pettersson leads the Arcules team in boldly creating the cloud-based video-as-a-service category for enterprise companies. Prior to becoming CEO, Andreas was chief technology officer from the formation of the company in 2017. Pettersson is an executive leader with more than 10 years of international business development, engineering, and product management leadership experience.

8) Rachelle Loyear, VP, Innovation and Product Management, G4S

As Vice President of Innovation and Integrated Security Solutions at G4S Americas, Rachelle Loyear leads the G4S Enterprise Security Risk Management approach and the G4S Innovation function. Both programmes are dedicated to driving G4S’s mission of developing and deploying connected products and services in seamlessly integrated programs to help customers better manage their security risk profile. Rachelle has spent over a decade managing programmes in corporate security organisations. Focusing strongly on security risk management, she has been responsible for ensuring enterprise resilience in the face of many different types of risks, both physical and cyber. In 2016 she co-authored The Manager’s Guide to Enterprise Security Risk Management: Essentials of Risk-Based Security, in 2017, she released the book The Manager’s Guide to Simple, Strategic, Service-Oriented Business Continuity, and is a co-author of the 2018 book, Enterprise Security Risk Management: Concepts and Applications. Rachelle serves on the Cybersecurity Advisory board for SIA, and the ESRM, Crisis Management, and IT Security Steering Committees for ASIS International.

9) Sherry Vaswani, Group CEO, Xalient

Sherry Vaswani is a proven leader, innovator and entrepreneur in global technology services. She is Founder and CEO at Xalient, a global consulting and managed services company, established six years ago to help large enterprises take advantage of the enormous business benefits that new software-defined networking and increasingly vital cybersecurity technologies can deliver. Prior to Xalient, Sherry founded the Worldstone Group, a high growth global IT and telecoms services company, later acquired by a major European global telecoms operator. She has also worked in independent consulting roles in the US and UK, advising executives and their teams on business-led technology strategies. Sherry is a strong advocate for women in technology, encourages workforce diversity and champions  a culture of innovation and collaboration across her company. Xalient was named by Dun & Bradstreet in Spring 2021 as #6 fastest growing tech company headquartered in the UK. The company has offices across Europe and the US and delivers services to over 100 countries.

10) Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Managing Director, CriticalArc

Darren Chalmers-Stevens is a senior executive with proven success in business development, sales and partner management to accelerate growth for technology companies. As Managing Director, Darren is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of sales, operations, support and strategic partnerships in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. Darren joined CriticalArc in 2013 to lead its international expansion. Before joining, Darren served as Vice President, EMEA for VidSys. During his 20+ years in the security industry, he held senior leadership positions at IBM and CNL Software, and was the Technology Development Lead for ADT Fire & Security.

Security: One to Watch

Elizabeth Wuraola Kolade, Analyst, Defence Space Administration, Nigeria

Elizabeth Wuraola Kolade is a Cyber Security Analyst with the Defence Space Administration, Nigeria. She has expertise in Incident Handling and Response, Open-source Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy and has been involved in the strategy, creation and implementation of security measures and the delivery of cyber security awareness across critical organisations. She has embarked on numerous campaigns to promote end-user security education in and outside Nigeria. Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and has been a part of several multi-stakeholder engagements on Cyber Security within and beyond Africa. In 2020, Elizabeth was listed as one of the Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity in Africa. She is a long-serving member of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) and remains an avid advocate for the education of women in technology.

Read IFSEC Global’s exclusive interview with Elizabeth Kolade, here! 

Confidence Staveley, Executive Director, Cybersafe Foundation

Confidence Staveley is a Cybersecurity Professional with a strong sense of purpose that revolves around helping people (especially the most vulnerable) and organisations securely leverage technology. This passion drove her to establish Cybersafe Foundation, a Non-Governmental organisation facilitating pockets of human capacity and behavioural changes that ensure a safer internet for everyone with digital access in Africa. Confidence is working on several initiatives, including; CyberGirls (a 1-year fellowship program that’s equipping girls living in underserved communities with globally sought-after cybersecurity skills), #NoGoFallMaga (combating digital fraud perpetrated through social engineering by delivering relatable cybersecurity awareness), ShineYourEye (educating senior citizens on basic cyber hygiene best practices) and Cybersmart Child (leveraging storytelling and fun activities to teach children about online safety). Confidence has achieved numerous professional certifications and industry recognitions, authored Africa’s first storified cybersecurity awareness book and has led cybersecurity upskilling and awareness projects in partnership with the UK Government in Nigeria.

Erin Cathleen Mann, Marketing & CX Manager, Multifamily, Allegion

Erin is the CX and Marketing Manager for Allegion Canada’s multifamily business. Originally based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Erin has been with Allegion in a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities since 2016. In November 2019, Erin moved to Toronto to work for Allegion Canada, with a focus on the multifamily market. Erin has a passion for people and is an active member of Allegion’s various Committee Resource groups. In 2018, Erin was awarded the SIA RISE Scholarship and in 2020, she was awarded the SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship. Most recently, Erin was named Chair of the Security Industry Association (SIA)’s RISE Committee for young professionals. Also in 2021, Erin was named to the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST).

Polly Gitau, Advisory Associate, KPMG East Africa

Polly Gitau is a young and committed individual, passionate about making the digital landscape more trustworthy and secure. Over the years, she has been making great strides in the realm of cybersecurity. In March 2021, she represented the WiCyS (Women in Cybersecurity) East Africa affiliate, as a panellist during the WiCyS Around the World event. In 2020, Polly was a finalist in the Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity Africa, aimed at recognising women for their significant contributions in the industry. In 2019, she contributed towards the development of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Guidelines on Cybersecurity for Payment Service Providers. She has also participated in writing of key reports such as the annual cybersecurity landscape reports by Serianu. Currently, she is an associate at KPMG Advisory Services Limited Kenya, specialising in helping organisations to understand their current cyber resilience posture and their compliance levels to cybersecurity and data privacy regulations.

Ankita Dhakar, Managing Director, Security Lit

Even though Ankita doesn’t have a formal background or degree in digital security, she learnt about the field from her previous work experiences. Once she learnt about cyber security incidents and the very real threats businesses face in the digital era, she knew she had to help. With two Bachelor’s degrees – one in commerce and the other in business administration and management – Ankita’s professional roles up until this time were centred around business operations and customer service. Now 28, Ankita is helping start-ups and SMEs in NZ and across the globe with security audits and penetration testing services, having teams in Hungary, India and New Zealand. She is also actively promoting cybersecurity awareness in the community and is also trying to get more women in IT security. Her focus for the next growth phase is to reshape the way people think about cyber security in NZ, to keep educating businesses and individuals about cyber security threats and how to protect themselves, and to provide practical ways for implementing a new status quo.

Richard Assanga Otolo, IT Security Manager, iLab Africa Research Center – Strathmore University

Richard Otolo is a cybersecurity professional currently leading the cybersecurity research group at @iLabAfrica Research Centre based at Strathmore University, Kenya. In his tenure, he has been involved in the running of multiple cybersecurity training programmes for companies and students. He has led the security assessment of the systems organisations in health and finance. In his career, he has been involved in work on projects across East Africa deploying security solutions for financial institutions. Richard holds several cybersecurity certifications such EC Council certified network defender, Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator, Certified EC-Council Instructor v2, Penetration Testing: Advanced Tunnelling and Exfiltration, Securing the IoT: Designing and Testing and Palo Alto Network Security Academy Certified Instructor.

Alexandra Mercz, Information Security Chief of Staff, Gojek

Alexandra Mercz is one of the key diversity advocates in the Singapore Cyber Security community. She supports female talent in cyber security and technology through her mentorship programme with the (ISC)2 Singapore Chapter, and as a mentoring programme lead at TechLadies. With more than 45% of her mentors and mentees being female, her mentorship programmes far outpace the industry average. Alexandra’s current role as the Information Security Chief of Staff at Gojek and previous experience as Global Director of Cyber Security at Standard Chartered Bank allowed her to gain cyber security expertise supported by business insights. Alexandra is deeply passionate about technology, especially cloud security, which is why she is only the third woman in Singapore to hold the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer certification.

Calister Apollonary, Cyber Security, CYBERDADA-TZ

Calister Apollonary Simba is an IT and Cyber Security Specialist and Awareness Champion in Tanzania. She founded CYBERDADA_TZ, which is an initiative focusing on upskilling and fostering young girls who have passion and interest in schools/colleges/universities in technology and Cybersecurity through mentoring sessions, girls’ meetups, webinars, TV and radio programmes as well as networking groups (whatsapp groups). She is also Co-Founder of Cyberjamii Organization which intends to reduce cybercrimes through the promotion of cyber security awareness and support secure ICT innovations. She works day and night to promote safe online space for girls/women in Tanzania so that they wouldn’t miss out the benefits that online space is providing. In recognition of these efforts, she was selected as one among 100 Tanzania Sheroes in 2020. She is a lady who is using her platform to advocate gender equality in technology and Cybersecurity fields. Currently, Calister is working as Information Systems Security Engineer at Central Bank of Tanzania (BOT) where she proceeds to inspire other young women in Tanzania.

Kehkashan Dadwani, Strategic Business Partner at Facebook, Control Risks

Known as the ‘Resilience Rockstar’ amongst her peers, Kehkashan Dadwani is passionate about increasing awareness on the importance of mental health resilience, especially in the security industry, and leading with heart and a growth mindset. Kehkashan entered the security industry in 2016 and spent most of her career in the Communications industry. She has been able to combine experiences from both industries and now leads Global Security Strategic Partnerships at Facebook. Kehkashan can be found discussing the importance of kindness and resilience on two podcasts she co-hosts, #TheRealKindnessGames and Let’s Get Real, and other talks led by industry influencers. She is an alumni of #TheKindnessGames and a member of Getting Security Done. Her education includes a Master in International Affairs from the Bush School at Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the University of Houston.

Anthony Green, Security Engineer, Chartered Professionals Accountants of BC

Anthony Green is currently leading the security programme as the Security Operations and Compliance Manager at Chartered Professional Accountants of British Colombia. Prior to joining CPABC, Anthony led PCI compliance as a Security Analyst for one of Western Canada`s largest retailers – London Drugs. Additionally, Anthony has been elected to serve as the Vice President for the ISACA Vancouver Chapter after serving as Director of Communications last year. Lastly, Anthony is a co-founder of Tracer Digital, a Vancouver-based firm that aids small businesses in securing and marketing their online presence.  Anthony is very enthusiastic about giving back to the local Information Security community through mentoring young graduates and teaching local small businesses the fundamentals of cybersecurity that they would otherwise not have been exposed to. Anthony curates cybersecurity resources to the general public through the CPA BCs newsroom with content such as cybersecurity articles and monthly podcasts with local security leaders. “

Fire Safety Influencers

1) Roy Wilsher, Retiring Chair of National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC)

Roy Wilsher OBE began his career in the Fire Service in 1981 in North London. In 1996 Roy achieved a 1st Class B.Eng(Hons) Fire Safety Engineering, becoming a Chartered Engineer in 2000. Roy was project lead for the restructure of London Fire Brigade in 2001 and became Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety in London in 2002. In 2004 Roy joined Hertfordshire as Deputy Chief Fire Officer and was appointed Chief Fire Officer in 2005. From April 2013 to March 2017 Roy was also Chief Executive for Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Roy then became the first Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council in 2017 until March 2021, representing the NFCC in national and international forums, providing support to officers and services and providing professional advice to the Fire Service Management Committee, Home Office and devolved administrations. He now advises the Home Office on Fire & Rescue Service reform. Other major roles and achievements include being the strategic lead for the UK response for the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011; Director of Operations for CFOA; attending major incidents such as fire bomb attacks on Oxford Street, the Putney gas explosion and Operational Commander for the Paddington rail crash. He was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in 2013 and an OBE in 2007.

2) Niall Rowan, Technical & Regulatory Affairs Officer, ASFP

Niall has worked in fire since 1979 managing Warringtonfire’s testing laboratories in the early 2000s. During this time, he drafted the first twelve European fire resistance standards for CEN and was President of EGOLF, the European organisation of fire laboratories. In 2009 Niall became the ASFP’s Technical Officer, responsible for the ASFP colour Books and technical input into the many bodies that the ASFP interfaces with. Niall became CEO of ASFP in 2017 providing leadership and strategic direction for the ASFP. He has recently stood down and is now ASFP’s Technical & Regulatory Affairs Officer. He currently spends his time dealing with the legislation and other initiative arising from the Grenfell Fire.

Ian Moore (2)

3) Ian Moore, CEO, Fire Industry Association (FIA)

Ian is the CEO of the Fire Industry Association in the UK, having joined in September 2015. Prior to this, Ian was the Managing Director of several companies operating in the fire and security industry – the most recent being Elmdene International and as a Vice President of Potter Signal. Recently Chairman of the BSIA Export Council and member of the BSIA Operating Board, as well as member of several fire and security committees, he has a wealth of experience to bring. Having lived in Oman, Taiwan and UAE, Ian also brings strong international experience to support any export activities of the FIA and its members.

4) Andy Frankum, Chair, National Social Housing Fire Strategy Group

Andrew Frankum is a highly experienced health and safety professional with over 20 years’ experience in the logistics and charitable social housing sectors. Andy chairs the National Social Housing Fire Strategy Group which provides a membership network across the social housing sector, working collaboratively with stakeholders to improve and influence national fire safety policy. Andy is a member of the HSE’s Interim Industry Competence Committee which was recently formed to drive the competence agenda across industry. Andy is also the primary architect of the WG8 competence framework, designed to deliver competent building safety managers. Andy’s focus is on driving and influencing policy which provides a framework to encourage others to deliver safer practices across the construction, fire safety and social housing sectors.

5) Anthony Taylor, Chair, Hackett Working Group 8

Anthony Taylor is a professional Governance, Risk & Compliance consultant. He has worked at senior level in various organisations including civil engineers, an insurance broker, a global tour operator, a public sector local authority and national and international real estate companies. Anthony is an Honorary Member of RICS, a Chartered Member of IOSH, a member of the Business Continuity Institute, IIRSM and holds PIEMA; He is currently the proprietor of Resolve Risk Ltd offering specialist risk management consultancy. He has, since June 2018, served as Chair for Working Group 8 (Building Safety Manager) in relation to industry’s (Competence Steering Group) response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Report into the failings at Grenfell. Anthony is currently the Interim Chair of the Building Safety Alliance, a body created to implement the recommendations made by WG8 and work with the built environment sector, the Regulator and government to improve residential building safety. He is also a member of the BSI Committee for the Competence in the Built Environment, and on the BSI’s Steering Groups developing PAS for the BSM, PD and PC. Additionally, he Chairs several committees on a pro bono basis, always seeking to achieve co-operation and co-ordination across the sector.

6) Jonathan Evans, CEO, Ash & Lacey

As CEO of Ash & Lacy, most recently Jonathan has used his influence and expertise to deliver technical talks and presentations to local authorities and warranty providers to inform on the topic of fire safety and regulatory compliance. He has led mindset change throughout Ash & Lacy, driving the development of innovative new non-combustible cladding systems and achieving growth of these safer cladding systems not only in the UK, but internationally. Jonathan has also pledged to support tenants burdened with the cost of replacing unsafe cladding by foregoing profit associated with replacement products sourced through his business. He has urged the industry as a whole to follow suit. In 2017, he was selected as an industry expert representative for the advisory panel responsible for overseeing and reviewing the Government-directed DCLG testing programme, while was also part of the BS 8414 committee setup to review the standards of testing, and contributed to the BRE ‘Non-ACM’ working group. In the wider community, Jonathan has devoted a lot of time to sharing his knowledge and expertise, helping those affected by the consequences of unsafe cladding by explaining technical issues and advising residents.

7) Stephen Mackenzie, Fire Safety Engineer & Consultant

Stephen is an innovative consultant with demonstrated multi-disciplinary skills in complex property portfolios, coupled with long standing academic work as an international subject expert in fire risk assessment and fire safety management. With established global networks and sector leadership accrued during a career spanning 35 years, Stephen is a progressive practitioner with extensive knowledge across a spectrum of built environment and engineering disciplines. Beyond formal assignments Stephen has spent the past four years, predominantly providing pro bono contribution to post-Grenfell understanding, giving advice to residents and a spectrum of stakeholders. Stephen is a long-standing diversity & inclusion champion, open about his dyslexia to encourage everyone to embrace the unique abilities many dyslexics retain. Over the years Stephen has quietly sponsored a raft of young professional awards within the built environment, fire safety and emergency services sectors. As a frequent news commentator on a wide range of fire and explosion incidents, with over 500 news comments, Stephen is now an established fire safety campaigner and exploring a new chapter to an already comprehensive career.

8) Nick Coombe, Building Safety Lead, NFCC

Nick’s 39 years’ service for the London Fire Brigade has spanned many roles including Head of Fire Safety Training, Enforcement Manager and Head of Fire Safety Policy. He has helped write DCLG guides and as the Chair of CFOA Enforcement working group helped produce policies and guidance on the RRO to Fire & Rescue Services. He is currently NFCC Protection vice chair and Deputy Head of the Protection, Policy and reform Unit which leads the Building Safety Programme. He is a member of the Joint Regulators Group and the newly formed Protection Board, and is also a member of the Industry Safety Steering Group led by Dame Judith Hackitt to hold industry to account on the progress of post Grenfell change. He was a founder member of the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council and is also the Chair of IFE Fire Risk Assessment Register. He sits on various BS Committees. In the 2019 New Year’s Honours lists he was awarded an MBE for services to fire safety.

Will Lloyd head shot.jpg

9) Will Lloyd, Technical Manager, Fire Industry Association (FIA)

Will Lloyd joined the Technical Team of the FIA in December 2015 as one of the associations technical experts and as secretariat to the FIA Fire Engineering Council & Fire Risk Assessment Council. Recently appointed Chair of the British Standards Committee FSH/12, he has previously worked for the Fire and Security Association and represented them on numerous British Standards committees. Will was the scheme manager for the BAFE SP203 & BAFE SP205 certification schemes operated by the ECA certification company. Prior to joining the FIA he worked for two years at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as Product Development Manager for the Electronic Security Team.

10) Dame Judith Hackitt, Chair, Make UK

Dame Judith Hackitt is a chemical engineer and is currently Chair of Make UK. She is also Chair of Enginuity, the UK skills body for Engineering and Manufacturing  formerly known as Semta and senior non-executive director of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, an organisation which exists to support and encourage innovation in Advanced Manufacturing. Dame Judith worked in the chemicals manufacturing industry for 23 years, and became Chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in October 2007, until March 2016. She was made a Dame in the 2015-16 New Year Honours for services to health and safety and engineering – in particular for being a role model for young women. Following the tragic fire which occurred at Grenfell Tower in London in June 2017, Dame Judith conducted an independent review into Building Regulations and Fire Safety related to high rise buildings for the Government. She began her review in July 2017 and plans to implement her recommendations in full were announced in the Queen’s speech in October 2019. She now works as an adviser to Government  chairing the Industry Safety Steering Group holding industry to account to deliver the culture change needed and the Transition Board which is overseeing the setting up of the new Building Safety Regulator.

Fire Safety: One to Watch (New for 2021!)

Lucy Witts, Associate Director of Fire Consultancy, Frankham Risk Management Services

Lucy is a recognised thought leader within the fire safety sector and has been actively involved in supporting clients with implementing the recommendations following the ‘Building a Safer Future Report’ and providing regular updates on the Fire Safety Act and Building Safety Bill. Lucy started her career as a Technical Fire Safety Inspector for Kent Fire and Rescue Service and has a first-class Master’s degree in Risk Analysis from King’s College London, focusing on the limitations in the enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

After leaving the fire service she has established herself as an experienced leader within fire risk management. Lucy currently leads the fire consultancy team on behalf of Frankham RMS. Lucy is passionate about fire safety and regularly acts as a guest speaker when presenting to like-minded individuals within the sector. Lucy is keen to improve the competency standards within the industry and has recently set up a Graduate scheme within Frankham RMS.

Security Judges for 2021

Below are the list of judges for the IFSEC Global Influencers in Security and Fire 2021 Awards. Once more, we’d like to thank all the judges for offering their time, commitment and expertise to the process – the awards would not be possible without their support. Find out more about each judge, here.

Head Judge: Grant Lecky

  • Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola
  • Professor Alison Wakefield
  • Andrea Chittaro
  • Ardi Sutedja
  • Brett Lovegrove
  • Brian Harrell
  • Cathy L. Lanier
  • Dr Dimitra Georgiou
  • Don Erickson
  • Jacqui Loustau
  • Liz Chamberlin
  • Lynn Dohm
  • Macarena Rau Vargas
  • May Brooks
  • Merlin Guilbeau
  • Mike Allen
  • Nicholas Dynon
  • Pascal Steichen
  • Patrick Straw
  • Dr Ream F. Al-Shammari
  • Tatiana Diniz
  • Venisha Nayagar
  • Christine Lanning

Fire Judges

  • Simon Ince
  • Russ Timpson
  • Robert Thilthrope

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