SC Awards Meet the Judges 2025

Alissa “Dr. Jay” Abdullah is Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer. In this role she leads the Emerging Corporate Security Solutions team and is responsible for protecting Mastercard’s information assets as well as driving the future of security.

Dr. Jay joined Mastercard in 2019 after serving as the chief information security officer of Xerox where she established and led a corporate-wide information risk management program. She also served as the deputy chief information officer of the White House where she helped modernize the Executive Office of the President’s IT systems with cloud services and virtualization.

She currently hosts Cybercrime Magazine’s Mastering Cyber podcast and is a cybersecurity lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Information. Dr. Jay is also a former member of Smartsheet’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Jay holds a PhD in Information Technology Management from Capella University, a master’s degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networks from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Savannah State University.

With over 15 years of cybersecurity leadership experience, Roota excels in building and leading security programs that protect businesses and enable innovation. Her expertise spans security engineering, cyber defense, risk management, governance, and compliance across multiple sectors.

As the Global CISO at Kyowa Kirin, Roota leads the company’s global cybersecurity strategy, aligning security initiatives with business goals and driving innovation. She has a proven track record of fostering a culture of resilience and strategic execution.

Passionate about advancing diversity in cybersecurity leadership, Roota actively mentors emerging leaders, serves on advisory boards, and lectures at Columbia University. Security, to Roota, is about trust, resilience, and driving business success.

With a career spanning Fortune 25 enterprises and mid-cap organizations, I am a seasoned technology executive passionate about leading transformative initiatives that drive measurable business outcomes. My expertise lies in leveraging innovative technologies—cloud computing, AI, and enterprise architecture—to align IT strategy with organizational objectives, delivering exceptional ROI, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Miki Calero has been named one of the Most Influential People in Security by Security Magazine, and a Top 100 City Innovator Worldwide by United Business Media (UBM) Future Cities, for advancing enterprise risk management through unified physical and cybersecurity. As Chief Security Officer, he established an Enterprise Security Risk Management program that received CSO Magazine’s CSO40 award for groundbreaking business value and innovative application of risk and security concepts at the 15th largest city in the US, Columbus, Ohio. Miki’s career spans the private and public sectors, including startup companies, Fortune 500 enterprises, and federal, state, and local government. His responsibilities have included protection of information systems, physical assets, and critical infrastructure in strategic, tactical, and operational capacities. He consults and advises on security strategies for comprehensive asset protection, and promotes enterprise security and public private partnerships as keynote speaker at national and international events, and writer in various media outlets.

With over 30 years in the information technology and cybersecurity fields in commercial and government arenas, Ed was most recently both the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and the Head of Cyber Risk Engineering at Bowhead Specialty Underwriters (BSU), a provider of cyber risk insurance. In addition to his professional work, Ed is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Information Systems at California State University – Los Angeles (CSULA) as well as a published author and regular speaker at cybersecurity events and forums. He is also on the President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles ISC2 chapter and an active member of other cyber-focused organizations in southern California. Finally, he is a veteran of the US Navy. He holds a Masters degree in Information Technology Management, specializing in organizational leadership and change management from Colorado State University. He received his undergraduate degree in cybersecurity from the University of Maryland. He holds a number of industry certifications including the CISSP and ISSAP from ISC2 the, CISM and CRISC from ISACA, the Qualified Technology Executive (QTE) from the Digital Directors Network, among others.

Adam Ennamli serves as Chief Risk, Compliance & Security Officer at General Bank of Canada, where he leads enterprise-wide risk programs. Drawing on 15 years of leadership experience across global financial and technology institutions including Morgan Stanley, Thomson Reuters, and National Bank of Canada, he specializes in transforming risk management and compliance frameworks. A recognized expert in enterprise trust, Adam has pioneered innovative approaches to cybersecurity, sustainability, and regulatory compliance that directly impact strategic growth. His MBA from HEC Montreal underpins his integrated approach to risk management, security, and operational resilience. Under his leadership, organizations have consistently achieved industry-leading risk management capabilities and compliance standards. Adam contributes actively to industry dialogue as a member of the Forbes Technology Council and the Virtual Advisory Board, providing thought leadership on emerging risk management challenges and technology governance.

CEO and Co-Founder of Island. Prior to that Mike lead large cyber security companies like Symantec, Blue Coat and McAfee. Additional he is one of the founders of Picture Capital a seed investment focus fund.

Todd is a Senior Manager in EY’s Cybersecurity Consulting, specializing in Threat & Vulnerability Management, Purple Teaming, and technology controls. He is based in New York and has 19 years of cybersecurity technical product and program management experience delivering cyber solutions and developing thought leadership across multiple verticals, with focus on threat detection, threat exposure management, response/remediation, and protection.

Dheeraj Gurugubelli is a director in EY’s Strategy & Transactions Group. He is a cybersecurity and M&A professional, focusing predominantly within financial services, life sciences, health care and retail industries. He advises both private equity and corporates on cybersecurity strategy, risk and transformation across the capital agenda. He has led cybersecurity diligence and/or security program transformation efforts in over 250 M&A deals across multiple industries globally.

Internationally known cybersecurity thought leader and pioneer with demonstrated success in delivering world-class global security programs for Fortune 100 companies. Drive innovative cybersecurity organizations to new levels of growth while optimizing operational expenses, improving enterprise processes, strengthening relationships, and building high-performing teams. Creator of industry best practices proven to stay ahead of cybersecurity risks.

Dr. Harris has a doctorate in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity and 33+ years (since 1991) of network and security experience. Dr. Harris is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and has spent 12 years in academia teaching Computer Security at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Harris is a founding member of the Retail Cyber Information Sharing Center. He currently serves on the Cyber Security Scholarship Review Board for ISC2 and is an active member of FBI InfraGard. He is the past President of the ISC2 Chapter in Greensboro, NC, and is a former member of the National Security Council for the US Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Harris is a security evangelist, author, and international speaker. He has spoken academically and professionally for more than 30+ years (since 1994).

Dr. Hartman performs research on manipulating AI decisions and has presented it at DARPA technical exchanges. He specializes in organizational change and process improvement. His work experience includes start-ups, large system integrators, and defense contractors. Previously, he has served on cyber security engineering advisory boards for multiple companies including CA and McAfee. As part of supporting the research community, Dr. Hartman has presented at multiple national and international conferences. As an Army Reservist has served most recently as the Chief Technology Officer for Army Forces Command. Previously he served on the ARCYBER staff as the Director, Cyber Defense Operations Division/G36. In this role he led multiple teams including the Unified Network Operations (UNO), Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO), Forensics and Malware Analysis (FMA), and Cyber Risk Assessment (CRA). Previously he commanded the 359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade (TTSB), composed of 1,600 personnel operating on four continents. During his tenure as the 3/80th Signal Training Battalion the unit received the highest rating for a training organization in the Army. Additional roles include multiple positions in the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).

Dr. John D. Johnson is CEO/Founder of Aligned Security, providing vCISO advisory services and working with tech startups. John started his career as a physicist and security manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has served in executive security roles for John Deere, Campbell Soup Co., Deloitte and with startups. John founded Docent Institute, a nonprofit focused on technology and cybersecurity education, outreach and inclusion. John is an educator, volunteer and serves on several industry boards. John’s focus areas are cybersecurity and advancing technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, IoT, OT, blockchain, and quantum computing.

Corey is a highly accomplished and strategic leader with extensive experience and demonstrated success in managing a broad range of risk oversight activities, including risk identification, control design and evaluation, and completion of risk and control self-assessments. He possesses specialist expertise in network security architecture, network access and monitoring, data governance and monitoring, identity and access management, and employee education and awareness. Corey is highly experienced in developing and building comprehensive information security programs to proactively ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, safety, and privacy of the organization’s intellectual property and information technology assets. Currently leading the charge in strengthening Valvoline’s security posture. In this role, he provides executive leadership across key areas, including Security Operations, Engineering and Architecture, Identity Management, GRC, and Enterprise Security Architecture. Managing a large budget, he drives resource management, tool implementations, and strategic investments that support long-term security objectives.

Ashutosh has held several CISO and Risk Executive leadership roles in large Australian businesses and Government entities, over the last 30 years. He is a credentialed and experienced senior executive advising organisations in the areas of digital trust, cyber security, governance, compliance and technology risk management. He has extensive experience in representing Risk, GRC, security & audit matters at Board level and providing cyber security advisory to business leaders. He is currently the Managing Director and CEO of Falcon Labs which provides advisory services to organisations across Australia and APAC geography. He has been a Board member and Chairman of the risk committee for Australia’s largest Aged Care provider as well as a board member of ISACA Melbourne chapter. Ashutosh is an accredited international trainer for the courses leading to CISM, CISA and CRISC certifications. He is also the founder of L3 – Life and Leadership Learning, which provides leadership and life skills training to Graduate students at universities in India and Australia.

A people-centric leader, fascinated with real estate technology and its powerful role throughout industries, business organizations, and everyday lives. 25 years of MLS management experience, award-winning software architect, customer service activist, data science practitioner, an accomplished musician (in his own mind), baseball enthusiast, and father of two (the most challenging task of all!). CIO at Metro MLS (Milwaukee, WI) – senior executive carrying the company vision on technology, business strategy, outreach, and governance goals. -Chair for the Real Estate Data Organization (RESO) Internet Tracking workgroup (since 2015) -Chair for the IEEE Milwaukee section (since 2021) -United Way IT Committee Board member (2024)

Cedric Leighton is a CNN Military Analyst and a retired US Air Force Colonel. In this capacity he provides on-air commentary on military and international security issues to CNN’s US and international audiences. His analysis of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the civil war in Syria, has been an integral part of CNN’s coverage since the start of those conflicts. He is a founding partner of CYFORIX, a cyber risk and security solutions consultancy, and the Chairman of Cedric Leighton Associates, LLC, a global strategic risk consultancy. Prior to founding his strategic risk consultancy, Colonel Leighton served for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer in the US Air Force. During this period, he deployed five times to the Middle East, served at US Special Operations Command, directed specialized intelligence efforts during combat operations, witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, was a Squadron Commander and served twice at the Pentagon, first on the Air Staff and, later, on the Joint Staff, where he became the Deputy Director for Warfighter Support and Integration within the Intelligence Directorate. His last military assignment was as the Deputy Training Director for the National Security Agency, where he championed training initiatives for the nation’s cyber warriors. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, seven Meritorious Service Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. He was a Distinguished Graduate of the US Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and received the Joint Specialty Officer designation. Colonel Leighton graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies from Angelo State University.

Lera has a background is in cybersecurity where she has spent almost a decade researching integration between AI and security detection tooling, before joining a leadership role in AI. After years of experience as a pentester, she qualified as a certified ethical hacker in 2023. In addition to this, she was part of a data science team at PwC where she developed AI applications alongside data scientists and data engineers. Lera’s contributions to the field include published research papers https://github.com/l3ra/adversarial-ai, as well as open-source projects that are actively used by the community. In her role as the CEO of a successful AI startup, Leo AI, her company was recently featured on ProductHunt and G2. As a strong advocate for female initiatives through representation and opportunities, particularly through participation in Code First Girls Web Development course as an instruction and conference speaker.

Daniel Lieber is a highly experienced technology leader with a strong focus on cybersecurity. For the past 30 years, he has worked with many organizations on collaboration, communication, cybersecurity, and organizational success. He brings about the ability to quickly identify the intersections of technology and people, reducing friction from systems and enhancing value. Mr. Lieber has particular fondness for supporting organizations that help people thrive, including nonprofits, education, and healthcare. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and serves on several boards.

Gary D. Long, CISA, CISSP is an information security professional with over 25 years of combined US and global experience working in the public and private sector in information security consulting, sales, and management. Gary has served in Information Security leadership roles at Golder Associates and Cerner Corporation, and Principal at several information security consulting firms, as well as an enterprise sales team member for many major vendors including Check Point and Cisco. Gary is a Senior Member of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and a Platinum Member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Sean McElroy has built engaging financial services companies and products throughout his 25-year software engineering and cybersecurity career. At Lumin Digital, Sean is the Chief Risk and Security Officer, responsible for cybersecurity, risk management, and privacy programs to securely scale the next generation of cloud-based digital banking across global data centers. In 2009 he co-founded Alkami Technology (NASDAQ: ALKT), where he served in roles ranging from CTO to CISO to build innovative solutions. Before Alkami, at Computer Services, Inc., he led all software development teams to create patented, first-to-market SaaS solutions for online banking document delivery, remote deposit capture, check item processing, and expedited payments. Sean earned a Master of Science in Information Security Engineering from the SANS Technology Institute and holds a BBA in Management and Management Information Systems from the University of Oklahoma. He holds CISSP, CISM, GSEC, GCIH, GCIA, GDSA, GCUX, GDAT, GCCC, and GCPM certifications. In his spare time, he mentors upcoming cybersecurity and GRC professionals in Dallas, Texas.

Julian Mihai is serving as the Chief Information Security Officer at Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, a leading academic medical center based in Philadelphia, PA, where he is responsible for all aspects of the enterprise cybersecurity program across clinical, research, and education lines of business. Julian has an extensive leadership experience in enterprise cybersecurity across several industries, helping organizations transform lagging security functions into cutting-edge cybersecurity programs and positioning cybersecurity as a key enabler of the organization’s mission. He is passionate about collaboration within the healthcare security community to disrupt the status quo, advising innovative security technology companies, and being engaged in innovative co-development opportunities. Julian holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.

Dr. Kelley Misata is a visionary leader in cybersecurity strategy, open-source innovation, and nonprofit security. As Founder of Sightline Security, she empowers nonprofits to build resilient cybersecurity. As President of OISF, she advances global network security through Suricata, a premier open-source technology. A recognized expert in translating complex cybersecurity challenges into actionable solutions, Dr. Misata channels her experience as a cyberstalking survivor into advocacy for security, privacy, and open-source practices. With a Ph.D. in Cyber and Information Security from Purdue University and an MBA from Bentley University, she blends technical expertise with strategic leadership to drive meaningful change in cybersecurity.

Chahak Mittal is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Manager of Security Engineering at The Learning Care Group. Chahak is deeply committed to knowledge sharing and community engagement. She has actively contributed to the cybersecurity ecosystem through her roles as a Judge at Major League Hacking (MLH) Hackathons and a dedicated Cybersecurity Teacher in the Microsoft TEALS Program. Chahak’s active involvement in organizations such as the Cybersecurity Collaboration Forum and SecureWorld’s Detroit Advisory Council has been instrumental in her pursuit of staying at the forefront of industry trends and challenges. She has also channeled her insights into thought-provoking cybersecurity articles, published on SecureWorld.io, making a meaningful contribution to the field’s intellectual discourse. Chahak’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity is unwavering. She has actively participated in organizations like Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) and the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT), where she has championed the cause of gender diversity within the field. Her outreach efforts extend to interviews on prominent media platforms like PBS Channel and the Women in Technology podcast, where she has shared her insights to inspire young girls to consider cybersecurity as a viable and rewarding career path.

Patrick J. O’Guinn, Sr., JD, MPA, is a distinguished trial lawyer in Columbia, Maryland, with the O’Guinn Law Firm. He specializes in high net worth divorces, estates and trusts, and wrongful death accident litigation cases. As a former UMGC Cybersecurity Program Director, he brings 28 years of expertise in higher education digital forensics and cyber investigation to the SC Awards process. Additionally, O’Guinn mentors cybersecurity professionals, reviews doctoral candidate thesis projects, and is the author of experiential problem-solving books..

As the Deputy CISO and Senior Director of Information Security, Aunudrei oversees the security vision, strategy, and tech stack for Allianz Life, part of the 150K-employee Allianz SE enterprise. He partners with the internal service provider to orchestrate every facet of security—risk, governance, compliance,threat intelligence, incident response, and training—while pioneering a culture that empowers people and energizes the business.

Sakthi is a seasoned Product and Cybersecurity Leader with 19+ years of combined experience in Security Product management, Product Incident Response, Cloud Security, Data Privacy, Risk Management, Audit and Compliance. He currently leads the Product Security Incident Response at Pure Storage. Prior to Pure Storage, Sakthi has held various security leadership roles at VMware, Juniper, IBM and Deloitte. He has helped fortune 100 companies improve their overall cybersecurity posture and create product differentiation and competitive advantage through security. Sakthi currently serves as President at the San Jose Institute of Internal Auditors. He also served as Board of Director at ISACA Silicon Valley chapter from 2018-2022. He has written various security articles and publications including speaking engagements on various security topics. He holds security and privacy certifications including CISSP, CISM, CISA, CIA and CDPSE.

Marcus (Marc) Sachs is the Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer at the Center for Internet Security. He is a retired US Army Officer and was a White House appointee in the George W. Bush administration. His private sector experience includes serving as the Deputy Director of SRI International’s Computer Science laboratory, as the Vice President for National Security Policy at Verizon Communications, as the Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and as the Chief Security Officer of Pattern Computer. He most recently was the Deputy Director for Research at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.

Taha Sajid is a Principal Telco and Zero Trust Architect with over 15 years of experience in 5G, Blockchain, and AI-driven security. A global keynote speaker, he has influenced discussions on Telecom, Zero Trust, and AI Security in 10+ countries. He founded Xecurity Pulse and X-LAB, launched the first 5G Security Boot Camp, and authored Ultimate Blockchain Security Handbook. As a Microsoft MVP, IEEE speaker, and 3GPP contributor, he advises cybersecurity security firms on Zero Trust, Web3, and cybersecurity compliance.

Vandana Verma Sehgal is a prominent figure in the field of cybersecurity, known for her leadership and advocacy in promoting application and information security. She currently works as Security leader at Snyk and heavily involved with the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) community, where she has held various roles, including chapter leader and board member. Vandana is also leading InfosecGirls, an initiative aimed at encouraging women to pursue careers in information security.

John Taylor has over 25 years’ experience in technology, encompassing CIO, CTO and CISO positions in various sectors, including technology, energy, manufacturing, insurance, health and government, where he has gained extensive international experience working with top 5 FTSE and top 20 ASX organisations. John’s current role is as the Chief Technology and Integration Office for Lumia Care, an Australian health business. Throughout his career, John has delivered business impacting transformational programs, lead complex operational and development teams and provided consulting services to Boards regarding various strategic IT topics. Through his leadership, he has been able to evolve the IT capability within organisations, establishing new, innovative ways-of-working and an engaged workforce delivering value. John holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Deakin University, a Masters of Business Administration from Monash University, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors and completed executive training in data and AI at Berkeley Haas. In 2023, John was listed at number 25 in the Australian CIO50 Awards. Throughout his career, John has been a member of several global advisory Boards, is currently a strategic advisor to start-ups and a judge for the Australian Women in Security Awards.

Gregory Wilson is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Docupace Technologies. Prior to joining Docupace Technologies, Wilson served as the Chief Information Security Officer at Putnam Investments and Pioneer Natural Resources and was the Head of Information Security at 1st Global. Wilson led the IT Compliance and Security function at TPG Capital and the IT Compliance and Security group at Lehigh Hanson. Wilson serves on the Board of Director’s at Intrusion Inc. as the Chair of Nomination/Governance and is a member of Audit Committee and as an Independent Director on the Board of Pentegra Retirement Services. He also serves as an Advisor for Menlo Ventures and CNBC Technology Executive Council. Wilson graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Oklahoma. Wilson holds a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School cyber security executive program and holds the CISSP, CISM, CGEIT, CDPSE, PSM and PMP certifications as well as his Series 7 and 24. Wilson is a boardroom Qualified Technology Expert (QTE) by DDN and holds a board certification in Director Professionalism by the NACD.