SecureWorld Chicago 2026

Rodney Beard, CISSP, is a cybersecurity consultant with Cyber Risk Opportunities LLC, bringing more than 20 years of experience protecting organizations across defense, government, and financial services sectors.

Most recently, Rodney served as Information Security Officer at Rivermark Community Credit Union, a $2B institution in Oregon, where he built and led the enterprise security program for seven years. His responsibilities included penetration testing, security architecture, incident response, vendor risk management, and developing security awareness training for employees.

Prior to financial services, Rodney spent eight years as an IT Specialist with the U.S. Army at White Sands Missile Range, where he served as Information Management Officer responsible for IT security across 22 regional locations and 250 employees. He implemented security policies aligned with NIST, Federal, and DoD standards while managing a program portfolio valued at $2.5 million.

Rodney has also taught technology courses as an Adjunct Instructor at Vista College, preparing students for CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications.

He holds the CISSP certification, CompTIA Security+, Network+, and A+, along with multiple Microsoft certifications. Rodney is based in Casper, Wyoming, and works remotely with clients nationwide.

Dr. Omondi John Opala is a seasoned executive with expertise in cybersecurity, IT governance, and leading technology teams, backed by over 20 years of experience. His professional career reflects a steadfast commitment to enhancing digital security, ethical responses to complex cybersecurity challenges, and advancing the application of AI and emerging technologies globally.

Currently serving as the Vice President of IT and Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Hanes Brands Inc., Dr. Opala leads efforts to strengthen the company’s cybersecurity posture against evolving threats. Prior to this role, he was Vice President of IT and Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at McCormick, where he transformed cybersecurity risk remediation and response strategies to enhance network security globally.

In addition to his corporate achievements, Dr. Opala is deeply engaged in academia. As an adjunct professor, he has taught a variety of cybersecurity and business risk-related courses, including certified ethical hacking, information security risk management, digital forensics, and business ethics. He is currently developing program curricula focused on responsive AI usage. His dedication to education is further exemplified by his numerous publications on topics such as cloud architecture, cybersecurity risk governance, and the impact of cyber warfare on enterprise networks. His work has been featured in respected journals like the International Journal of Computer Networks and Communications and presented at IEEE conferences, among others.
Dr. Opala earned a Ph.D. in Information Technology with a specialization in Information Security Assurance & Governance from Capella University. Continuously striving for excellence, he is currently pursuing further education in Business Management at Harvard University Extension School.
Driven by a passion for innovation and knowledge, Dr. Opala focuses his research on information security, cloud computing, enterprise architecture, data analytics, big data and now AI. His exploratory analyses on the influence of information security on cloud adoption and the governance of cybersecurity risks have garnered widespread recognition.

Through his leadership, scholarship, and teaching, Dr. Omondi John Opala has become a prominent figure in the fields of cybersecurity and information technology, inspiring both industry professionals and aspiring technologists.

A cybersecurity and compliance executive with a passion for building resilient organizations through strategic risk management, governance, and security leadership. I lead enterprise security and compliance programs that protect critical assets, ensure regulatory alignment, and enable business resilience. With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, I specialize in translating complex risk landscapes into actionable strategies that drive trust and performance. My focus is on building strong security cultures, aligning governance with business goals, and mentoring the next generation of security leaders.

Head of Cybersecurity, 20+ years in InfoSec/Cyber. MBA, Masters in Cyber, CISSP, CISM.

Sarah Buerger serves as the Business Information Security Officer for The Kraft Heinz Company.

Ed is the Business Information Security Officer for Gallagher Bassett and Global Head of Third Party Risk Management for Gallagher. He is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience in information security and IT GRC. He has built cybersecurity programs with emphasis on IT risk management, vulnerability management, third party risk , and IT governance. Ed has worked primarily in financial services, retail, and health care for multiple global companies.

James (Jim) is a veteran in the information security and risk space. He previously served as partner at Ernst & Young, where he helped build the company’s cybersecurity practice during his 27-year tenure. Most recently, Jim worked as CISO and head of US operations at Panaseer. He has also held positions as CTRO at AIG, CSO and CTRO at Kaiser Permanente, and managing director at JP Morgan Chase, where he was global leader of Information Risk and Resiliency, Treasury and Security Services.

Lisa Plaggemier is Executive Director at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. She is a recognized thought leader in security awareness and education with a track record of engaging and empowering people to protect themselves, their families, and their organizations. Lisa is a University of Michigan graduate (Go Blue!) and while she wasn’t born in Austin, Texas, she got there as fast as she could.

Cliff Steinhauer is a passionate information security and privacy professional. Currently based in Seattle, he has over a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and project management. With the National Cybersecurity Alliance, Cliff works to direct community engagement through live events, educates through thought leadership, and runs the Cybersecurity program for NCA. Cliff enjoys sharing the message of securing your digital life, protecting information systems and the people that run them, and mentoring young folks to promote interest in the field.​

I am a high-performing, globally-experienced executive with extensive information security, product security, enterprise risk management and information technology leadership experiences. I believe my unique blend of leadership positions across these disciplines has given me a well-rounded and results-oriented approach.

I have demonstrated proficiency in driving transformational change through leadership vision, collaboration and execution. Recruited to Zebra Technologies as Chief Security Officer (CSO), I am providing strategic leadership for Zebra's information security, product security, business continuity, and corporate security programs across the global enterprise. Previously, as Caterpillar’s first CISO, I rallied support from numerous stakeholders, created a shared vision, and built a new program with measurable improvements. Recruited from Caterpillar to be Ecolab’s first CISO, I successfully realigned security priorities with business objectives, obtained executive support, achieved quick-wins, restructured the team and recruited talent.

My proven ability to interact and communicate well with all levels of large organizations, including executive management and the Board of Directors, is a crucial skill. A large part of any risk management position is effective, courageous and measured communications.

Key skills and attributes include: Leadership Vision | Execution | Communication | Executive presence with Board of Directors of Fortune 50-500 companies | Teamwork | Courage | 20+ years of Information Security, Cyber Security , Product Security, Information Technology, Corporate Security, and Enterprise Risk Management leadership experience | International experience

I am a global CIO and technology executive with 25 years of experience leading digital transformation across multinational organizations. I have worked in both family-owned and public companies with worldwide presence, building and leading multicultural, geographically distributed teams. Throughout my career, I have focused on creating opportunities for people while aligning technology, security, and data to business strategy. Today, as Vice President of Technology at Power Construction, I drive scalable growth and lasting technology impact.

George is a business technology leader with over 30 years’ experience in startup, mid-sized and Fortune 500 firms. As the Chief Marketing Officer at PTP, George is responsible for strategic growth, client relationships, and new business development. George was also a former CIO and COO with industry experiences in seven different verticals.

George has a BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a MS in Engineering Management from National Technological University. In addition to his work with PTP, George also serves on the board of SIM Chicago and volunteers for various non-profits, including I.C. Stars, Northeastern Illinois University Advisory Board, and Teen Innovators Board.

Rick Halm guides clients in preparing for, responding to, recovering, and learning from cybersecurity and privacy incidents. Rick's breadth of experience within the incident response landscape—from leading incident response at the cyber insurance level, to experience at one of the nation’s largest health insurers, to his time in private practice—all blend together to allow him to approach cybersecurity and privacy incidents from a unique vantage point. As a U.S. Army veteran, he blends this vantage point with an ability to bring order and calm to complex and high-stress incidents.

Al Zieba is a customer-oriented and security focus IT leader with over 20+ years of experience in IT leadership across multiple verticals. He has worked in Financial Services, Software Development, Manufacturing and most recently the Retail Food sector. He grew up in Chicago, and is a DePaul "Double Demon" holding both a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and a Masters Of Science in Telecommunications from DePaul University.

Shefali is a seasoned professional with expertise in information security, privacy, higher education, HIPAA, research, healthcare policy and strategy, promoting Interoperability (PI), and compliance. With 20+ years of cybersecurity, privacy, and higher education experience—including 30+ years of healthcare experience. She is acknowledged as a cybersecurity and privacy subject matter expert (SME) and highly sought after for thought leadership opportunities. Shefali also has a keen interest in the adoption of innovative technology and provides leadership, consultation, coordination, and integration of information processes with enterprise-wide information technology and information security and privacy strategies.

I am a high-performing, globally-experienced executive with extensive information security, product security, enterprise risk management and information technology leadership experiences. I believe my unique blend of leadership positions across these disciplines has given me a well-rounded and results-oriented approach.

I have demonstrated proficiency in driving transformational change through leadership vision, collaboration and execution. Recruited to Zebra Technologies as Chief Security Officer (CSO), I am providing strategic leadership for Zebra's information security, product security, business continuity, and corporate security programs across the global enterprise. Previously, as Caterpillar’s first CISO, I rallied support from numerous stakeholders, created a shared vision, and built a new program with measurable improvements. Recruited from Caterpillar to be Ecolab’s first CISO, I successfully realigned security priorities with business objectives, obtained executive support, achieved quick-wins, restructured the team and recruited talent.

My proven ability to interact and communicate well with all levels of large organizations, including executive management and the Board of Directors, is a crucial skill. A large part of any risk management position is effective, courageous and measured communications.

Key skills and attributes include: Leadership Vision | Execution | Communication | Executive presence with Board of Directors of Fortune 50-500 companies | Teamwork | Courage | 20+ years of Information Security, Cyber Security , Product Security, Information Technology, Corporate Security, and Enterprise Risk Management leadership experience | International experience

Erik Hart oversees global information security for Cushman & Wakefield, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services firms. A recognized thought leader with more than 20 years of experience in providing information security services to various industries and organizations, he also serves in an advisory role for numerous companies and organizations in the information security field, including Mimecast, CrowdStrike, InfraGard Chicago Members Alliance and Western Illinois University.

Before joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2018, he served as CISO and Director of IT Risk Management for Zebra Technologies, a provider of mobile, logistics and point-of-sale technology and systems to retail, health care, transportation, manufacturing and other industries. Erik earned his Bachelors from Western Illinois University and Masters from Western Governors University.