SecureWorld Dallas 2026

Rob Finch is a Cyber Risk Analyst with Cyber Risk Opportunities (CRO). His job is to deliver the Managed Program, AI Risk Management Plans, other cyber risk services offered by CRO.

Rob enjoys creating tools that assist organizations in understanding and securely integrating AI tools into their operations. He focuses on developing practical, secure AI workflows that balance innovation with responsible risk management, helping teams use new technology effectively and safely.

Rebekah Skeete is a cybersecurity leader, nonprofit executive, and passionate advocate for accessibility and diversity in technology. As CEO and Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack, she empowers underrepresented communities through mentorship, education, and career development in cybersecurity. Recognized with the 2025 empowHERaccess Global Prestige Award for Community Leadership and named to the 2024 Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40, Rebekah is celebrated for her innovation, leadership, and lasting impact on the industry. She has also served as a Senior Security Engineer, designing and managing secure infrastructures to protect critical systems. Holding certifications including GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership (GSTRT), and completing programs like the Women’s Entrepreneurship program at eCornell, Rebekah brings both technical expertise and strategic vision to her work. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a podcaster, speaker, and voice-over artist, inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to break barriers and thrive.

Elaine Flesch is an accomplished cybersecurity and technology executive with experience in leading global cyber and risk programs. She is the Chief Information Security Officer at Taxwell (a leading digital tax filing platform). She also serves as an Executive Board Member to TXCPA and an Advisory Board Member to the University of Texas at Dallas MS Accounting program. Elaine has an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas. She also has a Master and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from UFMG (Brazil). She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Texas. She actively holds multiple professional and cybersecurity certifications, including the National Association of Corporate Directors’ Directorship Certified (NACD.DC), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

Michael Anderson is a transformational cybersecurity executive, U.S. Army Intelligence veteran, and dynamic keynote speaker with over 27 years of enterprise technology leadership across higher education, K-12, and public sectors.

For more than a decade, Michael has excelled in Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles, building a reputation for positioning security as a strategic business enabler. As the current CISO for Dallas College, he orchestrates enterprise-scale cybersecurity strategy. A forward-thinking leader, he frequently takes the stage to demystify the convergence of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, showing organizations how to leverage cutting-edge tech to strengthen resilience.

Michael’s extensive executive background includes serving as Deputy CTO and CISO for Dallas ISD, as well as CISO and Chief Privacy Officer for Dallas County.

A three-time entrepreneur, former Speaker of the Year awardee, and Who’s Who inductee, he is sought after and renowned for building elite teams and advising executive boards. Michael is also a former adjunct professor of cybersecurity and has held his CISSP certification for 13 years.

Abe is a Business Information Security Officer for the Global Advisory Services business segment at CBRE, working with technology teams and business leaders to ensure that protection protocols do not impact the trajectory of business strategy. With experience being a BISO in the Financial sector before transitioning into commercial real estate, Abe has served as a trusted advisor across multiple advancements in technology and how cybersecurity has adjusted in response.

Joseph Farah is a former Deputy CISO, BISO, and influence leader within the Financial Services sector who drives transformation as a business enabler and partner who wears business advocate, security liaison, security consultant, security architect, security evangelist, and related hats. He was previously the Cybersecurity Program Manager at a DoD Army agency where he was responsible for security strategy, design & architecture, risk assessment, and compliance. Before that, he had led the Security Engineering & Integration teams at a large health insurance company.

Rebekah Skeete is a cybersecurity leader, nonprofit executive, and passionate advocate for accessibility and diversity in technology. As CEO and Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack, she empowers underrepresented communities through mentorship, education, and career development in cybersecurity. Recognized with the 2025 empowHERaccess Global Prestige Award for Community Leadership and named to the 2024 Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40, Rebekah is celebrated for her innovation, leadership, and lasting impact on the industry. She has also served as a Senior Security Engineer, designing and managing secure infrastructures to protect critical systems. Holding certifications including GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership (GSTRT), and completing programs like the Women’s Entrepreneurship program at eCornell, Rebekah brings both technical expertise and strategic vision to her work. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a podcaster, speaker, and voice-over artist, inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to break barriers and thrive.

Teresa Merklin is a Principal Information Assurance Engineer for Cybersecurity Engineering at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, where she is responsible for technology identification and evaluation for aeronautics platforms. Teresa holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, a Masters of Software Engineering from Texas Christian University, an MBA in Information Assurance from the University of Dallas. She is a CISSP and CSSLP.

Keavy Murphy is a Boston-based security professional currently serving as the Vice President of Security at Net Health. Passionate about cybersecurity, especially for new and emerging companies, she prioritizes using soft skills to manage compliance and risk management effectively in parallel with business objectives. Previously, she served in information security roles at Starburst Data, Cambridge Mobile Telematics, Alegeus and State Street. She enjoys writing about and researching the benefits of effective communication within the security space. Her work has been published in Dark Reading and Info Security Magazine and presented at seminars including the Chief Data and Analytics Officers Conference and FutureCon. She is an active volunteer with Boston Cares, has served in the ISACA Engage Mentor program, and holds both CIPP and CIPM certifications.

Bryan Perkola, CISSP, CISM, is a passionate cybersecurity professional with more than 40 years of IT experience and 20 years of cybersecurity expertise in organizations across manufacturing, retail, and finance. Bryan holds multiple bachelor's degrees from the University of Houston and received his master’s degree in Cybersecurity from WGU, in addition to numerous industry certifications. Bryan’s work experience has focused on mid-sized organizations, where he was intimately involved with multiple disciplines, including marketing and human resources, which provided him with unique perspectives and understanding for developing creative and effective security awareness programs that promote a strong cybersecurity culture within the organization. This led Bryan to author the book, “Energized Cybersecurity Culture,” which details techniques to make your workforce and active part of your cybersecurity defensive stack.

John Laliberte is the CEO and founder of ClearVector, a leading provider of real-time, identity-driven security for production environments. John has more than 18 years of cybersecurity experience. Prior to ClearVector, John served as SVP/CTO at FireEye/Mandiant, responsible for the global business unit encompassing endpoint security product, email security (cloud) product, cloud and data center operations, data science, and advanced R&D. Prior to joining Mandiant in 2008, John served at the NSA, where he was responsible for research and development. John holds a master's degree in Computer Science and a bachelor's degree in Physics and Astronomy from Boston University.

With more than 25 years of experience in the IT and cybersecurity space, John Harper brings deep technical expertise and a practical understanding of enterprise challenges to his role as a Sales Engineer at Concentric AI. Prior to joining Concentric, John spent 18 years at Symantec, where he helped organizations strengthen their security posture across a broad range of solutions. He then served as a Cybersecurity Engineer at CBRE and later joined Broadcom, continuing to support global enterprises with mission-critical security initiatives.

John’s decades of experience have equipped him with a sharp eye for identifying risk, solving complex problems, and helping organizations protect what matters most—their data. When he's not diving into the latest security technologies, you can find him on the golf course, exploring the outdoors, or planning his next travel adventure.

Tejas Pravinbhai Patel is a Senior Software Development Engineer at Amazon and Chair of the Irving ACM Chapter. He holds Fellowship designations from SCRS, BCS, and IET, and has delivered 14+ international keynotes at IEEE and ACM conferences. He has 30+ IEEE Xplore publications in AI systems and inference optimization (h-index 4, 77 citations).

Mike Fleck is the Senior Director of Web PKI and Post Quantum Cryptography solutions at DigiCert where he writes about public trust and applied cryptography. Mike has more than 25 years of cybersecurity industry experience across network security, data encryption, threat intelligence, malware analysis, identity protection, and email security. He holds a patent for transparent data encryption and has been featured in publications like Security Week, Information Security Magazine, Information Management, and NBC News.

At ManageEngine, leadership in enterprise support for the Americas encapsulates my commitment to advancing Endpoint Management & Security. Our team's dedication to empowering customers with cutting-edge solutions has solidified our role as industry pace-setters. My tenure at Zoho Corporation, spanning roles from Regional Technical Account Manager to Associate Director, has been marked by fostering robust customer relationships and spearheading technical innovation. With skills honed in system administration and mobile device management, I contribute to the seamless integration of ManageEngine products, ensuring exceptional service delivery.

Keith Fields is a Sales Engineer at SpyCloud, where he helps organizations navigate an identity threat landscape that shifts as fast as any battlefield—from stolen credentials and malware-exfiltrated data to session hijacking and account takeover. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Keith brings more than 25 years of frontline cybersecurity experience to the conversation, including incident handling and digital forensics for the Defense Logistics Agency, Security Operations Center Manager at Battelle Memorial Institute, solutions architecture at FireEye/Mandiant, and solutions engineering at SentinelOne. Trained through the SANS Technology Institute, Keith brings a defender's mindset shaped by both military service and the security operations center to help organizations anticipate and outmaneuver today's identity-driven attacks.

Michael Gutsche is a security expert recently promoted to run the Security Advisory Team for North America. In this role, Mr. Gutsche is responsible for running a team of exports that help drive security strategies for our largest customers. Michael joined Splunk with over 25 years of experience building large enterprise security and operations programs. Most recently he was Chief Cyber Security Strategist for HPE. However, he has spent most of his 25+ year career on the practitioner side. Prior to HPE he held leadership positions of Senior Vice President of Core Operations at Mastercard International, and Chief Information Security Officer at Sisters of Mercy Health System and Express Scripts.

Grant Weever is an Advanced Security Sales Executive at Comcast Business with more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT operations, network infrastructure, cloud, automation and enterprise technology. Throughout his career, he has held technical and leadership roles with Comcast Business, Alert Logic, Armor Defense, HP, Masergy, BladeLogic, and SBC Communications, helping organizations strengthen their security posture and modernize critical technology environments.

Today, Grant works with organizations to address evolving cyber threats through Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Security Operations Center (SOC) services, and cyber risk management strategies. He is known for combining deep technical expertise with a practical business perspective to help organizations build resilient, outcome-focused security programs.

Joe Paul is a seasoned information technology and cybersecurity leader, currently the Senior Director, Cybersecurity Compliance, for WPP plc’s Data & Technology Solutions (DTS) division. DTS is the big data and ad technology division of WPP plc, the largest worldwide advertising, media, and public relations conglomerate. Joe earned his Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Finance from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from CUNY College of Staten Island (New York). He holds numerous professional certifications in information security, risk management, auditing, artificial intelligence, governance, disaster recovery, and project management. Joe is an active member of multiple professional organizations and associations, including ISSA, InfraGard, ISACA, and ISC2. In his spare time, he is an avid photographer and Italian automobile enthusiast.

Shawn Tuma is an internationally recognized cybersecurity, computer fraud and data privacy law attorney, areas in which he has practiced for two decades. He is Co-Chair of Spencer Fane’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice where he regularly serves as cybersecurity and privacy counsel advising a wide variety of businesses ranging from small and mid-sized companies to Fortune 100 enterprises. Shawn has been named a Cybersecurity Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, SuperLawyers Top 100 Lawyers in DFW, and Best Lawyers in Dallas. He serves as the Practitioner Editor for Bloomberg Law’s Texas Privacy & Data Security Law, among many other activities.

Abe is a Business Information Security Officer for the Global Advisory Services business segment at CBRE, working with technology teams and business leaders to ensure that protection protocols do not impact the trajectory of business strategy. With experience being a BISO in the Financial sector before transitioning into commercial real estate, Abe has served as a trusted advisor across multiple advancements in technology and how cybersecurity has adjusted in response.

Teresa Merklin is a Principal Information Assurance Engineer for Cybersecurity Engineering at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, where she is responsible for technology identification and evaluation for aeronautics platforms. Teresa holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, a Masters of Software Engineering from Texas Christian University, an MBA in Information Assurance from the University of Dallas. She is a CISSP and CSSLP.

Joe Paul is a seasoned information technology and cybersecurity leader, currently the Senior Director, Cybersecurity Compliance, for WPP plc’s Data & Technology Solutions (DTS) division. DTS is the big data and ad technology division of WPP plc, the largest worldwide advertising, media, and public relations conglomerate. Joe earned his Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Finance from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from CUNY College of Staten Island (New York). He holds numerous professional certifications in information security, risk management, auditing, artificial intelligence, governance, disaster recovery, and project management. Joe is an active member of multiple professional organizations and associations, including ISSA, InfraGard, ISACA, and ISC2. In his spare time, he is an avid photographer and Italian automobile enthusiast.

Shawn Tuma is an internationally recognized cybersecurity, computer fraud and data privacy law attorney, areas in which he has practiced for two decades. He is Co-Chair of Spencer Fane’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice where he regularly serves as cybersecurity and privacy counsel advising a wide variety of businesses ranging from small and mid-sized companies to Fortune 100 enterprises. Shawn has been named a Cybersecurity Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, SuperLawyers Top 100 Lawyers in DFW, and Best Lawyers in Dallas. He serves as the Practitioner Editor for Bloomberg Law’s Texas Privacy & Data Security Law, among many other activities.

Janie Aggas is the Head of Global Business Information Security Office (BISO) at CBRE. She is a visionary information security leader and change agent with an impeccable record spanning 20+ years, contributing to technology transformations and cybersecurity strategies to solve complex business challenges while reducing risk for Fortune 500 companies. She is recognized as a passionate leader and trusted advisor for the C-suite, business, technology teams, and with partners such as compliance, legal, privacy, risk, and internal audit. She is no stranger to protecting valuable assets having begun her technology career in the defense industry and spending 10+ years in the financial services industry prior to her transition to CBRE. She earned a BBA in Computer Information Systems and an MBA from West Texas A&M University and recently completed an MLS in Cybersecurity Law & Policy from Texas A&M School of Law.

Tarik Admani is Chief Architect for Cybersecurity at C1, where he has spent the past 10 years helping major organizations design and modernize their security architectures across public sector, healthcare, hospitality, and enterprise environments.

With a career rooted in hands-on engineering, Tarik has worked across the cybersecurity ecosystem—from supporting Cisco business units to building security capabilities for technology solution providers. Today, he works with customers to translate complex cybersecurity challenges into practical architectures spanning Zero Trust, identity, network security, cloud, segmentation, and emerging technologies.

Tarik describes his technology journey as spanning the era of cordless phones to Apple Vision—a perspective that shapes how he approaches one of cybersecurity's most persistent challenges: designing for technologies that continue to change faster than the architectures built to protect them.

Drew Kessel is a Consulting Field Solutions Architect at Everpure. With over 20 years in technology experience, he's focused on helping customers turn infrastructure, data-protection, and cybersecurity challenges into practical cyber-resilience strategies. His work spans recovery readiness, data intelligence, and AI-ready infrastructure, with a focus on reducing risk, accelerating recovery, and protecting critical business operations. Drew is especially interested in connecting technical architecture to business outcomes. He helps organizations strengthen resilience across the data lifecycle by combining layered protection, zero-trust principles, governance, and compliance without adding unnecessary complexity.

Jason Lam is a Director with Schellman based in Austin, TX. Jason is primarily focused on ISO certifications for organizations across various industries as well as oversight and development of Schellman's ISO practice. Jason has achieved the following certifications relevant to the fields of accounting, auditing, and information systems security: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Parrish is currently the CISO at MVB Financial Corp. and is the former SVP & CISO of Sunflower Bank. He has more than 25 years of technology experience and more than 14 years in cybersecurity. During this time, Parrish has worked in various functions of technology, risk management, infrastructure services and support, audit and compliance, incident response, and cybersecurity / information security. His experience also includes working in multiple industries including financial services, telecommunications, chemical manufacturing, real estate, and retail. In addition, he has worked in both global Fortune 500 companies and small start-up-based companies.

During his tenure as a CISO, he has been involved in the creation, staffing, building, and management of comprehensive information security programs for various companies across diverse locations and personnel. In all these companies, he has implemented programs based on risk and threat analysis and has implemented controls, services, and processes that have not only met the needs of the company but also the regulatory and compliance requirements of the company including incident response capabilities.

Parrish holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University and certifications as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and Professional Project Manager (PMP).

Dr. Fredrick Dande is a senior IT platform manager and doctoral scholar with more than 15 years of leadership experience deeply rooted in highly regulated financial services environments spanning modern fintech, global tax, wealth management, and banking. Currently serving as the Sr. Manager of IT Platform Services at Circle Internet Financial, he manages enterprise AI governance within the ITSM platform strategy for global 24x7 operations. As Circle’s ITSM AI Ambassador, he partners directly with Security, Legal, and Compliance to ensure the scalable and ethical adoption of AI assisted automation.

Dr. Dande’s career is defined by his ability to bridge the gap between complex infrastructure management and executive business strategy. Prior to Circle, he served as IT Director for Global Tax at Ernst & Young (EY), where he led ITSM modernization for over 10,000 global users, improving SLA compliance by 20%. His extensive financial sector tenure also includes Technical Services leadership at Janney, where he oversaw multi-million-dollar IT budgets and managed critical Disaster Recovery data center migrations, as well as NOC Management for PFFCU. Throughout roles at Comcast and PHH, he built resilient operational frameworks, championing rigorous "5 Whys" root-cause analysis to mitigate high-severity incidents.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Dande has over 10 years of college-level teaching experience as an Adjunct Professor, specializing in Security Essentials, Cloud Computing, and Disaster Recovery. He recently completed his PhD in Technology Management from Indiana State University, focusing his research on CMDB adoption within complex IT environments. A certified PMP and ITIL practitioner, Dr. Dande is recognized for his ability to translate high-velocity technical challenges into clear, actionable, ROI-based risk frameworks that empower executive decision-making.

Leslie Saravia serves as Director of Security at Enovis, where she leads initiatives focused on strengthening cybersecurity resilience, managing digital risk, and advancing enterprise security programs. She is a strong advocate for creating security-aware cultures and helping employees understand their critical role in protecting the organization. Leslie combines cybersecurity expertise with communication, engagement, and change-management strategies to make security relevant, accessible, and actionable for every employee. Through her work with executive leadership, incident response teams, and global workforces, she has helped organizations transform security awareness from an annual training requirement into an ongoing cultural movement that empowers people to make safer decisions every day.

Brandon Kovacs (CRT, OSCP) is a Senior Security Consultant at Bishop Fox, where he specializes in red teaming, network penetration testing, and physical penetration testing. As a red team operator, he is adept at identifying critical attack chains that an external attacker could use to fully compromise organizations and reach high-value targets.

For example, starting from an external network perspective, Brandon identified vulnerabilities that could lead to the compromise of national railroad infrastructure. In another case, he demonstrated full takeover of a financial institution's SWIFT controller and all computers on their network. During a physical penetration test of a firm managing billions in assets, Brandon used social engineering and covert entry techniques to masquerade as an IT vendor, access the client’s office building, and install physical implants that executed code, established network footholds, and exfiltrated any information displayed on the projector used in the boardroom.

To support physical and external testing, Brandon has built the 2023 edition of Bishop Fox’s Tastic RFID Thief to include Wi-Fi and remote control, allowing for more effective capture of RFID badges from a few feet away. He actively performs research and development into artificial intelligence for use in offensive security engagements.

Brandon is also recognized as a deepfake expert, conducting speaking sessions and live demonstrations at several global security and technology conferences. His research focuses on using AI and high-quality deepfakes to perform social engineering.

Ms. Haywood brings a highly diverse skill set to businesses. For more than 17 years, prior to moving into Security, she specialized in Human Resources, Business Development, Risk Strategy, Contracts Management, and Program Audit. Combined with her eight years in Security Governance, Risk & Compliance, she is considered a multi-talented leader, supporting Fortune 500 companies and government organizations in an array of industries (e.g., Healthcare, Education, Financial, Federal, Technology). Ms. Haywood's knowledge and experience of security frameworks, governance standards (such as NIST 800-53, SOC1/2 Type 2, ISO 27001:2013, HIPPA-HITECH, PCI), and risk methodologies have led to her success in program development, management, and audits for companies. This applied skillset has resulted in a savings of more than $1.1 million in potential contract losses. Additionally, she’s designed and developed a Medical Device Cybersecurity program for one of the largest Healthcare organizations in the Dallas-Ft. Worth region of Texas. Ms. Haywood holds a certificate as a Cyber Security Practitioner.

Matt Fryer is a seasoned cybersecurity executive, strategist, and technology leader with deep expertise spanning the financial services, oil and gas, hospitality, and healthcare industries. As CISO Architect and Regional CTO at Fortinet, he helps organizations strengthen their security posture while aligning cybersecurity with business strategy and innovation. Over the course of his career, Matt has progressed from Security Analyst and Project Manager to Executive and Chief Information Security Officer, leading enterprise security transformations across both public and private sectors. He is recognized for building high-performing security programs that enhance organizational maturity, improve operational resilience, and deliver measurable business value through the strategic integration of technology, governance, and process.  Matt has successfully led organizations through complex regulatory and compliance initiatives, including FedRAMP and SOC 2, while driving operational excellence and financial efficiency. His passion for cybersecurity, combined with his executive leadership experience, enables him to help organizations navigate today's evolving threat landscape with confidence and resilience.

Jason Lam is a Director with Schellman based in Austin, TX. Jason is primarily focused on ISO certifications for organizations across various industries as well as oversight and development of Schellman's ISO practice. Jason has achieved the following certifications relevant to the fields of accounting, auditing, and information systems security: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).