The 4th annual CDO Magazine Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit rallied 150+ attendees and 35+ speakers at The Westin Cincinnati on October 9 for strategic dialogue and peer-led discussions aimed at shaping the next wave of cybersecurity innovation.

Guided by the racing-inspired theme “Digital Trust in the Hyperconnected World: Going from Traffic Cop to Pit Crew,” the event provided a platform for security leaders across North America to explore evolving threats and align on shared priorities across the cyber landscape.

Participants represented a wide range of industries — from manufacturing, oil & gas, and technology to finance, banking, and insurance, from healthcare and government to aerospace and construction, and from retail to higher education.

The three-day leadership series began with the Global Data Leadership Summit on October 7, continued with the Global AI Leadership Summit on October 8, and concluded with the Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit.

Key Session Themes:

• The Cyber Grand Prix: Geopolitical Threats in the Fast Lane
• Regulatory Pit Stops: Compliance in a World of Constant Turns
• Tuning for Resilience: Long-Haul Strategies for Cyber Endurance
• The Fast Lane to Securing Critical Infrastructure
• AI, Quantum & the Future of Cyber Racing
• The CISO as Crew Chief: Strategy, Leadership & Precision Under Pressure

Notable Keynotes:

• Securing Every Turn: Building Resilience, Trust, and Speed in the Digital Future:

Thomas Dager, ADM VP & Chief Information Security Officer; Sekhar Nagasundaram, Elevance Health Staff VP, Technology, Cybersecurity & Head, Cybersecurity Threat Management; Nick Ritter, Worldpay Chief Information Security Officer; and Michelle Ziegler, CDO Magazine Global VP, Partner Development & Events

• Pit Crew Security: Building Digital Trust to Make the Business Faster:

Grant Sewell, AHEAD Chief Security Officer

Meet our Summit Co-chairs:

• Lori Anello, Fifth Third Bank Chief Information Security Officer
• Thomas Dager, ADM VP & Chief Information Security Officer
• Lisa Heckler, CareSource CISO & SVP, Cybersecurity, Privacy & Technology Services
• Jacob Lorz, Cintas VP & Chief Information Security Officer;
• Nick Ritter, Worldpay Chief Information Security Officer
• Matt Scheurer, Financial Services Industry VP, Computer Security & Incident Response
• David Sims, Elevance Health Staff VP, Security Technology Services

“I was honored to serve as a co-chair of the 2025 Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit in Cincinnati,” says keynote speaker Dager. “It was a privilege to help shape a conference that brought together security leaders to discuss critical topics, including threat intelligence, resilience, identity and zero trust, and executive-level cybersecurity strategy.”

Dager notes that the agenda’s focus on AI in defense, converged risk management, and cross-industry collaboration was “timely and deeply relevant” to the challenges leaders face today. “Kudos to the organizers for creating such a high-impact platform for leaders to connect and advance cybersecurity together,” he adds.

In addition to “great content as usual,” speaker Katrina Biscay, University of Cincinnati Chief Information Security Officer, highlights the peer-to-peer conversations: “Small group discussions and networking with peers are always a win.”

Sharing notes from his panel on the intersection of “post-quantum computing and GenAI,” speaker and Co-chair Lorz says, “Pending quantum threats and the transformative potential of GenAI were central themes, with discussions emphasizing the need for crypto agility, executive engagement, and secure innovation.”

Lorz mentions his “most valuable” insight as the need for cybersecurity leaders to evolve from “reactive gatekeepers to embedded enablers” of trust and resilience. His key takeaways are:

• Crypto agility is the new mandate: Models like Fortanix’s 4-part approach — Discovery, Assessment, Remediation, and Agility — are gaining traction. Organizations must start now to inventory cryptographic assets and prepare for post-quantum transitions.
• Executive engagement is critical: Success in quantum readiness hinges on sustained executive engagement and board-level awareness and support.
• GenAI adoption is accelerating — but cautiously: While many organizations are experimenting or building Centers of Excellence, security, complexity, cost, and trust remain the top barriers to full-scale deployment.
• Cyber leaders as pit crews: The Summit’s theme — “Digital Trust in the Hyperconnected World” — underscored the shift from reactive security to proactive, embedded cyber leadership, especially in AI and quantum contexts.

Reflecting on his takeaway from the summit, keynote speaker Nagasundaram says, “In a hyper-connected world, digital trust is the foundation of everything, and defined by speed, resilience, reliability, safety, and ethics in every transaction. Our role as cyber leaders is not just about protection. It is about enabling growth, building trust, and ensuring resilience at every high-stakes turn. Not guarding sidelines but powering the core mission.”

According to keynote speaker and Co-chair Ritter, CDO Magazine Summits have become the “go-to events” for Data, AI, and Cybersecurity. “These summits really are by experts, for experts — but they are also very much by peers, for peers.”

Ritter adds that the format of the CDO Magazine Summits enhances the peer-to-peer ideation, brainstorming, and networking. “I’m proud to have served as a Co-chair, and I’m looking forward to many successful summits in the future.”

Speaker and Co-chair Heckler agrees, saying, “Conferences like this are where ideas meet experience — where we learn from thought leaders, challenge assumptions, and build the trusted relationships that make our defenses stronger. Thanks to CDO Magazine for convening such an inspiring group of professionals driving the future of cybersecurity.” She adds, “no single organization can tackle today’s threat landscape alone.”

For speaker and Co-chair Anello, comparing ideas and experiences with other security leaders at the Summit was a “fun affair,” especially during her session “Racing to the Checkered Flag – CISO Track Tactics.”

“We shared how to speak to your Board of Directors, create a culture of high performance while balancing high stress, and build trust and credibility with other C-Suite leaders. Our goal was to show that the CISO job is doable and attainable if you build a strong team, a good team culture, and establish solid relationships based on trust with the leadership in your organization. Believe it or not, we do get sleep at night,” Anello says.

For speaker Anupam Srivastava, State of Ohio CIO, the Summit was a “great event to exchange ideas with other professionals with years of experience in their respective fields. The sessions and keynotes were informative, with interesting perspectives shared by the panelists and insightful takeaways for the attendees.”

Meera Dugar, JPMorganChase SVP & Tech Partner, describes the CDO Magazine Global Summits as a “powerful convergence” of data, AI, and cybersecurity leadership. “Over three days, I had the opportunity to engage directly with industry trailblazers, thought leaders, and innovators shaping the future of enterprise technology,” she notes.

Sharing her “standout moments” from the summits, Dugar mentions “witnessing Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot demo, which brought AI and automation to life in a tangible way, and hearing compelling Formula 1 analogies that drew striking parallels between real-time data, speed, precision — and the high-stakes world of cybersecurity.”

Hosting the Summit, Michelle Ziegler, CDO Magazine Global VP, Partner Development & Events, highlights, “Each year, the Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit continues to evolve alongside the challenges it addresses. This year’s conversations reflected a shared realization — that digital trust is not a checkbox, but a culture of resilience built through collaboration, innovation, and leadership alignment. The energy in the sessions showed that cybersecurity has truly become a business enabler, not just a defense mechanism.”

Summing up the event, Grant Sewell, AHEAD Chief Security Officer, says, “The CDO Magazine Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit had an energy that reflected real progress. In every conversation, it was clear that leaders are no longer treating trust as an abstract ideal but as a measurable outcome of strong, aligned security programs.”

Special thanks to AHEAD, Cohesity, Fortanix, Fortinet, Brinqa, Centric Consulting, Horizon3.ai, Burtch Works, Coretek, The Data Lodge, Data Society, Enlivened Tech, Flexor, and Presidio for making this event a success.

*Katrina Biscay, Meera Dugar, Jacob Lorz, Nick Ritter, David Sims, and Anupam Srivastava  are members of the CDO Magazine Global Board.

Executives speaking at the CDO Magazine Global Cybersecurity Leadership Summit included:

Lori Anello, Fifth Third Bank Chief Information Security Officer; Paul Baumgartner, GE Aerospace Sr. Staff Technical Program Manager; Nicole Beckwith, The Kroger Co. Director, Enterprise Security Operations; Katrina Biscay, University of Cincinnati Chief Information Security Officer; Brian Cunningham, American Financial Group Governance Director; Thomas Dager, ADM VP, Chief Information Security Officer; Junell Felsburg, The Columbus Foundation Sr. Director, Cyber Security & Infrastructure; Rob Felsburg, EverCommerce Director, Security; Matt Godsted, The Kroger Co. Cybersecurity Strategy Architect; Lisa Heckler, CareSource CISO & SVP, Cybersecurity, Privacy & Technology Services; Craig Kobren, The Christ Hospital CISO & Chief, Enterprise Information Management; Tim Lange, American Financial Group Divisional SVP, Information Security; Jacob Lorz, Cintas VP & Chief Information Security Officer; Emily Morgan, Coterie Chief Information Security Officer; Sekhar Nagasundaram, Elevance Health Staff Vice President Technology – Cybersecurity | Head of Cybersecurity Threat Management; Drew Perry, Ramaco Resources VP, IT & Cybersecurity; Leon Ravenna, OPENLANE Chief Information Security Officer; Nick Ritter, Worldpay Chief Information Security Officer; Raja Roy, Concentrix Sr. Managing Partner, Office of Technology; Matt Scheurer, Financial Services Industry VP, Computer Security & Incident Response; Brian Shea, MedOne Healthcare Partners Chief Information Officer; David Sims, Elevance Health Staff VP, Security Technology Services; Anupam Srivastava, State of Ohio Chief Information Officer; Ashley Stanifer, Frost Brown Todd Director, Information Security; Chris Tyo, Black & Veatch Deputy Chief Information Security Officer; Lynn Watson, Dinsmore & Shohl Director, Information Security; Jocelyn Whitfield, Fifth Third Bank VP, Director Security Engineering; Matthew Williams, University of Cincinnati Deputy CISO & Executive Director; Chad Wright, Boston Dynamics Chief Information Officer; Eric Brunswick, Fortinet Account Manager; Patrick Conte, Fortanix Chief Revenue Officer; Joe Gates, Centric Consulting Sr. IT Risk Manager; Josh Higginbotham, Centric Consulting Sr. Architect & MSFT Data Platform MVP; Jay Klauser,  Brinqa SVP, Sales Engineering & Alliances; Rob Lindenbusch, Cohesity Field Technical Director; Grant Sewell, AHEAD Chief Security Officer; Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales; and Michelle Ziegler, CDO Magazine, Global VP, Partner Development & Events.