Max Chan is a skilled, visionary technology executive serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Avnet. With a deep understanding of the latest digital trends and technologies, he leads all aspects of information technology (IT), including cybersecurity, digital strategy and transformations that position Avnet as a digital-first organization.

Chan oversees the resources and capabilities of the global IT team and ensures that the organization maintains a robust and optimized IT environment. He also leads the digital system integration business, which delivers digital services and solutions to internal and external customers.

Chan joined Avnet in 2013 as vice president of IT for Avnet Technology Solutions in Asia Pacific. He led critical system implementations and enhancements, helped build Avnet’s Global Development Centers and drove process improvement initiatives in the region. In 2016, he transferred to the Phoenix corporate headquarters to take on the global application and business relationship management role. Avnet named him CIO in 2019.

Before joining Avnet, Chan held several IT leadership roles, including CIO, Asia, at VF Corporation, and vice president, IT global supply chain, building efficiency, at Johnson Controls.

Chan earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Malayan University, Malaysia, and a Master of Business Administration in strategy from University of Birmingham, U.K.

 

 

 

 

 

Paul has more than 30 years technology experience, with particular expertise in rapid growth companies. He is experienced in all areas of management, including strategy, transformation, global service delivery, applications development, cyber-risk, quality assurance, operations and support with a strong track record of accomplishments founded on outside-in thinking, customer advocacy, strong team-building, and solid program management disciplines.

Prior to Cisco Paul was the SVP and Global CIO at Box, where he was responsible for leading the company’s global information technology strategy, cyber risk and compliance practices and customer advocacy including the development and delivery of key technology initiatives to support the company’s growing workforce and customer base, cyber risk programs for both business and product security operations, product security assurance, physical security and compliance

Prior to Box, Paul was the CIO of HP Software for Hewlett Packard, where he led the IT organization supporting a multi-billion dollar software portfolio. Paul was also responsible for HP\’s global information management strategy, analytics platforms, master data management, enterprise data standards, and data services. Before joining HP, Paul was VMware\’s Vice President of Global Infrastructure and Cloud Operations, and Vice President of Information Technology

Paul is a featured speaker and blogger on a variety of business and technology topics, including Digital transformation, the future of work, organizational change, Cloud and SaaS architecture and machine learning.

Barbara Cooper was group vice president and chief information officer for Toyota Motor North America for sixteen years retiring in 2012.  She was responsible for the strategy, development and operation of all systems and technology and left a legacy of some of the most innovative and market competitive technology solutions in the industry.  In addition to her CIO role, she was also responsible for leading the University of Toyota focusing on professional development for Toyota staff and training programs for Toyota and Lexus dealer technicians. 

Prior to Toyota, she was group vice president and CIO for MicroAge Corp., CIO for Maricopa County in Phoenix, AZ and also served as its County Manager.  She was vice president of technology for American Express, and director of information systems for Miller & Paine department stores.  Barbara remains one of the single most recognized CIO’s in the IT industry having been named to six Top 100 CIO awards globally, in addition to numerous awards from a variety of IT trade associations and industry publications, culminating in being named to the CIO Hall of Fame in 2007.  She was also recognized in the automotive industry achieving Automotive News Top 100 Women five times.

Barbara holds a bachelor\’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska and attended the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway graduate studies program.  She was the founder of three professional women’s networks during her career including the first professional women’s network at Toyota.

She works part time as an executive coach for CIOs and senior IT management since her retirement. 

Gary has 25 years of information technology leadership. Including IT expertise in manufacturing, distribution, automotive service and retail sectors. Throughout his career, he has been an early adopter of technology, leading Fortune 500 companies and organizations. He has led teams of global professionals ensuring clear visions and goals leading to team and technology success.

Steve Phillips is Board Director of Wick Communications and has an 18 year career as a C-suite CIO in large, complex, technology-enabled B2B and B2C enterprises across diverse industries including BPO, distribution, manufacturing, and consumer electronics.

From 2018 to 2021 Steve served as CIO of Alorica, where he was responsible for setting and delivering IT strategy.

Between 2005 and 2017 he served as CIO at Avnet. Between 2004 and 2005 he was CIO at Memec, a global electronic components distributor acquired by Avnet.

Prior to joining Memec, Mr. Phillips was CIO for Gateway Inc. He was previously the IT leader for Diageo’s European foods business and early in his career he served in a number of engineering and operations leadership roles at Thorn EMI.

Since 2012, he has served as chairman of the board of Wick Communications, a US-based news media business.

In 2015, Mr. Phillips was inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement that honors IT executives and visionaries whose leadership has significantly impacted the field of IT.

Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Essex University and a post-graduate diploma in management studies from the University of West London. He is a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

As Chief Information Officer for Shamrock Foods Company, Dan Saltich provides strategic oversight for all information technology solutions and ensures alignment with business initiatives.

Dan has over 20 years of experience in the information technology sector. Before joining Shamrock Foods Company in 2016, Dan was the Director of IT for PulteGroup Inc where he was responsible for the application portfolio and strategic roadmap for all information technology disciplines and a team of over 100 associates. He implemented a full financial system upgrade, a custom purchasing application and a dynamic CRM program all while keeping an eye on profitability and cost management.

Since joining Shamrock, Dan has demonstrated his visionary thinking by spearheading key initiatives that will improve the profitability of the foodservice sales division and enhance customer loyalty. Current strategic priorities for Shamrock include digital transformation of Shamrock’s core systems in a service based architecture, implementation of a cloud BI and analytics platform, as well as migration of core infrastructure to a hybrid cloud platform.

Because of Dan’s proven track record and extensive IT experience, he is an accomplished speaker and presenter within the industry.

Michael Spandau is FMIC’s Senior Vice President of Global Information Technology and CIO.

Spandau joined Fender in October 2005 and orchestrated the remediation efforts related to Fender’s SAP implementation. He has responsibility for managing, developing and executing Fender’s Global IT strategy.

Prior to joining Fender, Spandau worked for twelve years at Deloitte Consulting, leading complex international ERP implementations and IT initiatives for a diverse international business clientele. Prior to Deloitte Consulting he worked for Shell Chemicals in Europe and on Worldbank projects located East Africa and Indonesia.

Michael holds a diploma in Computer Science with special focus on Business Economics from the Hochschule Reutlingen, Germany.
 

Simon Taylor has worked in Information Technology and Cyber Security for over three decades, with extensive experience across product innovation, business development, business transformation, and IT operations management.  He has held executive positions at leading technology and financial services companies across Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America; including over fifteen years at HSBC, where he was latterly Executive Vice President and Head of IT Operations for the Americas.  More recently, Simon served as Vice President of Product and Consultant to the Board of Glasswall Solutions Ltd, the award-winning UK cyber-security innovator.  Simon is currently an Executive Vice President at WGM Associates, where he is responsible for driving Business Development, Marketing, Business Strategy and Product Management.  Simon also serves as President of the Arizona chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM). Simon holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and Microelectronics from Newcastle University in the UK.

LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/simontaylor33

Anthony Bobos joined Vitalant in 2017 with more than 30 years of information technology and program implementation experience.   Prior to joining Vitalant, Mr. Bobos served as Chief Information and Security Officer for Aurora Diagnostics and Chief Technology Officer at Versiti where he was responsible for overseeing technology transformation strategies in the healthcare industry.   Mr. Bobos has also served in leadership roles at Click Commerce, Inc., Tribune Media Company and System Software Associates, Inc..  Mr. Bobos earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Joseph’s College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Jason Bredimus holds significant leadership roles at Shamrock Foods Company. Specifically, he serves as Vice President, IT & Chief Information Security Officer, and also as Vice President, IT Infrastructure & Cloud Services. In these positions, he is responsible for the secure and stable technology operations of Shamrock Foods Company, a multi-billion dollar Food Service and Dairy business based in Phoenix, Arizona. His responsibilities encompass a wide range of IT functions, including cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and cloud services. Bredimus brings a wealth of experience to Shamrock Foods, with a career that includes previous leadership roles at TASER International and Fender Musical Instruments Corp., as well as a background at Accenture and an internship at Deutsche Bank. His extensive expertise spans various facets of IT infrastructure and security, making him a key figure in ensuring the company\’s technological integrity.

Tim Crawford is ranked as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Chief Information Technology Officers (#4), Top 100 Most Social CIOs (#7), Top 20 People Most Retweeted by IT Leaders (#5) and Top 100 Cloud Experts and Influencers. Tim is a strategic CIO & advisor that works with large global enterprise organizations across a number of industries including financial services, healthcare, major airlines and high-tech. Tim’s work differentiates and catapults organizations in transformative ways through the use of technology as a strategic lever. Tim takes a provocative, but pragmatic approach to the intersection of business and technology. Tim is an internationally renowned CIO thought leader including Digital Transformation, Cloud Computing, Data Analytics and Internet of Things (IoT). Tim has served as CIO and other senior IT roles with global organizations such as Konica Minolta/ All Covered, Stanford University, Knight-Ridder, Philips Electronics and National Semiconductor. Tim is also the host of the CIO In The Know (CIOitk) podcast. CIOitk is a weekly podcast that interviews CIOs on the top issues facing CIOs today. Tim holds an MBA in International Business with Honors from Golden Gate University Ageno School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Golden Gate University.

Sastry is the CDO and CDAO of Marsh, and leads the company’s digital, data and analytics strategy and transformation, while building new digital-native businesses and growth opportunities. This includes development of innovative digital platforms and products, data science & modelling, client-facing technology, and digital experiences across global business units.

Since joining Marsh in 2017, Sastry has built a dynamic global team with top external and internal talent. He led the launch of Bluestream digital broker platform, changing the way insurance is purchased in small commercial/consumer; LINQ digital client experience platform that transforms how we provide risk management and insurance services; Blue[i] client- and colleague-facing AI & analytics suite; Blockchain applications including proof of insurance and RiskExchange for trade credit; Marsh Digital Labs to incubate new products, services and emerging tech; InsurTech partnerships in AI, IoT and Cyber — while pioneering digital culture transformation in a highly-complex industry.

Before Marsh, Sastry was Enterprise Head of Data & Digital Tech at American Express, where he led the company’s transformation of digital, data, talent and culture at scale, fostering experimentation and agile development.  Sastry and team delivered cutting-edge products, platforms and experiences across the lifecycle of cardmembers and merchants, including digital payments & partnerships; pay-with-points at checkout for leading merchants like Amazon, Uber, Newegg, McDonalds; multi-petabyte big data & machine learning ecosystem; digital commerce and AmexOffers; and global replatforming of Amex’s card acceptance and processing network. Previously, he worked as a technology consultant at Fortune Global 500 companies.

Sastry plays a leading role in industry consortia, CDO/CIO forums, FinTech/InsurTech partnerships, and building academia/research affiliations. He is a strong advocate for diversity & inclusion and is on the Board of Directors for Girls in Tech, the global non-profit that works to put an end to gender inequality. Sastry launched an industry-wide initiative called #ReWRITE focused on Women, Risk, Insurance, Technology & Empowerment. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering, is credited with 20+ patents and has been the recipient of several industry awards for innovation and leadership.

Sastry is a long-time resident of Arizona where he resides with his family and loves hiking the beautiful desert mountains.

Gabe Gabaldon holds the position of Global Head of Information Technology at Nikola Corporation. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the company\’s IT strategies and implementations, particularly as they relate to supporting Nikola\’s innovative approach to zero-emissions transportation. Gabaldon\’s professional background showcases a wealth of experience in the technology sector. Prior to joining Nikola, he held significant leadership roles, including Head of Enterprise Architecture and Senior Director of IT Enterprise Architecture at Banner Health, where he focused on enhancing healthcare accessibility through technological advancements. He also served as Director for CMS Transformation at USAA, emphasizing service to military members. Additionally, Gabaldon\’s experience includes a tenure as Chief Technology Officer at PROACTIS, where he shaped the company\’s technical vision and innovation strategy. His career began as a User Interface Engineer at Northern Light Technology, contributing to the design of core product pages for a search engine. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Wentworth Institute of Technology, and executive education from Arizona State University. This diverse experience has equipped him with a strong understanding of IT strategy and implementation.

Lev Gonick is an educator, technologist, and smart city architect. He has been teaching, working, and living on the Net for more than 25 years.

On November 1, Lev became the Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University. He will lead the ASU University Technology Office that provides technology services to all students, faculty, and staff.  He is also cofounder of DigitalC, previously OneCommunity, the award-winning non-profit organization enabling and celebrating innovation, collaboration, and productivity through next-generation broadband networks, big open data solutions, and IoT for public benefit.

Lev was CIO at Case Western Reserve University from 2001-2013. He and his colleagues were internationally recognized for technology innovations in community engagement, learning spaces, next-generation network projects, and organizational development. Lev\’s innovations, including the Case Connection Zone, catalyzed national projects such as US Ignite and Gig.U.

Inside Business Magazine named Lev one of their Power 100 in 2015. In 2011, Government Technology awarded Lev one of their \”Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public-Sector Innovation.\” In the same year, Crain\’s Business Cleveland named Gonick one its \”10 Difference Makers\” in Northeast Ohio, and Broadband Properties honored him with their Cornerstone Award for \”using fiber to build an inclusive society and empower individuals.\” In 2010, he received recognition as \”Visionary of the Year\” from NATOA. Lev has been recognized by ComputerWorld as a Premier 100 IT leader and honored by CIO magazine with a CIO 100 Award.

A frequent invited speaker and consultant on Smart Cities, Lev currently serves on the Boards of Monarch Teaching Technologies (software for special needs children), DecisionDesk, Groundworks Dance Theater, Jewish Family Services, and Cleveland Independents (Restaurants).

Specialties: Smart City Solutions, Smart City Architecture, The Future of Education, Broadband, Social Networking and Network Economy, Fiber to the Home, Innovation and Technology, Smart and Connected Communities, Internet of Things, Programmable City, City as an Operating System, Political Economy and Information Technology

Mr. Frank J. Grimmelmann serves as President & CEO for the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA), a non-profit entity that was developed collaboratively with the Arizona InfraGard Program, the FBI, USDHS and law enforcement, and independently launched in 2013 to enable its private/public sector member organizations across all critical sectors to enable themselves to respond to the escalating national cybersecurity threat. Mr. Grimmelmann Co-Chairs Governor Ducey’s AZ Cybersecurity Team (‘ACT’) and is a Founding Member of President Obama’s National ISAO Standards Group Leadership Team at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). As ACTRA’s leader, Mr. Grimmelmann was the first private sector representative in the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) appointed to its Executive Board. He has held C-level positions in Finance, healthcare and government, now focusing on cybersecurity in response to 9/11. He holds an MBA in Finance/International Business from UC Berkeley, and a BA in Operations with a Business Law minor from the University of South Florida.

 

Grovert has over 20 years of experience innovating and delivering digital transformations while leading technology departments fully integrated with the business.  As Vice President, Technology at CalAtlantic Group, Grovert is responsible for technology vision & strategy for the business as well as leading customer facing digital technologies.  CalAtlantic Group, Inc. (CAA), a $4B, public, national homebuilder formed by the combination of Standard Pacific Corp. and Ryland Group, Inc. offers well-crafted homes in thoughtfully designed communities from entry level to luxury in 41 metropolitan statistical areas spanning 17 states.  Grovert did his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, from University of Phoenix, and is pursuing his Masters of Science in Information Technology at W. P. Carey School of Business.

Vishwa has over 20 years of experience during which he has held various Technical and Managerial positions in leading enterprises. Currently, Vishwa is engaged in accelerating USAA’s competitive advantage through Data and Platform transformation in partnership with the business, IT and Solution Integration Partners. Prior to joining USAA, Vishwa held senior leadership roles at Republic Services and Intel Corp. He has over 12 issued Patents to his credit. Vishwa received his Master’s degree specializing in Reliability Engineering from the Université d\’Ottawa, Canada. 

Michael is a highly accomplished IT executive with experience leveraging expertise in global technology operations to drive new product innovation for increased profitability, improved operational efficiency, and spurred growth in Fortune 500 arenas. Having driven technical support and implementations within traditional as well as emerging industries, Michael has created and implemented comprehensive IT strategies for startups, acquisitions, and turnaround efforts. Michael is currently the CISO for AZ State Gov’t agency AHCCCS.  He has also held leadership roles at Wyndham Hotel Group, Digital Equipment Corporation, PetSmart, Prudential Financial, and Blue Lion Media where he has managed organizations up to 200 and $330M budgets. Michael has also implemented major ERP systems in SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle Financials, and Microsoft Dynamics and performed several datacenter migrations. He has been nominated for CIO Magazine’s “Ones to Watch” award, is a published author, and received his bachelors of science degree in computer information systems from Arizona State University. He also holds many technology certifications and a security clearance.

Firasat is the Chief Technology Officer at arrivia where he is responsible for product development, infrastructure and operations, and data warehouse. He has more than 23 years of experience in software architecture, development, and technology leadership.

 

Prior to arrivia, he was VP of Software Engineering at Ticketmaster, one of the world’s largest ticketing platforms. He led a digital transformation program to modernize its core ticketing systems that improved system availability, automated disaster recovery, and developed a new global ticket delivery solution.

 

Prior to Ticketmaster, he was VP of Enterprise Architecture at RR Donnelley, one of the largest print and digital service providers in North America. He led Agile and DevOps transformation across its 1000+ global IT organization, which improved business agility and resulted in higher developer productivity.

 

Lastly, at Orbitz, he was Director of Engineering where he led delivery of key aspects for global platform capabilities that powered sixteen online brands, including orbitz.com and cheaptickets.com.

 

He enjoys learning new technologies, writing code now and again, and investing energies to build phenomenal teams.

 

John G. Iannarelli recently retired from the FBI after more than 20 years of service, during which he was a member of the SWAT Team and participated in the investigations of the Oklahoma City Bombing, the 9/11 attack, and the Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords shooting.  John previously served at FBI Headquarters as their national spokesperson and on the Cyber Division Executive staff.  In Phoenix, John was the Cyber squad supervisor before promotion to Assistant Special Agent in Charge, the number two position overseeing all Criminal, Cyber, and Counter Intelligence investigations throughout Arizona.  John has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Computer Science for his contributions to the field of cyber investigations.

John is the author of several other books, to include Why Teens Fail and What to Fix, a parents’ guide to protecting their children from Internet predators and other dangers, and Information Governance Security, how businesses can protect their sensitive data from loss or compromise.  His recently released How to Stop A Terrorist, is a guide for the average person to recognize and help prevent terrorism. John is a highly sought after speaker and has presented to Fortune 500 companies, domestic and international audiences, the United Nations, and the Vatican where he met personally with Pope Francis to discuss the evolution of cyber crime.

A former San Diego Police Officer and a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law, to include studies of international criminal and civil law at Oxford, England, John is also an attorney admitted to the practice of law in California, Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is currently a private consultant, whose clients have included the both the FBI and a national professional sports league.

Since 1996, Sheila has worked in the human resources field, gaining broad experience consulting with senior leadership regarding their most important asset, their people. Sheila’s experience stems from holding strategic and operational positions within service, wholesale and retail industries. Prior to joining Cizek Associates, Sheila’s experience focused on organizational consulting work including assessment, top talent recruiting, and executive coaching. 
She has owned successful consultancies including a search firm serving aerospace, technology, manufacturing and higher education. She has worked for two premier global consultancy firms, Lee Hecht Harrison and Right Management, specializing in helping businesses execute plans to develop people resources, maximize performance and successfully drive profits. With an early background in marketing and sales, administration and operations, Sheila successfully partnered in the formulation of two startup/expansion businesses and was instrumental in growing those businesses to become recognized leaders in their industries. 
Sheila holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management and is pursuing a Master’s degree in organizational management with a focus on leadership development. She is an active volunteer in the community, presenting to young adults, and women’s and business groups, on a variety of topics and interests.

Tony Leng was formerly Managing Director of Diversified Search and led the firm’s Digital Transformation and CIO practice from its San Francisco office.  Previously, Tony was Managing Partner of Hodge Partners. Tony has conducted many “C” level searches for organizations where leaders are transforming/building organizations that are taking advantage of digital technologies.  He has conducted “C” level searches conducted for organizations such as Aurora Healthcare, Axalta, Catholic Health Initiatives, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Delta Dental, Dignity Health, Esurance, Kaiser Permanente, Novant Health, PG&E, Polycom, Sutter Health, Symmetricom, TE Connectivity, and Wellmark. 

Prior to his executive search experience, Tony was a Board member of three public companies and CEO of a $600 million Public Company. Before that, Tony ran a $1 billion division of a telephone company focused on corporate users and had responsibility for all data services and networking products. While at the telephone company, he was founder and Chairman of its ISP and a board member of its 2 million-subscriber cell phone subsidiary. 

Tony uses his operating experience from being a CEO, financial background as a CPA and CA, and technical knowledge from the work that he has done for Tech companies to drill down and understand at a nuanced level what his clients are seeking to achieve as they build their teams. He has written numerous papers on technology leadership and the challenges facing technology leaders today and authors a blog, ‘Resources for the Modern CIO” (www.tonyleng.com).

The core of Tony’s consulting has been with senior leaders who are seeking to transform their organizations as they face a future of rapid change, digitization, regulation, shifting markets, and increasingly connected and informed customers.

Tony has facilitated the Fisher CIO Forum for the past 12 years.  The Forum is a monthly venue for CIO’s and CTO’s to discuss topics of relevance in their daily lives, and has afforded these leaders the opportunity to develop a close network to discuss current challenges in a peer group environment on a confidential basis.  Participating companies have included: Blue Shield, Clorox, Cost Plus, Delta Dental, Dignity Health, Esurance, Facebook, FitBit, Franklin Templeton, Gap, Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, Levi Strauss, McKesson, Macys.com, Matson, Mulesoft, Okta, PG&E, Restoration Hardware, Ross Stores, Safeway, Salesforce.com, Schwab, Splunk, Uber, VMWare, and Williams-Sonoma among others. 

Tony received a Bachelor of Commerce (with honors), University of Cape Town, South Africa and is a Chartered Accountant and CPA.

Umesh is a published author and well recognized senior IT executive. Umesh currently serves as the Corporate VP and Chief Information Officer at Amkor since February 2015. Umesh has a deep background in semiconductors and IT. He began his career with Motorola Semiconductor, holding engineering and operations positions in Singapore, Phoenix and Austin from 1993-2002. He was CIO of Silicon Labs (Austin, TX) from 2002-2007, and CIO of Cree, Inc. from 2008-2015. He holds a BE degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ambedkar Marathwada University in India, an MS in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University (ASU) and an MBA from ASU. Umesh published his first IT management book, Perfect Imbalance in 2019. He is also a recipient of four prestigious CIO of the year awards – 2005 Austin CIO of the year, 2013 Triangle CIO of the Year, 2014 TTEC IT Executive of the year and Finalist of AZ CIO of the Year 2020 awards. 

 

Mike Manrod, MSISE, CCSBA, CSSBB, CISSP, Chief Information Security Officer–Mike presently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer for Grand Canyon Education, responsible for leading the security team and formulating the vision and strategy for protecting students, staff and information assets across the enterprise.  Previous experiences include serving as a threat prevention expert for Check Point and working as a consultant and analyst for other large enterprise customers.  He is also a co-author/contributor for the joint book project, Understanding New Security Threats published by Routledge in 2019.  When not exploring the implications of the rapidly evolving threat landscape or the convergence between cognitive psychology and machine learning, he spends time playing video games with his kids, practicing martial arts and cooking.    

Dina Mathers serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Carvana, where she spearheads the company\’s cybersecurity strategy. With over 15 years of experience, she brings a wealth of expertise from previous leadership roles at NortonLifeLock and American Express, where she managed a global 24/7 Security Operations Center. Mathers is recognized for her \”Security is a Team Sport\” philosophy, driving substantial security enhancements that have reduced breach likelihood and cybersecurity premiums. Her innovative security deployments have earned her industry recognition, including the CISOs Top 100 Accelerated CISOs Award. A graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Stanford University with an Advanced Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate, Mathers is committed to building inclusive teams and promoting women in cybersecurity. She actively champions diversity as the Executive Sponsor of Carvana\’s Women in Technology employee resource group and engages in industry panels to share her insights.

Amy McGrath is the Vice President of Educational Outreach and Student Services for Arizona State University and Chief Operating Officer of ASU Prep Digital, ASU’s K12 Digital learning platform. With over 15 years of experience exploring innovation and personalized learning in the field, she has a rich background which ranges from school design to marketing strategy and educational policy.  Amy is an outside of the box thinker who is dedicated to educational reform and instructional choice for all students. As the Vice President of Public Affairs at the Center for Education Reform in Washington D.C. she wrote and advocated for innovation and opportunity to be infused in all American schools, regardless of the student’s zip code. As the Chief Academic Officer at Global Personalized Academics she worked with international school leaders to understand blended learning, and at Florida Virtual School Amy was the Innovation Principal, where she was charged with testing, developing and scaling up educational technology products for the school’s six hundred thousand learners. She sits on the board for the World Series of Entrepreneurship, and Trace Academy and is passionate about redesigning the student experience from the inside out to impact academic achievement for all learners.

Amy is a University of South Florida graduate with a Bachelor’s in Social Science Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She is happily married with 3 children who keep her weekends eventful on the side-line of a soccer field. She is an active community member, and as an alumni of Leadership Orlando, she enjoys teaching business leaders around the city to step up and mentor the future workforce…using edtech mediums of course. 

Mark Morawski is currently a Managing Director – CTO for JP Chase Morgan where he is focused on the consumer and home lending space. 

Over the last 20 years Mark has held a number of senior global technology leadership roles Most recently he was the Chief Technology Officer at a high growth fintech company in Vietnam called ZaloPay where he focused on financial inclusion and innovative payment solutions across SE Asia and helped to bring them to IPO. 

Before ZaloPay, Mark was Senior Vice President of Engineering at Ticketmaster where he led the company’s transformation to digital ticketing, new business models, and scaled talent management across a large global team. He also held multiple leadership roles at American Express including Vice President and Chief Architect.

 

Joseph Pensiero was previously the Chief Information Officer at GPA Global | Packaging Solutions, overseeing IT strategy and support. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member at GENIUS VISIONARY INC, CloudRek, and AdviNOW Medical. Previously, he founded and led JDP Associates LLC, a consulting firm, and held executive roles at Axon, Sealed Air Corporation, Heineken, American Tower, and The Hartford. Joseph has a diverse educational background with degrees in Business Administration, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical/Materials Engineering.

Joe started his career as an Engineer at United Technologies and has been a continuous improvement leader and project manager on the business side for many years prior to his shift to IT. This strong business foundation allows him to better align the right technology to the business challenges he faces as an IT leader. Joe has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, a M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University, and a M.S. in Management from RPI. He is also a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Practitioner. 

Ron Schott is currently Executive Emeritus at the Arizona Technology Council (AZTC). While at AZTC Ron has held positions of President & CEO and Executive Director during transitions of leadership. Ron was also Chairman of the Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council (ATIC) and continues on that board. Prior to joining the Technology Council, Ron completed two exciting careers in Corporate America.

He retired from America Online, Inc. in 2003. While at AOL, Ron was Director of IT for AOL’s Member Services Group. He established a Development Center in Tucson, AZ responsible for Application Development, Knowledge Management Systems, MIS Systems, Web Development, Quality Assurance, Performance & Stress Testing that supported all of the AOL US and outsourced call centers with over 6,000 agents. His responsibilities spanned Data and Voice infrastructures, systems and applications.

Prior to joining AOL, Ron held Senior Management positions at IBM which spanned Operating Systems Development, Development Laboratory Technical & Management covering many technologies, industries and disciplines. He was also responsible for Technical Sales at IBM with major IBM customers in AZ and the Southwest Region.

Ron serves on the U of A College of Business MIS Industry Advisory Council and the U of A College of Engineering Industry Advisory Council. Ron also serves as a member of Phoenix Infragard and the FBI Infragard Critical Sector Council (“CSC”).  Ron is also member of the Scottsdale Pinnacle Peak Lion’s.   

Jean Shapiro is the Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Achieve Financial, where she focuses on strengthening cybersecurity within the digital personal finance sector. With a career spanning over two decades, her experience includes significant leadership roles at Banner Health, CommonSpirit Health, and Dignity Health, where she managed complex security challenges in highly regulated environments. Notably, she served as Vice President and Interim CISO at CommonSpirit Health, successfully aligning two cybersecurity organizations during a critical integration period and securing funding for key security initiatives. Shapiro\’s expertise is underpinned by a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and her Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification. Recognized by HMG Strategy and featured in Innovate Cybersecurity content, Shapiro is a respected figure in the cybersecurity community, known for her strategic acumen and commitment to robust security practices. Her extensive background and dedication to the field make her a valuable asset in safeguarding sensitive financial data.

Caren Shiozaki was EVP-CIO for TMST, Inc in Santa Fe NM. Previously she was CIO for a Dallasbased media company. She has worked internationally for Bank of America and American Express.  
 
She is Vice Chair for SIM National, and founder of the national Cybersecurity SIG. She serves on the boards for the Santa Fe Alliance for Science and the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. She judges science fairs for the Santa Fe School District. She holds professional certification in corporate governance and is a certified e-discovery specialist.  She holds a degree in Genetics from UC Berkeley. 

As a 27-year veteran in the technology industry with previous executive positions held at world-renowned hotel organizations including the Cosmopolitan and MGM Mirage, Kris has valuable experience providing enterprise-wide information technology vision and leadership, fostering innovation to enhance member services and operations for world-class private and public companies.

With her experience in building cutting-edge loyalty, rewards, offer management and CRM systems, Kris has a successful track record defining technology strategies that drive bottom line growth and achieve business goals. Her reputation for implementing transformational changes in a complex technical environment are well known and result in delivering a stable, reliable infrastructure.

Accomplished Information Security Executive and transformational CISO/CSO with a proven history of building highly effective, multi-national security organizations. Hands-on technical leader with a strong business acumen and ability to communicate with all levels of an organization. Specialist in building Innovative risk-based security programs within global organizations across multiple industries.

Specialties: Strategy, Vision, Cyber Security, Technology Risk Management, Architecture, Machine Learning, Regulation, Privacy, Compliance, Application Security, Identity and Access Management, Risk Assessments, Policy, Awareness, Investigations, Security Operations, Vulnerability Management, Enterprise Security Monitoring, Incident Handling and Response, CISSP.

Hakan is APL Logistics’s Chief Information Officer since September, 2019. APL Logistics is a global supply-chain solutions provider serving Automotive, Consumer, Industrial and Retail markets. Prior to APL Logistics, Hakan served as VP & Global Business Unit CIO at ABB, a global power and automation company, with focus on fast-cycle electrification logistics. Hakan also served in various roles at FedEx in the US and EMEA over the course of 14 years. For the last 20 years he has held executive leadership roles in Technology, Strategy, M&A, Product Development, and Professional Services in industries ranging from logistics to manufacturing and software development. Hakan was holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (Turkey) and an MBA from the University of Memphis.