IN-PERSON

Calgary CISO Executive Summit

June 18, 2024 | BMO Centre at Stampede Park

June 18, 2024
BMO Centre at Stampede Park

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Calgary's top CISOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CISOs today:

Increasing operational efficiencies and productivity within cybersecurity strategies

Making data-driven decisions to move digital business priorities forward

Using AI to improve processes and efficiencies while keeping up with the changing landscape

Calgary CISO Governing Body


The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven by CISOs, for CISOs.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Ross Ballendine

Trimac Transportation
Vice President Information Technology

Jan Bradley

City of Calgary
Chief Information Technology Officer

Shaun Guthrie

Peavey Industries
SVP Peavey Technology & eCommerce

Kelly Hill

Keyera Corp
Vice President, Information Technology

Jason Hinchliff

Cenovus Energy Inc.
CDIO, Vice President Data & IT

Catherine Mendonsa

Finning
CISO, Director Information Systems Security & Enterprise Architecture

What to Expect

Interactive Sessions

Hear from CISO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.

Community Networking

Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Calgary CISO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Evanta's Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda


June 17, 2024

June 18, 2024

6:00pm - 8:30pm  Networking

Governing Body Welcome Reception

Join us for a night of delicious cuisine and a friendly competition. Your Japanese culinary skills will be put to the test during a 30-minute sushi-making competition. There will be a demonstration before participants are split into teams to craft the most enticing dish. Each team's dish will be judged and eligible to win a special prize.

7:45am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Leading Resilient Teams Through Unpredictable Adversity

Lisa Thompson headshot

Lisa Thompson

Author of "Finding Elevation: Fear and Courage on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain"

Guest Speaker

Lisa Thompson is a high-altitude mountaineer and former healthcare executive who beat cancer months before standing on the summit of Everest. Lisa later became the first all-American woman to summit K2, which is considered the deadliest mountain in the world. In her talks and book, “Finding Elevation,” Lisa shares the experience of climbing the toughest mountains in the world and the importance of teamwork, resilience and defining boundaries.

Join this keynote session to learn about the importance of:

  • Embracing change and overcoming challenges
  • Creating a supportive environment inside and outside the office
  • Defining clear roles and goals to build a strong, communicative team

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Uncovering and Navigating Today's Top Security Concerns

Art Ehuan headshot

Art Ehuan

VP, Cyber Risk and Resilience Management

Palo Alto Networks

Your mission is to keep your organization resilient against rising threats and build a strong security culture. However, staying ahead of sophisticated threat actors and reducing your organization's risk is a challenge. Understanding the current threat landscape and your attack surface is crucial to preparing for today's most significant risks.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Unit42's first-hand incident response case experience and threat intelligence
  • Ransomware and other prevalent attack trends, methods, and techniques that allow attackers to damage and exploit your organization
  • Communicating risk with leadership, the board, and regulators

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Optimize Application Rationalization to Reduce Cost

Eric Helmer headshot

Eric Helmer

SVP & Chief Technology Officer

Rimini Street

Lindsay Peterson headshot

Lindsay Peterson

Director, Global IT Infrastructure and Security

Enerflex

CIOs are balancing an ever-increasing number of service providers which requires a strong vendor and application rationalization integrated into strategic decision-making. In order to allocate more funds towards innovation and differentiation initiatives, mission-critical systems need to be optimized, cost effective, and flexible.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Incorporate effective contract management
  • Strategies to avoid vendor lock-in
  • Financially optimizing the vendor portfolio

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Organizational Risk Mitigation — Protecting Humans from Themselves

Brian Reed headshot

Brian Reed

Senior Director, Cybersecurity Strategy

Proofpoint

Graham Churcher headshot

Graham Churcher

Director, Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure

ENMAX Corporation

Kevin Mckay headshot

Kevin Mckay

IT Security Manager

City of Edmonton

Lindsay Bilkoski headshot

Lindsay Bilkoski

Director Risk Services & Chief Compliance Officer

Connect First Credit Union

Sometimes it's hard to see a future beyond ransomware, BEC and data loss. But how do we not only ensure our cyber defense teams and the workforce they protect stay afloat in the current risk landscape, while simultaneously building toward future consolidation and risk mitigation scenarios?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Developing a human risk framework
  • Moving human-centric security controls from reactive and manual to proactive and automated
  • Leveraging AI to protect humans from themselves

10:25am - 11:05am  Networking Break

10:30am - 10:55am  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

Preparing for Battle — Getting Ahead of Security Challenges of Tomorrow

David Porter headshot

David Porter

Head of Customer Value & Transformation Advisory

Google Cloud

When it comes to GenAI and nascent technologies being rapidly adopted, CIOs and CISOs must be proactive and thorough in their planning efforts and essentially attempt to predict the future. Today, we know data, access control, and IP must be protected while delighting users amid a changing threat landscape. But what does tomorrow bring?

Join this session to explore:

  • How to take advantage of the AI opportunity while also developing a foundationally secure enterprise
  • Ways to ensure your data, policies, and practices are clean and secure to minimize the risk of AI usage
  • Developing guidelines and policies for enabling business leaders, employees, and customers to realize the AI opportunity

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

Navigating Cybersecurity's New Frontiers — Strategies for Resilience and Risk Mitigation

Peter Smetny headshot

Peter Smetny

Regional Vice President, Systems Engineering

Fortinet

Winn Tran headshot

Winn Tran

VP, IT

EECOL Electric

Howard Plato headshot

Howard Plato

Manager, Information Systems

Strathcona Resources

In 2024, CISOs face a cybersecurity landscape characterized by evolving challenges and transformative opportunities. Whether balancing the risks and rewards of innovation, investing in proactive threat prevention, automation and AI, or adopting nimble security models that reduce attack surfaces – the right cybersecurity strategies can enhance resilience and help mitigate risks amid rapid change.

Join this session to learn:

  • Crafting cybersecurity strategies for resilience
  • Mitigating cybersecurity risks in a shifting landscape
  • Optimizing team talent and resources to maximize protection

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

Data IS Your Business

Eric Chang headshot

Eric Chang

CTO

Rubrik

Catherine Mendonsa headshot

Catherine Mendonsa

CISO, Director Information Systems Security & Enterprise Architecture

Finning

Peter Collins headshot

Peter Collins

Director, Information Technology

MEG Energy Corp.

In these times of rapid technological advancement, data stands as the cornerstone of innovation. Executives are focusing even more on data and AI to push digital business initiatives forward.

Gather with your C-level peers to:

  • Determine who in your organization owns the data
  • Optimize data to be AI ready
  • Discuss how automation and agility can be accomplished through tooling or processes

11:50am - 12:35pm  Lunch Service

12:35pm - 1:10pm  Keynote

Optimizing for Agility — Network and Security Convergence

Steve Riley headshot

Steve Riley

VP & Field CTO

Netskope

Integrating a complex ecosystem across all security areas can optimize defenses without simplifying adversaries’ challenges. This approach balances robust security with efficiency, crucial for navigating generative AI and tech advancements. Achieving this requires strategic selection and consolidation of platforms to enhance agility, reduce risk, and maintain cost-effectiveness.

In this session, you’ll learn:

  • The composition of an effective security architecture
  • Value you can derive from a converged networking and security platform
  • Common consolidation mistakes people make and how to avoid them

1:10pm - 1:35pm  Break

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

The Art of Data Security — Protecting Your Most Important Asset

Lamont Orange headshot

Lamont Orange

CISO

Cyera

As a security leader, you’re asked to find ways to securely enable your business to use data to drive innovation and become a data master. But this takes a fundamental understanding of what data exists within your environment, where it's running, its risk level, who has access to it, and how it's being used. Join Lamont Orange, CISO of Cyera, for this interactive discussion on the challenges and solutions CISOs use to discover their data attack surface, monitor, detect and respond to data threats, including the scope of breach identification, as well as ensure data compliance.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Gaining data visibility as a foundation for data governance
  • Managing the evolving landscape of laws, regulations and industry standards around data security
  • Working with the right tools and teams across a shared responsibility model to ensure compliance

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

Interactive Session — Which Side are You On?

Penny Rae headshot

Penny Rae

CIO

Alberta Health Services

Join a friendly discussion and debate with peers to challenge your ideas on cloud and security ease of access. Explore the concept of polarity and determine if you can have the best of both worlds.

Join this session to:

  • Build community through interactivity
  • Expand your thinking on polarizing topics
  • Understand the journey your peers are on

2:20pm - 3:00pm  Networking Break

2:25pm - 2:50pm  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Breakout Session

Mastering Cybersecurity and Network Challenges with SASE

Timor Sherf headshot

Timor Sherf

Field CTO

Cato Networks

CIOs and CISOs face significant IT security challenges in managing complexity, risk, and limited resources. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) converges network and security functions into a single, cloud-delivered service, addressing increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats and regulatory demands, while enabling seamless, autonomous management. A cloud-native platform approach to SASE reduces vulnerabilities, delivers robust security, and provides 360-degree visibility to support business growth and compliance. Gain practical insights from real-world case studies to transform your IT strategy, optimize ROI, and mitigate risk.

This session will address critical concerns, and answer key questions including:

  • How can I improve network performance and agility without compromising security?
  • How can I build cyber resilience and manage risk?
  • How can I optimize security investments and combat resource constraints?

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Are you Thinking Too Small About Sustainable IT Strategy?

John Schutte headshot

John Schutte

Director, Information Technology

Calgary Catholic School Division

Janine Maynard headshot

Janine Maynard

Director, Technology Operations

Parkland

Technology is at the heart of an organization's sustainability transformation. Gartner expects that by 2027, 25% of CIO’s compensation will be linked to their sustainable technology impact. But focusing only on the sustainability of internal IT operations (“sustainable IT”) is too narrow a way to think about sustainable technology. As sustainable technology has the potential to facilitate new business models and tech-enabled products, how can CIOs make the right decisions when defining IT strategies with sustainability in mind and create an effective sustainable technology portfolio?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Understanding the business priority around sustainability, and what CIOs can actually control
  • Defining your role in driving sustainability across the organization
  • Evolving your teams mindset to drive momentum around sustainable initiatives

3:45pm - 4:10pm  Break

4:10pm - 4:45pm  Keynote

Embracing Innovation Through GenAI Use Cases

Jeneane Whyte headshot

Jeneane Whyte

Director, Information and Cybersecurity

Cenovus Energy

Greg Widmeyer headshot

Greg Widmeyer

Director of Technology

DIALOG Design

The present moment is unlocking GenAI's transformative power, but maturity across organizations varies. Technology executives are now looking to discuss GenAI use cases and organizational readiness.

Join this session to hear from executives who have:

  • Implemented practical use cases
  • Created an environment that’s AI ready
  • Considered security components for AI implementation

4:45pm - 5:00pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

6:00pm - 8:30pm  Networking

Governing Body Welcome Reception

Join us for a night of delicious cuisine and a friendly competition. Your Japanese culinary skills will be put to the test during a 30-minute sushi-making competition. There will be a demonstration before participants are split into teams to craft the most enticing dish. Each team's dish will be judged and eligible to win a special prize.

7:45am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Leading Resilient Teams Through Unpredictable Adversity

Lisa Thompson headshot

Lisa Thompson

Author of "Finding Elevation: Fear and Courage on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain"

Guest Speaker

Lisa Thompson is a high-altitude mountaineer and former healthcare executive who beat cancer months before standing on the summit of Everest. Lisa later became the first all-American woman to summit K2, which is considered the deadliest mountain in the world. In her talks and book, “Finding Elevation,” Lisa shares the experience of climbing the toughest mountains in the world and the importance of teamwork, resilience and defining boundaries.

Join this keynote session to learn about the importance of:

  • Embracing change and overcoming challenges
  • Creating a supportive environment inside and outside the office
  • Defining clear roles and goals to build a strong, communicative team

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Uncovering and Navigating Today's Top Security Concerns

Art Ehuan headshot

Art Ehuan

VP, Cyber Risk and Resilience Management

Palo Alto Networks

Your mission is to keep your organization resilient against rising threats and build a strong security culture. However, staying ahead of sophisticated threat actors and reducing your organization's risk is a challenge. Understanding the current threat landscape and your attack surface is crucial to preparing for today's most significant risks.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Unit42's first-hand incident response case experience and threat intelligence
  • Ransomware and other prevalent attack trends, methods, and techniques that allow attackers to damage and exploit your organization
  • Communicating risk with leadership, the board, and regulators

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Optimize Application Rationalization to Reduce Cost

Eric Helmer headshot

Eric Helmer

SVP & Chief Technology Officer

Rimini Street

Lindsay Peterson headshot

Lindsay Peterson

Director, Global IT Infrastructure and Security

Enerflex

CIOs are balancing an ever-increasing number of service providers which requires a strong vendor and application rationalization integrated into strategic decision-making. In order to allocate more funds towards innovation and differentiation initiatives, mission-critical systems need to be optimized, cost effective, and flexible.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Incorporate effective contract management
  • Strategies to avoid vendor lock-in
  • Financially optimizing the vendor portfolio

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Organizational Risk Mitigation — Protecting Humans from Themselves

Brian Reed headshot

Brian Reed

Senior Director, Cybersecurity Strategy

Proofpoint

Graham Churcher headshot

Graham Churcher

Director, Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure

ENMAX Corporation

Kevin Mckay headshot

Kevin Mckay

IT Security Manager

City of Edmonton

Lindsay Bilkoski headshot

Lindsay Bilkoski

Director Risk Services & Chief Compliance Officer

Connect First Credit Union

Sometimes it's hard to see a future beyond ransomware, BEC and data loss. But how do we not only ensure our cyber defense teams and the workforce they protect stay afloat in the current risk landscape, while simultaneously building toward future consolidation and risk mitigation scenarios?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Developing a human risk framework
  • Moving human-centric security controls from reactive and manual to proactive and automated
  • Leveraging AI to protect humans from themselves

10:25am - 11:05am  Networking Break

10:30am - 10:55am  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

Preparing for Battle — Getting Ahead of Security Challenges of Tomorrow

David Porter headshot

David Porter

Head of Customer Value & Transformation Advisory

Google Cloud

When it comes to GenAI and nascent technologies being rapidly adopted, CIOs and CISOs must be proactive and thorough in their planning efforts and essentially attempt to predict the future. Today, we know data, access control, and IP must be protected while delighting users amid a changing threat landscape. But what does tomorrow bring?

Join this session to explore:

  • How to take advantage of the AI opportunity while also developing a foundationally secure enterprise
  • Ways to ensure your data, policies, and practices are clean and secure to minimize the risk of AI usage
  • Developing guidelines and policies for enabling business leaders, employees, and customers to realize the AI opportunity

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

Navigating Cybersecurity's New Frontiers — Strategies for Resilience and Risk Mitigation

Peter Smetny headshot

Peter Smetny

Regional Vice President, Systems Engineering

Fortinet

Winn Tran headshot

Winn Tran

VP, IT

EECOL Electric

Howard Plato headshot

Howard Plato

Manager, Information Systems

Strathcona Resources

In 2024, CISOs face a cybersecurity landscape characterized by evolving challenges and transformative opportunities. Whether balancing the risks and rewards of innovation, investing in proactive threat prevention, automation and AI, or adopting nimble security models that reduce attack surfaces – the right cybersecurity strategies can enhance resilience and help mitigate risks amid rapid change.

Join this session to learn:

  • Crafting cybersecurity strategies for resilience
  • Mitigating cybersecurity risks in a shifting landscape
  • Optimizing team talent and resources to maximize protection

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

Data IS Your Business

Eric Chang headshot

Eric Chang

CTO

Rubrik

Catherine Mendonsa headshot

Catherine Mendonsa

CISO, Director Information Systems Security & Enterprise Architecture

Finning

Peter Collins headshot

Peter Collins

Director, Information Technology

MEG Energy Corp.

In these times of rapid technological advancement, data stands as the cornerstone of innovation. Executives are focusing even more on data and AI to push digital business initiatives forward.

Gather with your C-level peers to:

  • Determine who in your organization owns the data
  • Optimize data to be AI ready
  • Discuss how automation and agility can be accomplished through tooling or processes

11:50am - 12:35pm  Lunch Service

12:35pm - 1:10pm  Keynote

Optimizing for Agility — Network and Security Convergence

Steve Riley headshot

Steve Riley

VP & Field CTO

Netskope

Integrating a complex ecosystem across all security areas can optimize defenses without simplifying adversaries’ challenges. This approach balances robust security with efficiency, crucial for navigating generative AI and tech advancements. Achieving this requires strategic selection and consolidation of platforms to enhance agility, reduce risk, and maintain cost-effectiveness.

In this session, you’ll learn:

  • The composition of an effective security architecture
  • Value you can derive from a converged networking and security platform
  • Common consolidation mistakes people make and how to avoid them

1:10pm - 1:35pm  Break

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

The Art of Data Security — Protecting Your Most Important Asset

Lamont Orange headshot

Lamont Orange

CISO

Cyera

As a security leader, you’re asked to find ways to securely enable your business to use data to drive innovation and become a data master. But this takes a fundamental understanding of what data exists within your environment, where it's running, its risk level, who has access to it, and how it's being used. Join Lamont Orange, CISO of Cyera, for this interactive discussion on the challenges and solutions CISOs use to discover their data attack surface, monitor, detect and respond to data threats, including the scope of breach identification, as well as ensure data compliance.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Gaining data visibility as a foundation for data governance
  • Managing the evolving landscape of laws, regulations and industry standards around data security
  • Working with the right tools and teams across a shared responsibility model to ensure compliance

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

Interactive Session — Which Side are You On?

Penny Rae headshot

Penny Rae

CIO

Alberta Health Services

Join a friendly discussion and debate with peers to challenge your ideas on cloud and security ease of access. Explore the concept of polarity and determine if you can have the best of both worlds.

Join this session to:

  • Build community through interactivity
  • Expand your thinking on polarizing topics
  • Understand the journey your peers are on

2:20pm - 3:00pm  Networking Break

2:25pm - 2:50pm  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Breakout Session

Mastering Cybersecurity and Network Challenges with SASE

Timor Sherf headshot

Timor Sherf

Field CTO

Cato Networks

CIOs and CISOs face significant IT security challenges in managing complexity, risk, and limited resources. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) converges network and security functions into a single, cloud-delivered service, addressing increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats and regulatory demands, while enabling seamless, autonomous management. A cloud-native platform approach to SASE reduces vulnerabilities, delivers robust security, and provides 360-degree visibility to support business growth and compliance. Gain practical insights from real-world case studies to transform your IT strategy, optimize ROI, and mitigate risk.

This session will address critical concerns, and answer key questions including:

  • How can I improve network performance and agility without compromising security?
  • How can I build cyber resilience and manage risk?
  • How can I optimize security investments and combat resource constraints?

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Are you Thinking Too Small About Sustainable IT Strategy?

John Schutte headshot

John Schutte

Director, Information Technology

Calgary Catholic School Division

Janine Maynard headshot

Janine Maynard

Director, Technology Operations

Parkland

Technology is at the heart of an organization's sustainability transformation. Gartner expects that by 2027, 25% of CIO’s compensation will be linked to their sustainable technology impact. But focusing only on the sustainability of internal IT operations (“sustainable IT”) is too narrow a way to think about sustainable technology. As sustainable technology has the potential to facilitate new business models and tech-enabled products, how can CIOs make the right decisions when defining IT strategies with sustainability in mind and create an effective sustainable technology portfolio?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Understanding the business priority around sustainability, and what CIOs can actually control
  • Defining your role in driving sustainability across the organization
  • Evolving your teams mindset to drive momentum around sustainable initiatives

3:45pm - 4:10pm  Break

4:10pm - 4:45pm  Keynote

Embracing Innovation Through GenAI Use Cases

Jeneane Whyte headshot

Jeneane Whyte

Director, Information and Cybersecurity

Cenovus Energy

Greg Widmeyer headshot

Greg Widmeyer

Director of Technology

DIALOG Design

The present moment is unlocking GenAI's transformative power, but maturity across organizations varies. Technology executives are now looking to discuss GenAI use cases and organizational readiness.

Join this session to hear from executives who have:

  • Implemented practical use cases
  • Created an environment that’s AI ready
  • Considered security components for AI implementation

4:45pm - 5:00pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

June 17, 2024

June 18, 2024

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering


Evanta cares about the health and safety of our community. Please review the following recommendations prior to attending the gathering.

Location


Venue & Accommodation

BMO Centre at Stampede Park
MORE INFORMATION

Your Community Partners


CIO Thought Leader
CISO Thought Leaders
Key Partners
Program Partners
HOST PARTNER

Community Program Manager


For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Aislin Courtis

Community Program Manager

503-407-4886

aislin.courtis@evanta.com