Charlotte CISO Community

Build your trusted circle of C-Level peers

Leadership can be isolating at the C-Level. No one else within your organization truly understands the complexities you face. Gartner C-Level Communities are designed to bridge that gap, bringing together executives who know firsthand the demands of your role.

In the Charlotte CISO Community, you will connect with peers who are willing to share their experiences, discuss practical solutions and collaborate on emerging challenges. By joining your local community, you will gain fresh ideas and perspectives, a trusted network of peers and the support you need to lead confidently in a rapidly changing environment.

Join your local community for exclusive access to:

Peer Connections

Catch up with familiar faces and build new relationships with colleagues in your community
Strengthen your trusted professional network with peers who understand your challenges
Establish a circle of peers you can call on for real-time guidance and ongoing support

Peer Perspectives

Engage in candid, in‑depth discussions to address your most pressing priorities
Learn firsthand, practical approaches from peers navigating similar challenges
Validate your strategies through real-world peer experiences

Gartner Insights

Gain data-driven insights and field-tested best practices from Gartner analysts
Explore forward-looking strategies on critical issues affecting your role
Leverage Gartner insights and Executive Partner expertise to enrich peer conversations

Charlotte CISO Governing Body

A regional Governing Body leads the Charlotte CISO community, shaping the topics and agendas for your local programs and ensuring that all content is driven By CISOs, For CISOs®.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Ken Athanasiou

VF Corp
Global CISO

Christina Bray

Collins Aerospace
CISO

John Scrimsher

Compass Group PLC
CISO

Governing Body Members

Rick Bertoncin

Gallagher-Kaiser
Global, Security Technology & CISO & CTO

Amy Bogac

Baker Tilly International
CISO

Andrew Bowden

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
CISO

Mike Brannon

National Gypsum
Director, Infrastructure & Security

Laura Brown

ReSource Pro
Vice President, Information Security

Matthew Burroughs

Novolex
CISO

John Cahill

Premier
VP, Deputy CISO

Henry Capello

Dentsply Sirona
VP, CISO

Chase Carpenter

Honeywell
CSO

Matthew Clark

IAT Insurance Group
CISO & VP, Information Security

Valarian Couch

Planned Parenthood
Director, IS Operations

Stephen Davis

Hubbell
CISO

Frank DePaola

Enpro
VP, CISO

Max Everett

Shaw Industries
VP, Cybersecurity & IT Compliance, CISO

Jerry Fowler

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
CISO

Michael Irwin

Odyssey Logistics
CISO

Brad Johnson

Indivior
CISO

Marina Kelly

City of Raleigh, NC
CISO

Neil Khatod

Hays
Global Chief Information Security Officer

Randy Moulton

City of Charlotte, NC
Deputy CTO & CSO

John Opala

Ralph Lauren Corp
CISO

James Russ

Crane NXT
CISO

Ethan Steiger

YUM! Brands
CISO

Martin Strasburger

Duke Energy
Senior Vice President & Chief Security Officer

Marc Varner

Lowe's Companies
Global CISO

Andrew Watts

Service Logic
Director, Infrastructure & Security

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

Accelerate Exposure Management To Defend At Machine Speed
Unify AI Risk Into Existing Cyber Governance Practices
Optimize Cybersecurity Portfolios Through Outcome-Driven Investment Strategies

Upcoming Programs

In-Person

October 13, 2026 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Duke Mansion

Join fellow CIOs for dinner, discussion, and networking in a relaxed, collaborative environment.

Learn More

In-Person

February 2027 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Join fellow CIOs for dinner, discussion, and networking in a relaxed, collaborative environment.

Learn More

In-Person

June 24, 2027 | 1 day

Charlotte CISO Community Executive Summit

The Westin Charlotte

Connect with CIO peers at this one-day event focused on practical solutions to top challenges.

Learn More

In-Person

October 2027 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Join fellow CIOs for dinner, discussion, and networking in a relaxed, collaborative environment.

Learn More

Past Programs

Apply to join

Already a Member? Sign In

Each application is carefully vetted to ensure members meet established criteria, preserving the quality of the network and enabling meaningful, peer‑level discussions among leaders from the world’s leading organizations.

Once you submit your application, a Community Program Manager will schedule a conversation to understand your priorities and interests and complete onboarding, including access to year‑round community events.

Get Started

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Community Member Criteria

To maintain the highest standard of peer‑level connections and discussions, members must meet the following criteria:

• Enterprise-wide C-Level or

• Business unit or regional C-Level responsible for:

- Private sector: $500M+ in revenue

- Public sector: 1,000+ employees

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“Cybersecurity is a team sport, and the challenges we face are often more similar across industries than they are different. Gartner C-Level Communities provide a valuable forum for networking, sharing experiences, and learning from peers who are tackling many of the same issues.”

Mario Ferket, CISO
Dow Inc

"It's really about having that access to trusted peers, knowing that it's going to be a relevant conversation and then also having a voice in the community."

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO
United Airlines

“The real value is connection – getting in a room with peers who are dealing with the same pressures you are. It's a place to trade ideas, swap war stories, and be honest about what's happening in cybersecurity.”

Miro Zgavc, CISO
HomeEquity Bank

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Content from your CISO peers

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leading Transformation: Kavitha Mariappan on Building Resilience in the Age of AI

In the current AI landscape, Chief Transformation Officer Kavitha Mariappan of Rubrik says the stakes for organizations are “existential.” Here, she explains more about the shift from prevention-first thinking to resilience-first economics and why organizations should be focused on resilience gaps – her session topic at the upcoming Global CISO Community Executive Summit.

Read Article

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Trends Report: C-Level Strategies and Challenges in Operationalizing AI

This report highlights five major trends driving enterprise AI adoption, drawing on insights from 750 C-Level executives in our recent community survey. These findings reveal an executive community that is increasingly focused on execution, scalability, and sustainable business impact – Read the report.

Read Article

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Frontier AI — The New Attack Landscape

Frontier AI models now identify and weaponize vulnerabilities in near-real-time, collapsing traditional defense timelines. How can IT and security leaders strengthen their defenses? CISOs and CIOs in our Vancouver, BC Community gathered for a Town Hall discussion that explored the security frameworks required to defend against machine-speed adversaries – here are the takeaways.

Read Article

View All CISO Content

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leaders

CISO Thought Leader

Charlotte CISO Community

Build your trusted circle of C-Level peers

Charlotte CISO Governing Body

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Ken Athanasiou

Christina Bray

John Scrimsher

Governing Body Members

Rick Bertoncin

Amy Bogac

Andrew Bowden

Mike Brannon

Laura Brown

Matthew Burroughs

John Cahill

Henry Capello

Chase Carpenter

Matthew Clark

Valarian Couch

Stephen Davis

Frank DePaola

Max Everett

Jerry Fowler

Michael Irwin

Brad Johnson

Marina Kelly

Neil Khatod

Randy Moulton

John Opala

James Russ

Ethan Steiger

Martin Strasburger

Marc Varner

Andrew Watts

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

Accelerate Exposure Management To Defend At Machine Speed

Unify AI Risk Into Existing Cyber Governance Practices

Optimize Cybersecurity Portfolios Through Outcome-Driven Investment Strategies

Upcoming Programs

October 13, 2026 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Learn More

February 2027 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Learn More

June 24, 2027 | 1 day

Charlotte CISO Community Executive Summit

Learn More

October 2027 | an evening

Charlotte CISO Community Inner Circle

Learn More

Apply to join

Get Started

Community Member Criteria

My contact information is….

Form contains errors, please review the above

Thank you for your interest in the Gartner Community.

“Cybersecurity is a team sport, and the challenges we face are often more similar across industries than they are different. Gartner C-Level Communities provide a valuable forum for networking, sharing experiences, and learning from peers who are tackling many of the same issues.”

Mario Ferket, CISO Dow Inc

"It's really about having that access to trusted peers, knowing that it's going to be a relevant conversation and then also having a voice in the community."

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO United Airlines

“The real value is connection – getting in a room with peers who are dealing with the same pressures you are. It's a place to trade ideas, swap war stories, and be honest about what's happening in cybersecurity.”

Miro Zgavc, CISO HomeEquity Bank

Content from your CISO peers

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leading Transformation: Kavitha Mariappan on Building Resilience in the Age of AI

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Trends Report: C-Level Strategies and Challenges in Operationalizing AI

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Frontier AI — The New Attack Landscape

Your Community Sponsors

Mario Ferket, CISO
Dow Inc

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO
United Airlines

Miro Zgavc, CISO
HomeEquity Bank