
San Francisco CISO Community
Executive Summit
November 5, 2025 | Grand Hyatt at SFO
November 5, 2025
Grand Hyatt at SFO
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with San Francisco'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:
Maximizing Emerging Technologies for Strategic Advantage
Building Cyber Resilience to Withstand and Quickly Recover from Attacks
Recalculating Risk Appetites Across the C-Suite and Strengthening Relationships Accordingly
San Francisco 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

Krishnan Chellakarai
Gilead Sciences
CISO, Head of Information Security & Data Privacy

Bryan Green
Andreessen Horowitz
CISO

Mandy Huth
Ultra Clean Technology
SVP, CISO

Jeremiah Kung
AppLovin
CISO

Leda Muller
Stanford University
Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer

Kannan Perumal
Applied Materials
Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer

Jeff Trudeau
Chime
VP, CIO & CSO

David Tugwell
Agilent Technologies
AVP/CISO
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Brain-Driven Resilience — Neuro-Optimizing for Executive Edge

Megs Gelfgot
Two-time founder, TEDx, International and Fortune 500 speaker on neuroscience & resilience
Guest Speaker
In the high-stakes arena of billion-dollar enterprises, resilience isn't just an asset; it's a necessity. Learn how elite athletes, Navy SEALs, and top executives leverage cutting-edge neuroscience and cognitive training to elevate their relationship with adversity to yield more resilient outcomes. Cognitive training can help boost executive function and enhance decision making under pressure.
Join Megs Gelfgot, Tedx speaker and two-time founder, as she shares:
- Hacks for gaining a competitive edge
- Tactical resilience leadership strategies
- Ways to mitigate symptoms of cognitive decline
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Gartner Breakout Session
Leveling Up from Security Leader to Business Influencer

Ash Ahuja
VP, Global Role Lead & Executive Partner, Security & Risk Management
Gartner
With constant innovation in AI and other technologies, CISOs face questions from the C-Suite and the board that are more high stakes than ever. But high-pressure moments can also be opportunities to shine—transforming a technical security leader into a persuasive, savvy CISO who can win over even the toughest executives.
Join this session to learn about:
- Mastering communication by speaking the language of business & improving storytelling
- Championing cybersecurity business cases—even when the budget stakes are high
- Delivering presentations that pack a punch, leaving everyone in the room feeling invested in your vision
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Outsmarting Insider Threats — Evolving Tactics in Workforce Infiltration

Jackson Muhirwe
CISO
University of California - Santa Barbara
As foreign operatives infiltrate organizations under false identities, traditional hiring and security processes are being tested like never before. This session will dissect real-world attack chains, highlight subtle red flags and technical indicators, and offer actionable strategies for cross-functional response and risk mitigation. Walk away with practical tools to detect, disrupt and prevent these sophisticated insider threats.
Join this talk to learn:
- Proven methods to identify behavioral and technical warning signs during hiring and employment
- Effective cross-functional controls and incident response strategies for rapid mitigation
- Best practices for strengthening organizational resilience through training, ID verification and stakeholder alignment
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Authenticating Domains to Prevent Brand Impersonation
Hosted by Abnormal AI

Patricia Titus
Field CISO
Abnormal AI

Allison Henry
CISO
University of California - Berkeley

Kevin Dunne
COO
Valimail
Cybercriminals now use advanced tools to launch convincing, large-scale phishing attacks. Enterprises must adopt modern defenses that detect subtle anomalies in communication and authenticate domain identities to block brand impersonation. Combining behavioral analysis with robust authentication keeps organizations resilient, protects employees, and secures brand reputation.
Join this roundtable to discuss:
- Deploying behavioral analysis to detect phishing
- Authenticating domains to prevent impersonation
- Strengthening organizational resilience against threats
10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break
10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
Generative to Agentic — Is The Risk Worth The Evolution?
Hosted by Elastic

Mandy Andress
CISO
Elastic
GenAI is changing rapidly, and the next major step is agentic AI — systems that are capable of taking actions without human oversight. This brings a new level of complexity, but there are benefits for security teams as well. Security leaders are now exploring the value and risk of agentic AI to determine how to advance safely.
Join Elastic’s security leadership to explore:
- The use of GenAI in security and how it's advanced to meet different team needs
- How AI adoption changes your attack surface
- The different ways AI augments security teams and workflows
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Interactive Insights — CISOs Tackling AI and Data Challenges
CISOs face unprecedented challenges and opportunities brought by agentic AI and robust data governance. Discuss pressing issues, share actionable strategies, and learn from the collective experience of their peers. Through facilitated dialogue, CISOs can explore best practices for responsible AI deployment, data stewardship, and organizational resilience.
Join this dynamic, interactive activity for:
- Practical solutions and real-world perspectives on agentic AI and data governance
- Opportunities to connect for continued support and shared learning
- A collaborative community focused on advancing security leadership
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Looking to the FUTURE — What's Next and Where Will We Get Left Behind?

Sekhar Nagasundaram
Global Head of Cyber Defense and Threat Management and SVP Technology - Cybersecurity
Elevance Health
As we look toward 2026 and 2027, the futurist landscape extends beyond AI, with breakthroughs in areas like synthetic biology, quantum computing, and climate adaptation reshaping business possibilities. However, we’ve given less thought to challenges such as ethical governance, psychological impacts of technology, and the resilience of global supply chains. To stay ahead, organizations must expand their foresight, anticipate overlooked trends, and foster adaptability. By thinking broadly and planning proactively, businesses can better navigate uncertainty and seize emerging opportunities.
Join this discussion to:
- Identify underexplored trends and technologies that could disrupt your industry in the next 2-3 years
- Learn strategies for building organizational resilience and adaptability amid rapid changes
- Explore actionable foresight tools of resilience for your business across operations, talent, and innovation
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
12:00pm - 12:25pm Networking Break
Empowerment Exchange – Building Inclusive Connections

Mandy Huth
SVP, CISO
Ultra Clean Technology
Women, non-binary, and allied cyber leaders are invited to eat lunch in our reserved Networking space. Hosted by members of the Atlanta CISO community, this session will feature an interactive discussion on empowerment in the workplace and navigating different scenarios as women and allies. Attendees will have the opportunity to share best practices, explore key challenges, and collaboratively develop strategies for fostering inclusive and empowered environments before heading over to the midday keynote.
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the San Francisco CISO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Grand Hyatt at SFOCancellation policy:
To avoid cancellation fees, guests may cancel their reservation by 3:00pm Hotel-time, 1 Day before arrival. Guaranteed reservations not cancelled within the 24 hours prior to arrival will be billed to the guest.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Grand Hyatt at SFO at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 650-502-6303.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $299 USD (plus tax) is October 13, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.