In-Person

Atlanta CISO Community

Executive Summit

November 18, 2025 | Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

November 18, 2025
Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Atlanta'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:

Strengthening Cybersecurity Influence as a Key Facilitator of Enterprise Risk Decisions

Enhancing User Access with Smart Solutions

Charting the Future of the CISO Role Amid Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny and Organizational Shifts

Atlanta 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

Derek Benz

The Coca-Cola Company
CISO

Tim Callahan

Aflac
SVP & Global CISO

John Dickson

Insight Global
CISO

Meredith Harper

Synchrony Financial
SVP & CISO

Stacy Hughes

ABM
SVP & CISO

Bob Varnadoe

Kaiser Permanente
VP, Technology Risk Management

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 Atlanta CISO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, 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.

Agenda

November 18, 2025

8:00am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Brain-Driven Resilience — Neuro-Optimizing for Executive Edge

Megs Gelfgot headshot

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  Breakout Session

Cyber Meets Cents — Dollars, Defense, and Dynamic Duos

The partnership between the CISO and the CFO is more critical than ever. By fostering open communication and mutual understanding, the CISO and CFO can ensure cybersecurity investments are strategic, measurable, and directly tied to organizational objectives. How can these two leaders join forces to build a collaborative framework that supports both robust security postures and sound financial stewardship, ultimately propelling the organization forward with confidence?

Join this session to hear more about:

  • Strategies for bridging the communication gap between cybersecurity and finance teams
  • Approaches to quantifying cybersecurity risks and investments in financial terms
  • Best practices for aligning security initiatives with organizational growth and compliance goals

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Movers and Shakers — Mastering IAM in a Zero Trust World

Antonio Davis headshot

Antonio Davis

Information Security Director/CISO

Northeast Georgia Health System

As organizations evolve their IAM strategies, CISOs are tasked with overseeing complex processes involving third-party vendors, lifecycle management, and role definition. The shift toward Zero Trust requires a holistic approach to identity governance—encompassing workplace, workforce, and workload segmentation—to ensure secure and efficient access controls. How can CISOs refine IAM processes to support Zero Trust principles, address challenges in role transitions, and manage entitlements across dynamic environments?

Join this session to:

  • Examine strategies for implementing and governing IAM in support of Zero Trust architecture
  • Explore best practices for defining roles, managing entitlements, and solidifying lifecycle processes
  • Discuss challenges in workforce segmentation, especially in environments where professionals transition between multiple roles and require varying levels of access


9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Executive Boardroom hosted by Minimus

John Morello headshot

John Morello

CTO

Minimus

 Session details coming soon! 

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

Over the Horizon — CISOs to Chief Cyber Resilience Officers

John Murphy headshot

John Murphy

CISO

Rubrik

The CISO remit increasingly includes GenAI governance, securing cyber-physical systems, and a range of value-driving services — yet its core charge remains safeguarding operations. As breaches become inevitable and board risk appetites shift, cyber resilience will demand even greater focus. CISOs must define recovery goals, guarantee reliable backups, and restore critical services with speed — focusing on measurable resilience to earn their future role as Chief Cyber Resilience Officers.

Join this session to learn about:

  • Defining and measuring resilience for real business outcomes
  • Orchestrating reliable backup and rapid recovery strategies
  • Embedding resilience across teams as a cultural and leadership priority

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Reducing Application Delivery Tech Debt from the Inside Out

With high volumes of sensitive data now flowing through web browsers, three in five organizations say data leakage is likely given current IT and security infrastructures. Stop playing catch-up. Discover new approaches to enterprise operations to reduce risk while simplifying operations.

Join this session to discover:

  • How disparate IT and security solutions create technical debt
  • What challenges impact internal and end user stakeholders
  • How simplifying IT can strengthen security, and boost productivity

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Ransomware Reality Check — From Panic to Preparedness

Sridhar Prabhakaran headshot

Sridhar Prabhakaran

CISO

WK Kellogg Co

Ransomware attacks remain a top concern for organizations, posing significant risks to business continuity, reputation, and regulatory compliance. As attackers use increasingly sophisticated tactics to exploit vulnerabilities across networks and supply chains, organizations must go beyond prevention and detection to ensure effective response and recovery. This includes comprehensive incident response planning, reliable data backup and restoration, clear communication protocols, and coordination with law enforcement and third-party partners. Building resilience against ransomware also requires strong executive leadership and ongoing business continuity planning to minimize operational and financial impact.

Join this session to:

  • Understand the latest ransomware attack vectors and real-world incident case studies
  • Learn actionable strategies for prevention, response, and recovery, including effective incident response planning and data restoration
  • Gain insights into building organizational resilience, from business continuity planning to executive leadership and external collaboration

11:55am - 12:30pm  Lunch Service

12:30pm - 1:05pm  Keynote

Zero Trust & AI — Strengthening Security, Reducing Complexity, and Driving Innovation

Jay Chaudhry headshot

Jay Chaudhry

CEO, Chairman & Founder

Zscaler

Businesses stand to benefit from AI in unprecedented ways, but only if security leaders overcome transformation challenges. This includes implementing a modern zero trust architecture to protect data and users, embracing AI while managing its risks, and handling the technical and financial implications of ever-expanding environments. A risk-based approach to security ensures CISOs deliver a secure, phased transformation.

Join this session to:

  • Understand how zero trust and AI together, unlike firewalls, provide the strongest cyber defense by stopping threat actors from lateral movement within networks
  • Learn strategies for protecting AI applications developed in data centers and the cloud, while preventing data leaks from public AI applications
  • Discover how eliminating costly legacy hardware simplifies environments while cutting network and security costs

1:05pm - 1:30pm  Break

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Executive Boardroom

Beyond the Firewall — Navigating Overextension and Embracing the Unexpected

Whitfield Samuel headshot

Whitfield Samuel

CISO

Georgia State University

Tamika Bass headshot

Tamika Bass

Director, Cybersecurity

Gannett Fleming

Alicia Clarke headshot

Alicia Clarke

Director, Cyber Security, Risk, Privacy & Compliance

PGA TOUR Superstore

Faced with constant high-stress situations, CISOs are at the forefront of managing complex threats and safeguarding organizational assets. The relentless pressures and demands of the role can lead to overextending oneself, causing many to question their future beyond the CISO position. However, by focusing on well-being and exploring new opportunities, CISOs can sustain their resilience, envision fulfilling career paths, and continue making meaningful contributions. How can CISOs begin to gain insights into maintaining well-being and charting a rewarding path after their tenure?

oin this session to:

  • Identify the symptoms and causes of depletion specific to CISOs and learn strategies for resilience and self-care
  • Explore proactive measures for anticipating and managing unexpected cybersecurity crises

  • Discuss potential career pathways and opportunities for leveraging CISO experience in diverse roles beyond cybersecurity leadership

2:15pm - 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 Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Wired & Inspired — Securing IT/OT in a Connected World

Scott Kelly headshot

Scott Kelly

VP, Infrastructure & Security

RPC

As IT and OT systems converge, CISOs must address new security risks and complexities. This session explores the unique challenges of IT/OT integration and offers practical strategies to protect critical infrastructure in an interconnected world.

Join this session to:

  • Review key IT/OT cyber threats and real-world incidents
  • Learn governance and collaboration best practices
  • Get actionable steps to improve visibility and response

3:45pm - 4:00pm  Networking Break

4:35pm - 4:45pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

November 18, 2025

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

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

Venue & Accommodation

Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
More Information

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 888-627-8407 . Please mention Gartner Atlanta Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $199 USD (plus tax) is October 27, 2025.

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leader

CISO Thought Leader

Key Sponsors

Program Sponsor

Community Program Manager

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

Kimberly Lewis

Sr. Community Program Manager

9723450198

kimberly.lewis@gartner.com