Derek Fisher is a cybersecurity leader, educator, author, and application security strategist with nearly 30 years of experience spanning engineering, software security, and enterprise cyber defense. He currently serves as the Director of the Cyber Defense and Information Assurance Program at Temple University, Philadelphia, where he leads the development of industry-aligned cybersecurity education and mentors the next generation of cyber professionals. He also teaches secure software development, emphasizing the integration of security throughout the software development lifecycle.

Before joining academia, Derek held senior cybersecurity leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase and Envestnet, where he established and expanded enterprise product security programs, strengthened vulnerability management capabilities, and guided large-scale cloud security initiatives. His work has enabled organizations across finance, healthcare, defense, and commercial sectors to embed security into their products while supporting business innovation and digital transformation.

A recognized thought leader in application security, Derek is the author of The Application Security Program Handbook and the Alicia Connected cybersecurity book series. He actively contributes to the cybersecurity community through technical publications, conference presentations, educational content, and mentoring initiatives. Passionate about advancing cyber resilience, Derek advocates for a practical, business-driven approach to security—one that empowers organizations to innovate securely while preparing future professionals to address the evolving threat landscape.

Andrea Lawrence is a cybersecurity professional, educator, researcher, and governance specialist with extensive experience spanning academia, government, and enterprise security. Her expertise includes cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance (GRC), information assurance, cyber resilience, artificial intelligence, and workforce development.

Andrea serves as a full-time Computer Information Systems Instructor at North Georgia Technical College, where she teaches cybersecurity, networking, operating systems, systems analysis, and database management. Passionate about developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, she combines real-world industry experience with practical, hands-on education that bridges the gap between academic learning and evolving industry requirements.

Before transitioning to higher education, Andrea supported U.S. Department of Defense environments, leading security compliance initiatives, Risk Management Framework (RMF) implementation, vulnerability management, security operations, and information assurance programs. She has also held systems administration and information technology roles across both government and higher education institutions.

Andrea holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Technology and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Information Technology (DIT), where her research focuses on the adoption of artificial intelligence within cybersecurity education. An active member of ISACA and Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), she is committed to advancing cyber awareness, mentoring future professionals, promoting diversity in technology, and strengthening organizational resilience through innovation, education, and collaborative leadership.

Helen Popp serves as the Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Diplomacy at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she leads Estonia’s international engagement on cyber diplomacy, digital security, and global cyber policy. With extensive experience across European institutions, diplomatic missions, and government, she has established herself as a respected voice in international cybersecurity and digital governance.

Prior to her current role, Helen served as a Cyber Policy expert at the European External Action Service (EEAS), contributing to the European Union’s external cyber policy and international cooperation initiatives. She also headed an office within the European Parliament, gaining valuable insight into European policymaking and institutional affairs.

Her diplomatic experience includes serving as Digital Policy and Economic Counsellor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C., where she strengthened transatlantic collaboration on digital innovation, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. Earlier in her career, she worked as Cyber Coordinator at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, helping shape Estonia’s international cyber engagement and advancing cooperation with global partners.

Throughout her career, Helen has played an active role in promoting secure digital transformation, international cyber resilience, and multilateral collaboration. Her expertise spans cyber diplomacy, international cybersecurity policy, digital governance, EU external relations, and strategic partnerships, making her a distinguished contributor to discussions on the future of cybersecurity and international digital cooperation.

Dr. Fabio Ruini is the Global Plants Cybersecurity Manager at Barilla Group, where he leads the cybersecurity transformation programme for the company’s global manufacturing operations across 30 production sites spanning three continents. He is responsible for defining and governing the cybersecurity strategy for industrial environments, ensuring alignment between cyber risk, operational resilience, business continuity, and regulatory requirements.

With extensive experience across both IT and OT cybersecurity, Dr. Ruini has led strategic initiatives in cyber risk governance, industrial security architecture, OT threat detection, secure remote access, endpoint protection, and the implementation of scalable security frameworks for complex multinational manufacturing environments. His work focuses on strengthening the resilience of critical industrial operations while enabling secure digital transformation.

In addition to his corporate leadership role, Dr. Ruini serves as an Independent Cybersecurity Expert for the European Commission, contributing to the evaluation and review of projects under the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe. Through this work, he supports initiatives that enhance Europe’s cybersecurity capabilities, resilience, and technological sovereignty.

Dr. Ruini holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and is a commissioned officer in the Italian Army Selected Reserve, holding the rank of Captain. His areas of expertise include industrial cybersecurity, OT security governance, cyber risk management, operational resilience, critical infrastructure protection, NIS2 compliance, and enterprise cybersecurity strategy, making him a respected voice in the field of global cybersecurity leadership.

Dr. Leila Taghizadeh is a globally recognized cybersecurity executive with extensive experience in cyber risk management, information security, and technology governance. She currently serves as CISO IberoLatAm at Allianz, where she leads cybersecurity strategy and risk initiatives across the region, helping organizations strengthen resilience against evolving digital threats.

With more than a decade of experience, Dr. Taghizadeh has advised executive leadership and boards on enterprise cyber risk, while leading large-scale security programmes and technology risk initiatives. Her expertise spans cyber risk strategy, security governance, operational resilience, and the implementation of enterprise cybersecurity frameworks for global organizations.

A recognized authority in post-quantum cryptography (PQC), she is currently completing her second PhD in this field and actively contributes to shaping the future of quantum-safe cybersecurity. She chairs PQC working groups within the Charter of Trust and the European Financial Roundtable, and serves as a Committee Member of the Quantum Safe Financial Forum, collaborating with industry leaders to advance quantum-resilient security strategies for the financial sector.

Dr. Taghizadeh is a frequent speaker at international conferences, where she shares insights on cyber resilience, emerging technologies, quantum-safe security, and the evolving role of cybersecurity leadership in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Enrico Verzegnassi is a cybersecurity leader and offensive security specialist currently serving as Head of Offensive Cyber Security at Nexi, one of Europe’s leading payment technology companies.

With a strong academic and professional foundation in cybersecurity, Enrico holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome, where he specialized in cybersecurity, enterprise security, network security, machine learning, cloud computing, big data, and advanced computing systems. As part of his academic research, he conducted his Master’s thesis at Florida Atlantic University, focusing on cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT). His research led to the publication and presentation of a scientific paper at an IEEE IoT conference in Ireland, exploring attack detection in IoT environments through network data conformity analysis.

Throughout his career, Enrico has developed extensive expertise in offensive security, threat-led testing, enterprise security, network defense, and cyber resilience. His professional interests span network and enterprise security, IoT security, forensic data analysis, Linux systems, machine learning, and the application of big data techniques to cybersecurity challenges.

Combining deep technical knowledge with practical industry experience, he is passionate about helping organizations strengthen their security posture and prepare for an increasingly complex threat landscape. Enrico is recognized for his ability to bridge advanced security research with real-world cybersecurity operations and business resilience.