AITP Chicago
The CISO of the Year Committee and the Chicago Chapters of AITP, ChicagoFIRST, InfraGard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiCyS and SIM are excited to welcome you to our 4th In-Person Mixer of 2026.
The purpose of the CISO of the Year program is to recognize the top CISOs in the greater Chicago area and provide a higher level of awareness and recognition to the CISO (or equivalent in authority) position.
Join us for the 4th of four events leading up to the Awards Breakfast of October 13th. The events are Private, intended to support CISO’s and their direct reports, 2024 CISO Nominees, the Program Judges, our CISO Program Sponsors and delegates from esteemed industry partners - AITP, ChicagoFIRST, Infragard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiCyS and SIM. (Limit of up to 2 Board Members from each Industry Partner per event without special approval).
Click Here for More Information on the Program
This is a great opportunity to recognize the exceptional talent we have in the Chicago Region, to network with security professionals and to meet the candidates and judges for the 2026 CISO of the Year Program. Great Food and Drink Too!
Click Here to Register
Prior CISO of the Year Award Winners:
2025 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Shefali Moolkencherry, CISO, UIC 2025 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Nitin Raina, CISO, Thoughtworks
2024 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Dan Manley, CISO, CME Group 2024 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Angela Williams, CISO, UL
2023 - CISO of the Year, Enterprise, Darin Hurd, CIO, Guaranteed Rate 2023 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Neil Witek, Oak Street Health
2022 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Mahmood Khan, CISO, SVP& CISO, CNA 2022 - CISO of the Year MID-CAP, Walter Lefmann, Director of Security, Chicago Trading Corporation
2021 - CISO of the Year, Ricardo LaFosse, CISO, Kraft Heinz Company
2020 - CISO of the Year, Paige Adams, Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
2019 - CISO of the Year, Jill Rhodes, CISO, Option Care Health
2018 - CISO of the Year, Bradley Schaufenbuel, VP & Chief Information Security Officer, Paylocity
2017 - CISO of the Year, Erik Decker, Chief Security & Privacy Officer, University of Chicago Medicine
2016 - CISO of the Year, Todd Fitzgerald, CISO, Grant Thornton International Ltd
2015 - CISO of the Year, Kevin Novak, CISO and Technology Risk Officer for Northern Trust Bank
2014 - CISO of the Year, Arlan McMillan, CISO, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago
2013 - CISO of the Year, Jason Witty, SVP & CISO, US Bank.
Please Thank Our 2026 Program Sponsors:
\
You're Invited to an Informational presentation and discussion.
Date: August 25, 2026 Time: 5:30-8:00 PM
Location: India Hub, 930 National Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Hall 1A
Topic: The Knowledge Advantage: Why Some People Get Better AI Results Than Everyone Else
Everyone has access to the same AI models -so why do some people get dramatically better results? The answer isn't better prompts. It's better context.
Most AI advice focuses on prompt engineering: crafting the perfect question. But the real unlock is context engineering, systematically curating your knowledge so AI tools have the right information to work with. The difference between a generic AI output and one that feels like it was written by a domain expert isn't the model. It's what you feed it.
In this talk, we'll explore how building a "second brain", a structured personal knowledge management system using tools like Obsidian, fundamentally changes the quality of your AI interactions. Through live demonstrations, I'll walk through practical workflows for research synthesis, code generation, technical writing, and strategic decision-making, each showing the dramatic gap between prompting AI cold versus prompting it with curated context.
This isn't a talk about AI theory or model benchmarks. It's a practical playbook for knowledge workers at every level on how to build the missing layer between you and AI, and start getting results that actually reflect your expertise.
Presenter: Arun Lakshmanan
Arun Lakshmanan is a Senior Specialist Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services, where he specializes in OpenSearch, observability, and AI/ML technologies, including semantic search and large language models. He regularly speaks at technology conferences on search relevancy, vector databases, and practical AI applications.
With over two decades of experience spanning software engineering, architecture, and team leadership, Arun has helped organizations across retail, media, and enterprise sectors implement search and analytics solutions at scale. He brings a practitioner's perspective to AI—focused less on hype and more on what actually works when the tools meet real-world workflows.
About India Hub:
National India Hub in Schaumburg stands as one of the largest community centers in the country, boasting an impressive 107,000 square feet of versatile space. This vibrant hub is dedicated to supporting a multitude of nonprofit organizations, business chambers, youth activities and social service initiatives, as well as cultural activities that celebrate the rich tapestry of the heritage of different countries. Since its inception, the hub has rapidly gained popularity nationwide, thanks to its unique approach and impactful programs. It serves as a dynamic meeting point for diverse communities, fostering collaboration, innovation, and cultural exchange. By providing essential resources and a welcoming environment, National India Hub is making a significant difference in the lives of many, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of community engagement and support.
Official Cybersecurity Summit
️ Register FREE with code: CSS26-AITPCHICAGO
Admission to the Cybersecurity Summit is reserved exclusively for active cybersecurity, IT, Information security practitioners tasked with safeguarding their enterprises against cyber threats and managing cybersecurity solutions. All registrations are subject to review. t eligible to attend.
Featured Speakers
Deidre Diamond
Founder & CEO | Founder | Co-Founder
CyberSN | Secure Diversity | Day of Shecurity Conference
Rob Rudloff
Partner, Cyber Security Services
RubinBrown LLP
John Kellerhals
President l Chair
InfraGard Chicago Members Alliance
Key Issues Covered at The Official Cybersecurity Summit
AI, Automation, and Emerging-Tech Risk (and Opportunity)
As artificial intelligence, automation, and new digital technologies accelerate across every industry, cybersecurity leaders face both unprecedented risk and powerful opportunity. The summit will explore how Cybersecurity leaders and their teams can harness emerging technologies to strengthen resilience, streamline operations, and stay ahead of adversaries who are equally quick to innovate. Attendees will gain insight into real-world applications of AI for threat detection, incident response, and decision intelligence, while learning how to identify and mitigate the new classes of vulnerabilities these tools introduce.
From generative AI and large language models to autonomous security systems and deepfake detection, these discussions will separate hype from reality. Experts will share practical frameworks for governing AI responsibly, managing data integrity, and aligning innovation with enterprise risk management. The conversations will help cybersecurity executives navigate the complex balance between embracing emerging technology for competitive advantage and ensuring it doesn’t become their next threat vector.
Key Takeaways: • Learn how AI and automation are transforming threat detection, incident response, and security operations in measurable ways. • Practical strategies for managing and mitigating new risks created by emerging technologies like generative AI and autonomous systems. • Frameworks for responsible AI governance, including data integrity, transparency, and regulatory alignment. • Real-world examples of organizations balancing innovation with security and risk management priorities. • Actionable insights cybersecurity leaders can take back to their teams to prepare for the next wave of AI-driven threats and opportunities.
Supply Chain, Third-Party Ecosystem, and Identity Attack Surface
As organizations expand their digital ecosystems, the lines between internal and external risk are rapidly disappearing. Today’s threat actors know that the fastest way into a network isn’t always through the front door. From compromised vendors and cloud integrations to weak identity controls, attackers are exploiting every link in the chain. The summit brings cybersecurity leaders together to unpack how supply chain vulnerabilities, third-party dependencies, and identity-based risks are converging to create a complex and often underestimated attack surface.
Cybersecurity executives will explore real-world examples of cascading breaches, lessons learned from managing large vendor ecosystems, and emerging frameworks for continuous third-party risk monitoring. The discussions highlight strategies for mapping hidden connections, enforcing stronger identity governance, and building resilience through transparency and collaboration. Attendees will walk away with practical insights for reducing exposure and strengthening trust across every part of their digital supply chain.
Key Takeaways: • Understand how interconnected supply chains and third-party vendors expand your organization’s attack surface. • Learn proven methods to assess, monitor, and mitigate risks across your extended digital ecosystem. • Explore best practices for managing identity as the new security perimeter, including zero trust and access governance strategies. • Gain insights from real-world breach scenarios that reveal common breakdowns in vendor and identity controls. • Leave with an actionable framework to improve third-party risk visibility, strengthen resilience, and build more secure partnerships.
Resilience, Risk, and Results: Aligning Security with Business Outcomes
In today’s threat landscape, resilience is more than just recovery - it’s readiness, adaptability, and alignment with the business mission. The summit explores how forward-thinking cybersecurity executives are quantifying cyber risk to drive smarter investments and communicate value in business terms. By translating technical controls into measurable business impact, cybersecurity leaders are helping their organizations make data-driven decisions that balance protection with performance.
Join top executives and thought leaders for in-depth discussions on the frameworks, metrics, and real-world practices shaping the next generation of cyber resilience. From risk quantification models to boardroom-ready reporting, this conversation will reveal how leading security teams are reframing cybersecurity as a strategic business enabler - bridging the gap between risk reduction and results.
Key Takeaways: • Learn how to translate cybersecurity metrics into meaningful business outcomes that resonate with executive leadership and the board. • Explore practical approaches to cyber risk quantification that help prioritize investments and justify budget decisions. • Understand how resilience strategies can align with overall business continuity and growth objectives. • Gain insights from leading CISOs on how they communicate security value across the organization to drive engagement and accountability. • Discover frameworks and tools that connect operational security performance with measurable business impact.
Full Agenda »
You're Invited to an Information In-Person Presentation
Topic: Managing Risk in an Uncertain World - It’s the Future of How Businesses Will Be run
Abstract For corporations, risk management has become a top concern in the face of increasing demand for greater corporate accountability as well as world events that have changed the risk landscape and their impact on the business world. Governance mandates such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, along with the continuing uncertainty of the business-economic environment, have made it compulsory for corporations to rethink their approaches to identifying and managing risk.
Project and program managers everywhere face a daunting mix of challenges, including ever changing project demands, environments of unprecedented complexity, tough new oversight requirements, and the constant pressure to do more with less. The need for risk management for making effective decisions and communicating the results within organizations has never been more urgent. This briefing looks at the rapid rise of risk management and aims to expose project managers to the essentials of effective risk management for 2021 and beyond. The briefing provides an exclusive glimpse of a company that has been at the forefront of risk management, and describes how risk management has made the company one of the best managed in the US.
Learning Objectives: • Discuss A Top Gun Risk Management Practice Case Study • Identify What Managers Want to Know About Risk Management • Describe How Risk Depends on Context & Perspective • Identify Four Sources of Risks • Identify Three Categories of Risk Root Cause • Discuss Risk Management Principles & Industry Standard Process • Explain How to Prioritize Risks
Presenter: Scott Stribrny
Group Atlantic, Inc. has been a trusted partner for over three decades, empowering private, commercial, and governmental organizations to achieve strategic growth and operational excellence. As President and Managing Director, collaborative efforts focus on developing agile strategies, managing risk, and driving transformation tailored to client needs. Recent initiatives emphasize customer experience journey mapping and high-performance team building. With extensive experience as a senior advisor to Fortune 500 executives, contributions include facilitating digital transformation, implementing modern software methodologies, and aligning technology with competitive business strategies. A commitment to change management and tactical training fosters impactful results, enabling organizations to navigate complex challenges and deliver sustainable outcomes.
AITP Chicago's PMO SIG invites you to a Virtual meeting and discussion
Date: October 6, 2026 Time: 5]6:00-7:00 PM
Location: Virtual Via Zoom
Topic: Tales from the SWAMP: Navigating the Murky Waters of Project Management
Get ready to experience project management through a unique lens of the mysterious and mystical Louisiana swamps! Just like a daring expedition into the unknown, project management often feels like wading through waist-deep mud, encountering unexpected obstacles at every turn. But fear not! By integrating the timeless structure of the Hero's Journey and the project management knowledge domains, we'll uncover how to emerge victorious from the depths of the swamp, armed with the tools to conquer any project- related challenge that lurks in the shadows. So, grab your virtual mosquito repellent and prepare to go on an unconventional and uproarious expedition! Together, we'll discover that with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of storytelling, and a whole lot of project management prowess, we can emerge from the swamp unscathed and ready to conquer any challenge that slithers our way!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Click Here to Register to Receive a Zoom Meeting Link You must register by 2 PM on 10/6 to attend! The meeting link will be sent out the evening of 10/4 to all registrants, with a reminder sent the day of the event. If you have not received the link by the morning of 10/6, check your spam and promotion folders. If it is not there, send an email to paul.dittmann@aitpchicago.com and he will email you the link.
“Implied Permission – When you register for an AITP Chicago Zoom event you are giving us “Implied Permission” to send you emails. This is necessary so that we can use Constant Contact to send all registrants the Zoom link for the virtual meeting. This will also result in you being added to the mailing list for our Weekly Newsletter of upcoming events. Occasionally you will also be sent special event announcements. You will be able to “opt out” of these mailings at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link on the bottom of the page.”
Presenter: Tanya Boyd
Information to Follow
Tanya Boyd is a dynamic project manager and creative strategist with 20+ years of experience across disaster recovery, healthcare, IT, marketing, and government. As Director of Creative Collaboration at Corbeau and Project Success Academy, she blends imagination, strategy, and storytelling to design bold programs and partnerships that drive measurable results. She also manages a team of PMI certification instructor who teach through PMI’s Authorized Training Program.
She also designed a 3-part, 7-hour self-paced course that covers the essentials of effective communication in projects.
A PMP® since 2014 and PMI-ACP® since 2020, Tanya previously served as President of the PMI Baton Rouge Chapter, where she gained a front-row view of the evolving challenges facing project leaders. She is also a co-author of Projectland Goes to the Movies, linking pop culture to modern leadership lessons and a contributor on the PURE Management Alliance team that created a 60-PDU video series.
She is an in-demand keynote speaker and has delivered high-energy sessions and workshops to 40+ PMI chapters, companies, and at PMI Global Summit.
Tanya believes curiosity and communication unlock creative solutions. Off the clock, she’s often kayaking Louisiana’s swamps, camera in hand, chasing the next wild idea while building her nature photography portfolio.
The CISO of the Year Committee and the Chicago Chapters of AITP, ChicagoFirst, InfraGard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiCyS and SIM are excited to welcome you to our 2026 CISO of the Year Award Breakfast!
Join us for the culmination of the 2026 Awards Program on October 13th. The events are Private, intended to support CISO’s and their direct reports, 2024 CISO Nominees, the Program Judges, our CISO Program Sponsors and delegates from esteemed industry partners-AITP, Chicago FIRST, Infragard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiSys and SIM. (Limit of up to 2 Board Members from each Industry Partner per event without special approval).
Click Here to Visit the New CISO of theYear Website
This is a great opportunity to to recognize the exceptional talent we have in the Chicago Region, to network with security professionals and to meet the candidates and judges for the 2026 CISO of the Year Program - and to congratulate the 2026 CISO of the Year Winners! Great Food and Drink Too!
2025 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Shefali Mooklencherry, CISO, UIC 2025 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Nitin Raina, CISO, Thoughtworks
2023 - ENTERPRISE, Darin Hurd, CISO, Guaranteed Rate 2023 - MID-CAP, Neil Witek, CISO, Oak Street Health
2022 - ENTERPRISE, Mahmood Khan, SVP & CISO, CNA Insurance 2022 - MID-CAP, Walter Lefmann, Director of Security, Chicago Trading Corporation
2021 - CISO of the Year, Ricardo LaFosse, CISO, The Kraft Heinz Company
Upcoming Events
More Info
About UsBoard of DirectorsPartnersContact Us
Get Involved
Become a MemberJoin a Special Interest GroupBecome a Sponsor
Visit CompTIA.org to access research, communities, councils and philanthropy.
© 2021 Association of Information Technology Professionals - Chicago Chapter
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Report an Issue
