Think Tank
The Future of Cybersecurity & IT

CIO & CISO Think Tank

Date

September 18, 2025

Location

New York City, NY

Community

CIO / CISO
Your Vision is our mission

Agenda

September 18, 2025
All times Eastern Time
8:30 AM-9:00 AM
Registration
9:00 AM-9:30 AM
Morning Networking
9:30 AM-9:35 AM
Opening Remarks
9:40 AM-10:25 AM
Keynote Panel
Rearchitecting the Enterprise for Agentic AI: Control, Collaboration, and the Next Frontier of Automation

Agentic AI, autonomous systems that perceive, reason, and act with minimal human intervention is poised to redefine how work gets done. As these intelligent agents move beyond experimentation into enterprise-scale deployments, organizations must prepare to fundamentally rearchitect their digital environments.

This panel will explore how leaders can operationalize agentic AI to drive efficiency, creativity, and strategic advantage while preserving oversight, governance, and trust. Discussion topics will include designing workflows around autonomous decision-making, managing human-agent collaboration, and navigating emerging risks such as bias, security, and operational drift. Join us as we unpack what it truly means to lead in an era of intelligent, action-oriented AI and how to ensure these agents serve both your innovation goals and core business values.

10:25 AM-10:40 AM
Disruptor
The Silent Breach: Cyber Security Blind Spots in Leadership Teams

Step into a hacker’s mindset with Cyberwolf CEO Daan Gheysens as he unveils the hidden vulnerabilities that make top executives and board members prime targets for cybercriminals.

In this presentation, Daan Gheysens shares remarkable insights from over 100 cyber exposure assessments conducted for high-profile leaders worldwide. You’ll discover how personal wealth, influence, and decision-making power—not just corporate access—make executives uniquely vulnerable, and how you can deal with these sensitive vulnerabilities as a CI(S)O.

Together with:

Cyberwolf Inc.
10:40 AM-10:55 AM
Coffee Break
10:55 AM-11:15 AM
Disruptor
Fly Direct: Building a Gen-3 Cybersecurity Startup

From a napkin sketch, to funding, to scale, this honest keynote breaks down the efforts it takes to build a modern cyber company: design-first, customer-obsessed, and engineered to go direct (no stopovers). Learn the practicals about raising funding from Google Ventures, behind-the-scenes of engineering & team building required, and branding as a moat.

Panelists
Kunal Agarwal dope.security
Kunal Agarwal

CEO & Founder

dope.security

Together with:

dope.security
11:15 AM-12:00 PM
Panel
Bridging Strategy and Systems: Aligning Business Goals with IT Innovation

In a world of rapid digital disruption, the most successful organizations are those where business strategy and IT execution move in lockstep. This panel brings together business and IT leaders to explore how to align long-term growth objectives with the right mix of emerging technologies—from AI and cloud platforms to data-driven decision-making and modern application architectures.

Panelists will discuss how to break down silos between departments, drive innovation through collaborative planning, and build agile digital infrastructures that scale with evolving business needs. Expect insights on joint KPIs, governance frameworks, and the cultural shifts required to turn IT from a support function into a strategic growth enabler.

12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Lunch & Disruptor Showcase
1:00 PM-1:45 PM
Panel
The Future of Cyber Resilience: Winning in a World of Constant Threats

In an era of escalating cyber threats, evolving attack surfaces, and accelerated digital transformation, traditional security models are no longer enough. This keynote will explore what it means to build cyber resilience in today’s complex environment—where speed, adaptability, and business alignment are paramount. From securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments to integrating AI-driven threat intelligence, we’ll examine how leaders can future-proof their security strategies while enabling innovation. Learn how to shift from reactive defense to proactive resilience, ensuring your organization can not only withstand but thrive amid disruption.

Chair
Panelists
Kodjo Hogan TD

Speaker

Kodjo Hogan

BISO

TD

Kodjo Hogan is the Business Information Security Officer at TD, driving security risk strategy for the U.S. Risk Management division with a focus on credit card underwriting and auto finance portfolios. He oversees the end-to-end risk lifecycle for 170+ critical, revenue-impacting applications, aligning operational controls with enterprise security objectives to reduce risk exposure, strengthen audit posture, and support long-term resilience. With over eight years of experience in fintech, SaaS, and global banking, Kodjo has built GRC functions from the ground up, led audit-ready SOC 2 and FedRAMP programs, and governed third-party risk across 500+ vendors. Previously, he was the founding GRC leader at Chainalysis, accelerating FedRAMP “In Process” status and embedding security across engineering, legal, and product teams. Kodjo is also a recognized speaker on AI governance, operational risk, and GRC modernization.
Derrick Butts Continuums Strategies

Speaker

Derrick Butts

CISO Enterprise Resilience

Continuums Strategies

Derrick A. Butts is the CEO/Founder of Continuums Strategies LLC. Derrick helps organizations develop enterprise cyber-resilience and risk management strategies to secure their business culture before the AI driven cyber-attacks. With 20+ years of strategic enterprise resilience experiences, he’s digitally transformed enterprise environments with up to 700,000 employees and supported winning contracts up to $3.2B. As an Enterprise Cyber-Resilience Advisor |SME, and former CIO/CISO, he’s been entrusted by CEOs, boards of directors, C-Level executives, financial directors, Navy Captains/Directors, federal/state technology directors, university CIOs/CTOs, and non-profits. He’s proactively addressed the adoption/integration of enterprise innovations through IT/security challenges while aligning cyber-resilience strategies with operational survivability requirements to meet mission compliance objectives. Additionally, he’s worked with business cultures to logistically embrace enterprise digital transformations and necessary vendor services to support their eco-system's resilience strategy. Recognized as a Top Cybersecurity Leader - 2021/2020.
Sai Iyer Ziff Davis
Sai Iyer

CISO

Ziff Davis

Muthukumar Devadoss (1) TradeWeb Markets
Muthukumar Devadoss

Director, Information Security

TradeWeb Markets

1:50 PM-2:35 PM
Panel
The Human Side of Tech: Why Soft Skills Are the Real Superpower

In a world obsessed with digital transformation, AI, and automation, it’s easy to forget the power of human connection. But the truth is—technology doesn’t lead, people do. As roles evolve and teams become more cross-functional, the ability to listen, influence, adapt, and collaborate has become just as critical as technical expertise.

Today’s CIOs, CISOs, and tech leaders are expected not only to drive innovation, but to communicate across departments, manage diverse teams, and navigate uncertainty with empathy and clarity. Emotional intelligence, storytelling, active listening, and resilience are no longer “nice to have”—they’re essential for anyone leading in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment.

Nowhere is this leadership shift more relevant than in the US particularly in NYC, a city built on creativity, reinvention, and cultural diversity. Here, the ability to connect across perspectives isn’t just a professional skill—it’s a way of life. As tech and business worlds converge, NYC’s unique blend of innovation and human-centered thinking offers the perfect backdrop to explore how soft skills are reshaping the future of leadership.

This session dives into why the most successful executives are blending EQ with IQ to inspire trust, build alignment, and drive lasting impact.

Chair
Panelists
Katie Kirts New York Life Investments
Katie Kirts

Global Director, Technology

New York Life Investments

Amir Sternhell Sertainty

Speaker

Amir Sternhell

Chief Strategy Officer

Sertainty

Amir Sternhell is the Chief Strategy Officer at Sertainty Corporation, driving corporate strategy, business development, and global adoption of the company’s Core UXP Technology and intelligent data solutions. With over 30 years in IT, corporate learning, and high-tech industries, he has guided Sertainty’s expansion into critical infrastructure, DoD, and enterprise markets. Amir previously served as Chief Learning Officer for a multinational IT firm representing Harvard Business Publishing, managed learning services for 250+ global clients, and held leadership roles in Israel’s high-tech ecosystem and the Israel Defense Forces. He serves on multiple advisory boards, including GuardDog AI and OLB.com, and holds degrees from Tel Aviv University, Columbia University, and EDHEC Business School.
Thomas Rizzo Lazard

Speaker

Thomas Rizzo

Chief Architect

Lazard

Thomas Rizzo is a seasoned IT professional with over 20 years of experience across various sectors and is currently serving as the Chief Architect at Lazard. His diverse background spans finance technology, digital services, utilities, social media, legal, and education sectors. Prior to joining Lazard, Thomas made significant contributions to companies like Zebra, where he helped shape their digital services and SaaS offerings, and Con Edison, where he drove technological advancements in the utilities sector. In his current role at Lazard, Thomas leads the design and architecture of technology solutions that drive the company's digital transformation journey. His strategic vision and ability to foster an engaging work environment have earned him the reputation of an 'IT Rock Star'. He is committed to driving business growth through digital transformation, and he does so by fostering a creative and enjoyable workplace atmosphere as part of his leadership approach.
2:35 PM-2:55 PM
Networking Break
2:55 PM-3:40 PM
Panel
Cybersecurity Leadership in the Era of AI and ML: Navigating Innovation and Responsibility

In the dynamic realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), CISOs play a pivotal role in leveraging these advancements for enhanced cybersecurity. Strategic integration of AI and ML is essential for bolstering security measures, optimizing decision-making, and driving innovation. CISOs must adopt a comprehensive approach, considering the entire lifecycle of these technologies to ensure both efficiency and ethical use. Establishing robust governance frameworks becomes paramount, addressing biases, ensuring transparency, and minimizing unintended consequences.

 

Looking ahead, as AI and ML continue to advance, CISOs face evolving challenges and regulatory considerations. Proactive engagement involves staying informed about changing regulations, particularly in areas such as data privacy and ethical AI practices. CISOs should strive for a tech-enabled understanding of AI and ML systems, encompassing deployment, impact, and security measures. This approach positions organizations to navigate the regulatory landscape effectively, ensuring responsible and competitive integration of AI and ML into cybersecurity strategies.

Panelists
Cedric Curry NYC Citywide Administrative Services
Cedric Curry

CISO

NYC Citywide Administrative Services

Kodjo Hogan TD

Speaker

Kodjo Hogan

BISO

TD

Kodjo Hogan is the Business Information Security Officer at TD, driving security risk strategy for the U.S. Risk Management division with a focus on credit card underwriting and auto finance portfolios. He oversees the end-to-end risk lifecycle for 170+ critical, revenue-impacting applications, aligning operational controls with enterprise security objectives to reduce risk exposure, strengthen audit posture, and support long-term resilience. With over eight years of experience in fintech, SaaS, and global banking, Kodjo has built GRC functions from the ground up, led audit-ready SOC 2 and FedRAMP programs, and governed third-party risk across 500+ vendors. Previously, he was the founding GRC leader at Chainalysis, accelerating FedRAMP “In Process” status and embedding security across engineering, legal, and product teams. Kodjo is also a recognized speaker on AI governance, operational risk, and GRC modernization.
Kory Daniels LevelBlue
Kory Daniels

CISO

LevelBlue

Steve Craig New York Presbyterian Hospital

Speaker

Steve Craig

Senior Technical Architect IT

New York Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the nation’s most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems, dedicated to providing the highest quality, most compassionate care and service to patients in the New York metropolitan area, nationally, and around the world. In collaboration with two renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian is consistently recognized as a leader in innovative, patient-centered clinical care, research and medical education. Steve is the Senior Architect/SME in various Microsoft Technologies and has over 20 years’ experience managing and designing email systems and directory services. Steve has multiple advanced certifications and over 16 years’ experience training system engineers in multiple Microsoft technologies. Managed, designed, and migrated Exchange systems with 10+ servers in multiple locations.
3:45 PM-4:20 PM
Fireside Chat
Securing the Rise of Agentic AI: Trust, Control, and Resilience in Autonomous Systems

As agentic AI systems evolve from experimental tools to enterprise-grade digital workers—capable of making decisions, taking actions, and adapting in real time—they introduce a new paradigm of both possibility and risk. Unlike traditional automation, agentic AI operates with greater autonomy, raising urgent questions for security leaders: How do we ensure control? How do we manage risk when systems learn, act, and adapt independently?

 

This panel will explore the security implications of deploying agentic AI across business operations—from data privacy and decision integrity to real-time threat mitigation and adversarial AI risks. We'll dive into the intersection of governance, identity management, and AI observability, and how CISOs can build frameworks that safeguard both the systems and the outcomes.

4:20 PM-4:30 PM
Closing Remarks & Raffle Giveaway
4:30 PM-5:30 PM
Cocktail Networking
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Together With

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Heard In The Room