Join us in Atlanta on September 12 at the Southeast Assembly

Atlanta, September 12, 2024 - Apex Assembly is excited to be bringing together 60+ CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CISOs, and other Divisional Leaders from F500 and Global 2000 Enterprise organizations from all across the United States for our Assembly using Bizzabo as the event success software to create a more immersive, successful experience. We will unite the USA-based executives for a day of panels, thought leadership discussions, networking sessions and more.

We will examine the most pressing issues in 2024 with collaboration with industry-leading speakers and our sponsors IBM, Denodo, Yubico, Varonis, Rubrik, Glean, Ping Identity, Descope and Threatlocker.

Sessions at a Glance:

**The agenda is subject to change.?For the most updated agenda and entire schedule, please visit the website.

We will kick off the day with Opening Remarks by Walt Carter, Author, Board Member, Former CIO & CMO.

Then, we will start with the Opening Keynote Panel: “The Importance of Implementation - "Addressing Challenges & Shifting Strategies to Drive Tangible Change within Your Organization.” Our expert panelists will explore the common challenges organizations face during the implementation phase, share insights on adaptive strategies, and provide practical solutions for overcoming obstacles.

Speakers:

• Walt Carter, Author, Board Member, Former CIO & CMO, MODERATOR
• Chris Crist, CIO/CTO, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Rameshwar Balanagu, Chief Enterprise Architect, UNFI
• Grant Shih, EVP & CTO, Vestis
• Aboudi Roustom, Head of Technology and Products, CoachUSA

Up next, IBM will present as the Keynote Presenter on "Keys to streamlining application management."

Join us for a session to learn how you can revolutionize your approach to Risk Management and Compliance. In an era where regulatory demands are escalating and risk landscapes are becoming more complex, it is essential to equip your organization with the right tools to stay ahead.

In this session, you will learn how to empower your organization to proactively manage risks and maintain compliance effortlessly. Our experts will delve into innovative features, demonstrating how they can streamline your risk assessment, enhance compliance reporting, and ensure adherence to industry regulations.

Key topics include:

• An overview of risk management capabilities and compliance tools.
• Detailed demonstrations of real-world applications in risk identification and mitigation.
• Strategies for integrating technology into your existing compliance framework.
• Q&A session with IBM experts to address your specific questions and challenges.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best and ensure your organization’s resilience and regulatory compliance.

Speaker:

• Sean Almeida, Americas Leader for IT Operations, IBM

We will then have our Visionary Presenter: "Establishing an Agile Data Foundation for Generative AI Success" of Denodo. Join us for an engaging session as we explore the transformative potential of Generative AI technologies. Learn how Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) can empower your organization to harness the full benefits of Generative AI. Discover best practices for optimizing your data strategies to effectively fuel your AI initiatives.

In the session, we will explore:

• Common hurdles such as data sprawl and distributed data environments.
• Best practices for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring compliance with stringent privacy regulations.
• The knowledge and tools needed to establish an agile data foundation and drive innovation in your organization with Generative AI.

Speakers:

• Parker Thompson, Regional Vice President & General Manager, NA East, Denodo

We will then have our Disrupter Presenter, "Create phishing-resistant users and accelerate your enterprise to passwordless" of Yubico.

This session will focus on strategies for developing phishing-resistant users and accelerating your enterprise’s transition to a passwordless environment. Attendees will learn actionable techniques to enhance security and streamline authentication processes, ensuring a more robust and efficient approach to user protection.

• Phishing-resistant failure points
• Why Focus on Users?
• Yubico Enterprise Delivery & Enterprise Considerations

Speaker:

• Josh Cigna, Sr. Solutions Architect, Yubico

Up next, we have our Visionary Presenter, "Securing Data in the Cloud with Automated DSPM" of Varonis. Today’s cloud-first world demands a new approach to security—one that’s focused on data. In this presentation, dive into the evolving data security posture management (DSPM) market. Learn how DSPM can help you find sensitive data across your cloud environment, untangle complex identities and permissions, and detect threats proactively. Explore different approaches and gain an understanding for why automation is essential for effective cloud data security.

In this presentation you will learn:

• Where DPSM falters

• Why DSPM must be automated
• Defining automated DPSM
• Varonis approach

Speaker:

• Brian Vecci, Field CTO, Varonis

The next presentation will be from Rubrik with their Visionary Presentation, "Data Resilience for the Enterprise."

Speakers:

• Lawson Williams, Cloud Security Specialist, Rubrik

We will then have a Technical Demo presentation on "Putting AI to work at Work" by Glean. In today's evolving work landscape, companies are constantly seeking ways to enhance productivity and operational efficiency. Generative AI promises to bring more efficiency to our work, but bringing generative AI into the enterprise is challenging.

In this session, we will explore how to make generative AI work in your enterprise in a way that’s scalable and secure, and reflects the breadth and depth of your company’s knowledge. By harnessing the power of AI, companies can unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation across all employees.

Speaker:

• Bruce Schonk, Head of Enterprise Sales- Southeast, Glean

The next presentation will be from Ping Identity with their Senior Supporter Presentation, "Delivering on the Promise of Transformation with Customer Identity." Successful transformation of the digital experience hinges on a business understanding who its customers are the moment they touch an online or mobile channel. From an engagement perspective, this enables businesses to deliver tailored customer experiences that drive revenue and loyalty. Unfortunately, many businesses have relied too long on outdated methods - such as passwords, long registration forms, and requiring account creation to checkout - that can lead to abandonment. Join this panel where experts will discuss how they have tackled transformative customer identity initiatives that drive business growth.

Up next will be a presentation from Senior Supporter, Descope on "Creating Seamless and Secure Customer Journeys." Your customer journey is at the heart of your organization. Introducing unnecessary friction can result in user churn, security risks can lead to costly consequences and erode trust, and identity silos can obscure customer insights.

• Drawing from experience with hundreds of customer authentication and identity management deployments, Descope Co-Founder Gilad Shriki will share valuable tips on:
• Piloting a passwordless project (and why it’s essential)
• Implementing security controls at the right time (not every time)
• Unifying identities across all your customer-facing apps

We are starting off the afternoon panels with the CISO & BISO Panel: "Reflecting on Lessons Learned and Advancing Cybersecurity Strategies for the Future." The panel brings together leading cybersecurity experts, industry veterans, and thought leaders to explore the evolving threat landscape and the strategies needed to stay ahead

Speakers:

• Michael D'Arezzo, Executive Director of Information Security & GRC, Wellstar Health Systems MODERATOR
• Ray Hawkins, Global Head of Identity and Access Mgmt, Newell Brands
• Phani Dasari, Global CISO, Hinduja Global Solutions
• Robert Lee, BISO, Deluxe
• Murtaza Nisar, CISO, Clario
• Erwin Eimers, Americas CIO/CISO, Sumitomo Chemical

Up next will be the CXO Panel: "Addressing the Talent Gap & Fostering a Culture of Future Leadership Development." Our expert panelists will delve into strategies for identifying and developing talent, creating a culture that supports leadership growth, and overcoming challenges in leadership development.

Speakers:

• Chamon Gayton, Head of Cybersecurity, PayPal
• Ellie Magnant, Senior Director of Data Science, Travelers
• Sulabh Sood, VP, IT, Lumen Technologies
• Ali Montazer, Chief Technology Officer, Midland Credit Management
• Brian Benn, CIO, Clark Atlanta University

The next panel will be the AI Panel: "Insights from Our Journey, The Risks involved, and Future Adaptations." Our panelists will provide candid reflections on their experiences, discussing the lessons learned and the strategies employed to navigate challenges.

Speakers:

• Chandan Singh, Chief Architect/Head of AI, Webster Bank
• Kris Shrestha, Executive Director, Head of Document Understanding, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Justin Nguyen, Director, Enterprise Data & Analytics, The Home Depot
• Anand Saokar, Head - Omnichannel, Consumer Analytics and Data platform, Wellstar Health System
• Dan VanBeek, Head of Information Security Governance, Risk, & Compliance, Brevan Howard

Our last panel of the day will be the CIO & CDO Panel on The Digital Evolution: ‘What does Corporate Transformation mean to you?’ Our expert panelists will share their perspectives on what corporate transformation means in the digital age, discussing the challenges, opportunities, and strategies for success.

Speakers include:

• Walt Carter, Author, Board Member, Former CIO & CMO, MODERATOR
• Jonathan T. Hardy, Head of Intelligent Automation Software Engineering, Truist Financial Corporation
• Deepak Kunavarapu, Chief Enterprise Architect, Medtronic
• Lekha Banerjee, SVP, Head Enterprise Data & Analytics, Truist Financial Corporation
• Vivienne Li, ED, Head of Strategy and Data, CVS Health
• Heera Garia, Head of Digital & IoT, Schneider

Aside from the presenting Sponsors, we also have ThreatLocker onsite discussing their organizations and offerings to the industry.

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Through these thought leadership sessions, panels and live chats we will bring to the forefront today's top successes, challenges and focus areas for CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CISOs and other Divisional Leaders in the enterprise.

Apex Assembly specializes in bringing together technology leaders from the world’s largest companies to discuss technology trends and focus on solving their biggest technology challenges. By uniting exclusive C-level communities, Apex offers unparalleled opportunities to mindshare in a secure environment and collaborate on industry trends, challenges and successes. Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, Apex Assembly hosts regional and national events focused on open discussion and education to assist technology leaders in building lasting business relationships. Learn more at https://apexassembly.com.