
Washington, DC CISO Community
Executive Summit
November 12, 2025 | Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf
November 12, 2025
Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Washington, DC'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:
Increasing Reliability and Resilience in an Evolving Business Landscape
Developing a Leadership Vision that Enables Thriving, Innovative Teams
Leveraging Data, AI, and Advanced Analytics to Drive Strategic Growth
Washington, DC 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

Ryan Boulais
Bunge
CISO

Massimo Favro
NVR
CISO

Vishal Gupta
Lexmark
CTO & CIO, SVP Connected Technology
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
A CIA Toolkit for Leveraging Ambiguity, Driving Excellence, and Leading with Agility

Rupal Patel
Corporate Strategist & Executive Advisor
Guest Speaker
In this dynamic session, Rupal Patel will share thought-provoking insights from her CIA to CEO journey on leveraging ambiguity and uncertainty in pursuit of organizational excellence. Through case studies and stories from the field, Rupal will demystify how to put “agility” into action, and transform the concept from an overused buzzword to an actionable toolkit.
This keynote will explore:
- Concrete methods for embedding agility into their organizational structure
- Tools for developing personal resilience and becoming more agile decision makers
- An adaptable framework for becoming change-agents and driving organizational excellence
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Modernizing Cloud Security for the Age of AI
Cloud security is a rapidly evolving field, driven by increasingly complex threats and emerging technologies. The rise of AI tools adds new layers of complexity, requiring cybersecurity and technology leaders to rethink traditional approaches. By building on established cloud security frameworks, organizations can create scalable, resilient strategies that support innovation while meeting regulatory demands.
Join this session to explore how to:
- Leverage cloud security frameworks to support and secure AI workflows
- Adapt to highly regulated environments with low risk tolerance
- Implement cost-efficient, scalable security strategies
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Not All Security Metrics Are Created Equal
An effective security metrics program enhances decision-making and stakeholder communication, offering early issue detection and aiding resource allocation decisions. However, it is imperative for CISOs to take a closer look at metric selection taking into account emerging threats in the quickly evolving landscape.
Join this session to discuss:
- Forward-thinking strategies in interrogating your current security metrics program
- The role of emerging technology when considering essential metrics
- Tool recommendations for gathering and generating meaningful metrics for your security program
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Smart IT Spending – Sustaining Value While Managing Costs

Scott Donaldson
CTO & VP
FINRA

Raylene Dufresne
Vice President of IT
Miller & Long

Chris Panagiotopoulos
VP & CTO
LifeBridge Health
During times of economic uncertainty, organizations often cut costs without fully assessing the potential risks and consequences. As IT and technology departments face increasing budgetary pressures, leaders will need to balance short-term efficiency with long-term growth strategy.
Join this session to discuss:
- Evaluating cost-saving initiatives while optimizing existing resources
- Meeting cost targets without compromising progress toward broader business objectives
- Communicating IT and cybersecurity value to stakeholders
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
The Tech Talent Puzzle – Navigating Shifting Skills Demands
CIOs consistently cite a lack of skills and resources as key barriers to achieving their priorities. As regulations evolve and new technologies emerge, the skills needed for success are rapidly changing. Talent management and strategic recruitment are now essential to keeping pace.
Join this session to explore strategies for:
- Attracting and retaining top IT and cybersecurity talent
- Equipping the next generation with core technical skills
- Identifying and addressing specialized skill gaps
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
Reducing Application Delivery Tech Debt from the Inside Out
Hosted by Island

Scott Montgomery
VP, Strategic Initiatives
Island
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
Building Enterprise Resilience in the SaaS Era
Hosted by AppOmni
SaaS drives enterprise operations yet evolving risks and exposures can quickly lead to regulatory, shareholder, and reputational challenges. With AI amplifying threats and supply-chain vulnerabilities affecting even mature organizations, CISOs face growing pressure to protect data, maintain compliance, and demonstrate resilience to leadership.
Join this roundtable session to explore:
- Regulatory impacts on SaaS security
- AI, shadow SaaS, and identity risk trends
- Strategies for resilient, compliant SaaS operations
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Essential Change Management — Executing the Vision

Porter Bellew
VP & CIO
Federal Realty Investment Trust
Effective change management is essential to maximize technology investments and maintain operational integrity. Top-down directives without clear rationale often lead to confusion and resistance. By co-creating a vision with employees and leaders, CIOs and CISOs can build ownership and adaptability to help their organizations thrive through change.
Join this executive boardroom to discuss with peers:
- Engaging teams throughout the change journey
- Promoting transparent, two-way communication
- Building resilience and adaptability for ongoing transformation
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Third-Party Risk Management — Dos and Don’ts

Glenn Schoonover
Executive Partner, Security and Risk Management
Gartner
As organizations deepen their reliance on third parties, cybersecurity leaders face growing challenges, from heightened regulatory scrutiny to AI-driven complexities. How can CISOs avoid common pitfalls while strengthening vendor relationships and fortifying their security posture?
Join this session to discuss do’s and don’ts for:
- Identifying emerging risks to proactively reduce exposure
- Driving accountability to enhance third-party risk program effectiveness
- Establishing mutually beneficial relationships with critical third parties
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Washington, DC CISO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Hilton Washington DC National Mall the WharfTransport and Parking Info
The hotel is directly connected with DMV Metro Lines and sits on top of the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station.
Valet is hosted by Gartner C-level Communities.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1800-Hiltons. Please mention 901 to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $306 USD (plus tax) is October 20, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.