Pittsburgh CISO Community

Join a powerful network of C-level peers

Connect with a local community of like-minded peers who share similar challenges and priorities. Access the collective expertise of CISOs from diverse experiences, backgrounds and industries. Members of the community come together several times a year to connect with each other, exchange ideas and best practices, and validate strategies and solutions.

Join your local community for exclusive access to:

Programs

Participate in year-round gatherings both in person and virtually with your local peer group
Engage in unparalleled collaboration through in-depth discussions on the most critical and relevant issues
Network with like-minded peers facing the same challenges as you

Insights

Exchange ideas, strategies and solutions validated by peers
Gain exclusive access to community insights, including best practices and survey results, to benchmark your organization with others
Learn how other leaders approached their challenges by leveraging peer-recommended partners

Connections

Make new connections through facilitated networking opportunities, including curated 1:1 peer meetings
Grow and enhance your career through an exclusive network and mentorship
Build lasting relationships and stay connected with peers and colleagues

Pittsburgh CISO Governing Body

A regional Governing Body leads the Pittsburgh CISO community, shaping the topics and agendas for your local programs and ensuring that all content is driven By CISOs, For CISOs®.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Governing Body Members

Thomas Blazek

Arconic
Global IT Director

Mark Caplan

84 Lumber Company
VP Infrastructure, Operations, Security & Risk

Jim Cebula

Citizens Financial Group
SVP., Sr. Director of Security Risk

Dave Coughanour

Ansys
VP of Cybersecurity

Eric DePanfilis

TravelCenters of America
VP, CISO

Trebor Z. Evans

Dollar Bank
Sr. VP and Chief Information Security Officer

Daniel Farrah

DLC
CIO

Jonathan Hale

Veolia North America
Chief Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer

Sylvia Harris

City of Pittsburgh, PA
CISO

Jim Mahony

Robert Morris University
CISO

Dr. Fidele Niyonzigira

Allegheny County
CIO

Michael Noble

Alcoa
CISO

Heidi Norman

City of Pittsburgh, PA
CIO & Director, Dept. of Innovation & Performance

John O'Rourke

PPG Industries
Global IT Director/CISO

Jay Rhykerd

Sheetz
CISO

Steve Rocco

Matthews International
Director of IT Security CISO

John Shaffer

CONSOL Energy
Cyber Security Manager

Ryan Shaw

PNC
SVP Security Director

Justin Zimmerman

Giant Eagle
VP, CISO

Peter Zwieryznski

Koppers Holdings
Director of Information Security

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CISOs today.

Balancing Risk Mitigation and Value Creation
Facilitating Secure Decision-Making with Outcome-Driven Metrics
Thriving Amidst Complexity and Uncertainty

Upcoming Programs

IN-PERSON

May 13, 2025 | 1 day

Pittsburgh CISO Executive Summit

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Walk away from this peer-led program with new connections and with actionable insights.

Learn More

PAST PROGRAMS

Apply to join

ALREADY A MEMBER? SIGN IN TO REGISTER

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 membership is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.

Community Member Criteria

To ensure peer connections and conversations at the highest level, members must meet the following criteria:

- C-level or senior most executive for respective function

- Organization revenue of $500M+

Exceptions are considered.

I meet the criteria above

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FORM CONTAINS ERRORS, PLEASE REVIEW THE ABOVE

"My time with the community has enabled me to gain significant knowledge while building both strong professional and personal relationships."

STEVE GROSSMAN, CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)

“The value of the community is the relationships - interacting with peers, learning things that I may not otherwise be introduced to, and being able to have frank conversations with peers confidentially."

SHELDON CUFFIE, CISO
AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE

"Participating in the community provides a key opportunity to discuss the major issues of tomorrow with my peers. Together we are stronger."

ERIC SINGER, CISO EMEA
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Content from your CISO peers

INFOGRAPHIC | APRIL 23, 2025

C-Suite Community Pulse on Global Unrest and Its Impact on Your Business

In today's volatile geopolitical and economic landscape, C-level executives are navigating a complex web of challenges – from tariffs and inflation to supply chain issues and global conflicts. Here, we explore insights from 680 C-level executives on their sentiments and strategic decisions around the current economic climate.

VIEW RESULTS

TOWN HALL INSIGHTS | APRIL 1, 2025

Navigating the Noise — A CISO's Guide to Prioritizing Critical Emerging

With emerging threats, CISOs are faced with the difficult task of differentiating between urgent threats and distractions. CISOs in the New York Community gathered recently for a town hall exploring how to navigate the relevance and urgency of new threats – these are their takeaways.

READ ARTICLE

INFOGRAPHIC | MARCH 7, 2025

2025 CISO Leadership Perspectives

CISOs continue to manage a complex technology and cybersecurity environment in 2025. Security threats are expanding, and CISOs want to grow the business while managing the risks. More than 1,100 CISOs shared their key priorities and opportunities in our annual survey – here’s a snapshot of what they reported.