SJA Leaders in Security Conference - Agenda
Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL
July 16th, 2026
Keynote Speaker
- Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
Speakers
- Ian Stokes, CEO – Centurian Media
- Michael Gips, Managing Director, ESRM – Kroll
- Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Bart Brown, Global Head of Security – McDonald’s
Moderators & Panellists
- RC Miles, Global Director of Security – BRP
- David Case, Head of Security – NXP Semiconductors
- Bruce McIndoe, President – McIndoe Risk Advisory
- Theresa Durham, Chief Security, Safety and Risk Officer – National Press Club
- Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Veronica Glick, Partner – Mayer Brown
- Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Security strategist, researcher and educator
- Phillip Antoniou, Global Head of Sales & Marketing – Vaxtor Technologies
- Matthew Butts, EVP, Americas – Gallagher Security
- Alvar Orellana McBride, Executive Director – Griffin Risk
- Camila Marinho, Security Operations Manager – Security Industry Specialists (SIS)
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Lisa Oliveri, Director of the Global Security Operations Center – Twilio
- Diego Serpa, Head of Security Brazil, Colgate-Palmolive
- Danielle Weddepohl, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, George Brown College
- Harold Wax, Director of Global Security – PepsiCo
- Bart Brown, Vice President, Global Chief Security Officer – McDonald’s
- Bob Wilkins, Director of Marketing & Category Management – Salto Americas
- Erin Belknap, Managing Director, Security – Sterling Bay
- Charles “Chuck” Andrews, Founder – Friends of Chuck
- Maureen Carlo
- Kit Bartels, Executive Recruiter – Security & Investigative Placement Consultants
- Michael Gips, Managing Director, ESRM – Kroll
- Kasia Hanson, President – Global Council for Responsible AI
- Anderson da Silva, Director & Partner – NSA Global
- Andrea Chedas, Director of Global Security Operations – Canada Goose
- Mark Landry, Chairman – ASIS International CSO Center Board
- Tim Wenzel, Chief Operating Officer – Fortis Security
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
Speakers
- Ian Stokes, CEO – Centurian Media
- Michael Gips, Managing Director, ESRM – Kroll
- Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Bart Brown, Global Head of Security – McDonald’s
Moderators & Panelists
- RC Miles, Global Director of Security – BRP
- David Case, Head of Security – NXP Semiconductors
- Bruce McIndoe, President – McIndoe Risk Advisory
- Theresa Durham, Chief Security, Safety and Risk Officer – National Press Club
- Essam Choudhary, President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Veronica Glick, Partner – Mayer Brown
- Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Security strategist, researcher and educator
- Phillip Antoniou, Global Head of Sales & Marketing – Vaxtor
- Matthew Butts, EVP, Americas – Gallagher Security
- Alvar Orellana McBride, Executive Director – Griffin Risk
- Camila Marinho, Security Operations Manager – Security Industry Specialists (SIS)
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Lisa Oliveri, Director of the Global Security Operations Center – Twilio
- Diego Serpa, Head of Security Brazil, Colgate-Palmolive
- Danielle Weddepohl, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, George Brown College
- Harold Wax, Director of Global Security – PepsiCo
- Bart Brown, Vice President, Global Chief Security Officer – McDonald’s
- Bob Wilkins, Director of Marketing & Category Management – Salto
- Erin Belknap, Managing Director, Security – Sterling Bay
- Charles “Chuck” Andrews, Founder – Friends of Chuck
- Maureen Carlo
- Kit Bartels, Executive Recruiter – Security & Investigative Placement Consultants
- Michael Gips, Managing Director, ESRM – Kroll
- Kasia Hanson, President – Global Council for Responsible AI
- Anderson da Silva, Director & Partner – NSA Global
- Andrea Chedas, Director of Global Security Operations – Canada Goose
- Mark Landry, Chairman – ASIS International CSO Center Board
08:00 – 08:50 CDT
BREAKFAST AND NETWORKING RECEPTION – TEA & COFFEE
09:00 – 09:10 CDT
WELCOME
Ian Stokes, CEO, Centurian Media Ltd.
Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
09:15 – 09:20 CDT
WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
09:25 – 09:45 CDT
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
A nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator with over 30 years of cross-sector experience, Dr. Terry L. Oroszi is a Harvard Kennedy School alumna and Forbes Technology Council member. Dr. Oroszi brings a multidisciplinary lens to the intersection of emerging technology, terrorism and crisis leadership.
As Vice Chair of Pharmacology & Toxicology at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and Director of its Emerging Technologies Laboratory, she pioneers AI/ML integration in security-focused graduate education. Dr. Oroszi also founded the university’s CBRN Defense Certificate Program, and has established partnerships with the FBI, DHS and DoD.
An author of over 100 publications, Dr. Oroszi serves on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Committee, holds active FBI security clearance and is a National Officer of the InfraGard National Members Alliance. She has briefed the NSA, FBI Quantico and House Intelligence and Armed Services Staff, and participated as a US State Department Speaker.
A TEDx speaker and frequent media commentator on CBRN threats and homeland security, she was named Top Principal Strategist of the Year in Security & Crisis Response by the International Association of Top Professionals in 2025.
09:25 – 09:45 CDT
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Plausible and Shameless: how AI Defeats Security Instincts
Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
09:50 – 10:10 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Navigating Geopolitics: How to Stay on a Mission So It Doesn’t Go Sideways
Moderator: Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
Panelists:
- RC Miles, Global Director of Security – Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP)
- David Case, Head of Security – NXP Semiconductors
- Bruce McIndoe, President – McIndoe Risk Advisory
- Theresa Durham, Chief Security, Safety and Risk Officer – National Press Club
Geopolitical instability has moved from distant headlines to your front door. Activist mobilization, workforce polarization, federal authorities on site – these are operational realities now, not hypotheticals. How do you verify authority, protect your workforce and manage protests without losing control of the narrative? This panel explores real-world scenarios and evolving strategies that keep organizations steady when the outside world stops being someone else’s problem.
09:50 – 10:10 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Navigating Geopolitics: How to Stay on a Mission So It Doesn’t Go Sideways
Moderator: Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
Panelists:
- RC Miles, Global Director of Security – Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP)
- David Case, Head of Security – NXP Semiconductors
- Bruce McIndoe, President – McIndoe Risk Advisory
- Theresa Durham, Chief Security, Safety and Risk Officer – National Press Club
10:15 – 10:25 CDT
PRESENTATION – The Human Element: Empowering Teams With Less Razzle Dazzle, More Actual Intelligence
Speaker: Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
The biggest threat is already inside. It’s the gap between innovation and the people responsible for acting on it. This session brings together the full stack from the physical to the digital in security innovation and shows how security directors and operations leaders can close a critical gap. Empower teams to make better, more timely decisions. Actual intelligence means your team sees clearly, responds faster and makes the case to the board with confidence. The cherry on top? Improved safety and lower costs.
10:15 – 10:25 CDT
PRESENTATION –The Human Element: Empowering Teams With Less Razzle Dazzle, More Actual Intelligence
Speaker: Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
10:30 – 10:50 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Avoiding AI Brain Fry When Everything Is on the Front Burner
Moderator: Kasia Hanson, President – Global Council for Responsible AI
Panelists:
- Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Veronica Glick, Partner – Mayer Brown
- Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
- Phillip Antoniou, Global Head of Sales & Marketing – Vaxtor Technologies
The question is no longer what AI to deploy – it’s whether your people can actually use it. “AI-brain fry” is real: teams handed too many tools too fast make poor decisions and create new risks. This panel presents new approaches to how security leaders can build human readiness alongside technical capability, invest in the soft skills that make adoption stick and ensure frontline personnel understand the risks their actions can inadvertently create.
10:30 – 10:50 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Avoiding AI Brain Fry When Everything Is on the Front Burner
Moderator: Kasia Hanson, President – Global Council for Responsible AI
Panelists:
- Essam Choudhary, Co-Founder & President – The Security Innovation Hub
- Veronica Glick, Partner – Mayer Brown
- Dr. Terry L. Oroszi – Nationally recognized security strategist, researcher and educator
- Phillip Antoniou, Global Head of Sales & Marketing – Vaxtor Technologies
10:55 – 11:25 CDT
MORNING NETWORKING BREAK – TEA & COFFEE
11:30 – 11:50 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – From “I Don’t Care” to “We’ve Got This”: Building a More Engaged Security Culture
Moderator: Anderson da Silva, Director & Partner – NSA Global
Panelists:
- Matthew Butts, EVP, Americas – Gallagher Security
- Alvar Orellana McBride, Executive Director – Griffin Risk
- Camila Marinho, Security Operations Manager – Security Industry Specialists (SIS)
The breach that never happened doesn’t make headlines. Neither does the vulnerability patched before exploitation or the system that held under pressure. Yet these are your strongest pieces of evidence that investment is working. Learn how security leaders reframe near-misses as measurable outcomes, translate prevention into business value and make the case to a C-suite that an absence of crisis is not luck – it’s the result of deliberate, effective work.
11:30 – 11:50 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – From “I Don’t Care” to “We’ve Got This”: Building a More Engaged Security Culture
Moderator: Anderson da Silva, Director & Partner – NSA Global
Panelists:
- Matthew Butts, EVP, Americas – Gallagher Security
- Alvar Orellana McBride, Executive Director – Griffin Risk
- Camila Marinho, Security Operations Manager – Security Industry Specialists (SIS)
11:55 – 12:15 CDT
PRESENTATION – When the Room Turns to You: Why Your Network Is Your Emergency Response Plan
Speaker: Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
When a crisis hits and all eyes are on you, your network is your ultimate lifeline. This session explores why there is no competition in security – only cooperation – and how peer collaboration acts as a vital force multiplier.
11:55 – 12:15 CDT
PRESENTATION – When the Room Turns to You: Why Your Network Is Your Emergency Response Plan
Speaker: Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
12:20 – 12:40 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Because Risk Moves Fast: Adaptive Leadership in a Changing World
Moderator: Andrea Chedas, Director of Global Security Operations – Canada Goose
Panelists:
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Lisa Oliveri, Director of the Global Security Operations Center – Twilio
- Diego Serpa, Head of Security Brazil, Colgate-Palmolive
Security leadership demands constant vigilance, high-stakes decisions and unshakeable composure – and it quietly grinds people down. When burnout affects the leader, it cascades to everyone below. Oft-tested security executives describe how to build personal resilience without sacrificing sharpness, create cultures where wellbeing is an operational priority and lead in a way that is sustainable rather than just endurable.
12:20 – 12:40 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Because Risk Moves Fast: Adaptive Leadership in a Changing World
Moderator: Andrea Chedas, Director of Global Security Operations – Canada Goose
Panelists:
- Dora Cortés, Director of Security, Mexico & LATAM – L’Oréal
- Lisa Oliveri, Director of the Global Security Operations Center – Twilio
- Diego Serpa, Head of Security Brazil, Colgate-Palmolive
12:45 – 13:55 CDT
BUFFET-STYLE LUNCH AND NETWORKING
14:00 – 14:30 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – What Are You Prepared to Do? A Live Crisis Leadership Exercise
Moderator: Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
Panelists:
- Danielle Weddepohl, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, George Brown College
- Harold Wax, Director of Global Security – PepsiCo
- Bart Brown, Vice President, Global Chief Security Officer – McDonald’s
No briefing. No pre-read. No safety net. Four senior security leaders will be handed a crisis scenario they have never seen, given 20 minutes to align and asked to present their response framework live to the room. This is not a polished panel – it’s a rare, unfiltered look at how experienced executives actually think, prioritize and lead when information is incomplete, stakes are high and the audience is watching.
14:00 – 14:30 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – What Are You Prepared to Do? A Live Crisis Leadership Exercise
Moderator: Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
Panelists:
- Danielle Weddepohl, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, George Brown College
- Harold Wax, Director of Global Security – PepsiCo
- Bart Brown, Vice President, Global Chief Security Officer – McDonald’s
14:35 – 14:55 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Balancing Protection, Privacy, Fidelity and Convenience
Moderator: Mark Landry, Chairman – ASIS International CSO Center Board
Speaker:
- Bob Wilkins, Director of Marketing & Category Management – Salto Americas
- Erin Belknap, Managing Director, Security – Sterling Bay
- Charles “Chuck” Andrews, Founder – Friends of Chuck
- Maureen Carlo, Global Partner Strategist
Futureproofing isn’t about chasing every trend or defaulting to the most convenient answer in the room. It is about making disciplined decisions that preserve fidelity over time: accuracy, reliability, operational integrity and trust. What do you say when the C-suite pushes for the frictionless solution? Is Zero Trust always the answer, or does your operational reality demand something more nuanced? This session explores how security leaders balance protection, privacy, fidelity and convenience while building architectures that remain resilient, usable and defensible under pressure – especially when the pressure to compromise comes from inside the building.
14:35 – 14:55 CDT
PANEL DISCUSSION – Balancing Protection, Privacy, Fidelity and Convenience
Moderator: Mark Landry, Chairman – ASIS International CSO Center Board
Speaker:
- Bob Wilkins, Director of Marketing & Category Management – Salto Americas
- Erin Belknap, Managing Director, Security – Sterling Bay
- Charles “Chuck” Andrews, Founder – Friends of Chuck
- Maureen Carlo
15:00 – 15:20 CDT
FIRESIDE CHAT – Adventures in Self-Branding for Security Leaders
Speaker: Kit Bartels, Executive Recruiter – Security & Investigative Placement Consultant
Restructuring is accelerating. Roles are consolidating. The job market for senior security leaders is more competitive than it has been in years. So, what actually sets you apart? This fireside chat examines how security executives sharpen their executive presence, build visibility with the right people and translate operational results into a narrative that resonates at board level. Performance matters – but in a crowded field, so does making sure the right people know about it.
15:00 – 15:20 CDT
FIRESIDE CHAT – Adventures in Self-Branding for Security Leaders
Moderator: Tim Wenzel, Chief Operating Officer – Fortis Security
Speaker: Kit Bartels, Executive Recruiter – Security & Investigative Placement Consultant
15:25 – 15:45 CDT
PRESENTATION
Speaker: Bart Brown, Vice President, Global Chief Security Officer – McDonald’s
15:50 – 16:00 CDT
CLOSING REMARKS
Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), Kroll
16:00 – 18:00 CDT
EVENT CLOSE & NETWORKING DRINKS