For more than 25 years, Jim Stikeleather has designed, developed and implemented information and communications technologies that help businesses and institutions succeed. Organizations worldwide rely on Jim for guidance on digital infrastructures, evaluation of emerging technologies, and strategic guidance on applications. He participates in international technology standards bodies and has multiple book and industry-article contributions to his credit. Currently, Jim serves as Chief Innovation Officer for Dell Services, the IT services arm of Dell. Previously, he led technology start-ups and turnarounds as well as the advancement of technology departments within large global enterprises. He was a founder of the Technical Resource Connection (TRC), which was acquired by Perot Systems in 1996.

Steve Whitlock is chief strategist for Boeing IT Information Security. In this role, he provides strategic support for Boeing’s long term information security capabilities. This includes the tracking of emerging technologies and the changing threat landscape, as well as helping to influence the direction of the information security industry in support of Boeing’s global presence.

With more than twenty-five years of research in information security and cryptography, Whitlock has provided strategic input to numerous global agencies, and has served on writing and steering committees for the Intelligence and National Security Association, Internet Security Alliance, Defense Information Base Technology and Architecture Working Group, Trans-global Secure Collaboration Program, and Enduring Security Framework Activity. He has served on the Program Committee for the annual ID Trust conference sponsored by NIST, ACM, OASIS and Internet 2 for eight years.

He currently serves on the Jericho Forum Board of Management and is Vice Chair of the Open Group Security Forum. Steve has a master’s degree in software engineering from Seattle University.

Greg Akers is the Senior Vice President of Research/Advanced Development and Chief Technology Officer within the Global Governments Solutions Group at Cisco. With more than two decades of executive experience, Akers brings a wide range of technical and security knowledge to his current role. A major focus of his group is to expand security awareness and launch product resiliency initiatives throughout Cisco’s development organization to deliver high-quality and secure products to customers. He also serves as executive sponsor of the Cisco Disability Awareness Network.

Akers joined Cisco in 1993. He has held a variety of technical, managerial and executive roles at Cisco. These have included networking engineer, Vice President for the Worldwide Technical Assistance Center, Senior Vice President-CTO Services and Senior Vice President-Global Governments Solutions Group. He also holds the CCIE certification.

In addition to his primary role, Akers is an Internet security and critical infrastructure protection advisor to Cisco customers and to the U.S. government. He regularly advises and directs activities relative to technology and security matters of domestic and international importance. In this capacity he has held leadership roles, such as serving as President of the IT-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) organization in 2002 and Vice President in 2001. Akers has also advised the U.S. Department of Defense and the federal intelligence community for more than fifteen years. Akers is a member of the National White-Collar Crime Board and the Board of Directors of the East Carolina Infraguard. Presently he leads and serves on various boards, panels and task forces within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Before joining Cisco, Akers’ career included more than 15 years of designing, building, and running large networks for Fortune 100 companies. He has held senior technical and leadership roles at Fechheimer Brothers, a holding of Berkshire Hathaway, and Procter and Gamble.

Akers holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Akron.

Susan Alexander is the Information Assurance Chief Strategist for NSA, responsible for assisting the IA Director in creating and communicating the way ahead for the IA mission and for ensuring activities and organizations align well with and possess the capabilities to execute on that strategy. Prior to taking on this role, Ms. Alexander held a series of positions in Government Science and Technology management and policy. She led research, design and consulting activities across the IA spectrum as NSA’s Chief of Information Assurance Research, shaped the DoD’s strategy for assured net-centric operations as Chief Technology Officer to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber, Identity and Information Assurance, and led assessment of the Government-wide cybersecurity strategy and associated investment portfolio known collectively as the Comprehensive National Cyber Initiative (CNCI) as Senior Advisor to the Director of the Joint Interagency Cyber Task Force in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. An early architect of the leap-ahead component of CNCI, she developed the framework for the National Cyber Leap Year and its game-change methodology

Ms. Alexander graduated magna cum laude from Yale in 1979. She trained as a cryptanalyst, specializing in the diagnosis of cryptographic systems from cipher, achieved the rank of Master in NSA’s technical track, and worked extensively in NSA’s signals intelligence mission before taking on the more challenging issues of information assurance. Her executive preparation includes NSA’s Senior Leadership Development Program, the Federal Executive Institute, The National Strategic Intelligence Seminar at Syracuse University and the Intelligence Community’s ICSLIP and EXCEL (Kellogg School) courses; she has made particular studies of technology diffusion and organizational development, and is DAWIA level-2 certified as a Science and Technology manager. She is a recipient of the Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award.