Secure Horizons

Executive Director Security & Crisis Leader

Sarah Armstrong-Smith is an Executive Director at Secure Horizons and one of the most influential leaders in cybersecurity. With over 30 years of frontline experience, she has held senior roles including Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft and Group Head of Crisis Management at the London Stock Exchange. Sarah is the author of Effective Crisis Management and the Amazon best‑seller Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset, examining leadership under pressure and the psychology of cyber warfare. A global advocate and keynote speaker, she has appeared at NATO, the World Energy Council, and Sky News, and is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and government agencies worldwide.

KPMG UK

Partner, Financial Services, Operational Resilience Lead

Ashley has over 20 years' experience in designing, delivering and implementing large scale regulatory and operational transformation programmes. Ashley is currently KPMG UK's Lead for Operational Resilience and has led multi-year Operational Resilience transformation programmes for both UK and overseas regulated firms. Ashley regularly interacts with global regulatory authorities and advises firms on his cross-sector experience of implementing and enhancing firms' operational resilience. Ashley also engages with a number of KPMG's alliance partners, including ServiceNow and Fusion and has led Operational Resilience tooling implementations for both regulated and non-regulated organisations.

Europol

Head of the Strategic Analysis Team

Barbara Celis is Head of the Strategic Analysis Team in Europol’s Operations Directorate. She holds a Master’s degree in Chinese Studies from KU Leuven, complemented by a year of Chinese language studies in Taiwan. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Criminological Sciences, she began her career in strategic analysis with the Belgian Federal Police. In 2011, she joined Europol’s Strategic Analysis Team, and in 2015 she became a Senior Analyst at the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) in Malta. She returned to Europol in 2020 where she took up the role of team leader. Barbara leads the team responsible for threat assessments on all crime areas under Europol’s mandate.  The EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) and the report on the EU’s most threatening criminal networks are among their key deliverables. Through their analysis of law enforcement information, the Strategic Analysis team enhances the understanding of the most relevant current and future threats in the organised crime and terrorism landscape, and informs intelligence-led operational and policy approaches. 

Erste Bank Polska

Chief Risk Officer (CRO)

Artur Głembocki is an experienced financial executive with a Master’s degree in Management from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and professional training in leadership, risk management, and financial crime prevention. He has spent his entire career since 2008 at Santander Bank Polska (now Erste Bank Polska S.A.), progressing through all seniority levels in Risk Management. He has held roles including Head of Wholesale Risk, Risk Management Director, Deputy Chief Risk Officer, and Management Board Member responsible for Compliance and FCC. In April 2025, he became Chief Risk Officer, recognized for strong leadership, analytical expertise, and execution in regulatory environments.

OpenAI

Security Specialist, Solutions Engineering Organisation

John Hetherton works in cybersecurity, focused on helping technology companies build secure, practical systems that can scale. He is currently a Security Specialist within the Solutions Engineering organisation at OpenAI, with experience spanning security engineering, compliance, governance, and risk. Previously at Evervault, John worked closely with engineering and product teams on security and compliance in fast-moving environments. He also brings experience across the energy, financial services, and semi-state sectors. John enjoys turning complex security challenges into clear, workable solutions, with a particular interest in using AI and automation to improve security operations and reduce friction for teams.

Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG

Chairwoman (CEO)

Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller has been with Erste Group since 2006. From 2013 to 2015, she was Head of Group Prudential Affairs and subsequently led the General Secretariat of Erste Holding. Additionally, she has been a board member of Die Zweite Wiener Vereins-Sparcasse AG since 2017. In July 2019, she was appointed Chief Financial and Risk Officer. Her appointment as CEO of Erste Bank Oesterreich took place in October 2020. In July 2024, she also assumed the CFO role in addition to her CEO responsibilities.

Responsible for: Human Resources; Savings Bank Cooperation; IT & Operations; Brand Management, Marketing & Communication; Group Secretariat; Social Banking; Health Center; Internal Audit; Strategy and Investments; Legal; Balance Sheet Management & ALM; Planning; Controlling; Accounting; Information & Data Management; Procurement

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Security Executive & Board Advisor

Yuecel Karabulut is a Principal Security Leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Switzerland, empowering CISOs and executive teams to transform security from a barrier into a business enabler. He helps organizations bridge the gap between risk management and innovation velocity, enabling confident deployment of AI and cloud solutions that drive market leadership.With over 26 years spanning cybersecurity research, product management, solution architecture, and lecturing, Yuecel brings deep technical expertise to strategic security challenges. His career includes leadership roles at Salesforce, Oracle, VMware, and SAP across Europe and the United States.Yuecel holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technical University of Dortmund and an MBA from Duke University. He is a recognized thought leader with 32+ peer-reviewed publications, several patents, and frequent speaking engagements at universities and industry conferences worldwide.

KPMG Austria

Partner, Consulting: Security Strategy & Transformation

Daniel Kroiss is a security professional with ten-plus years’ experience. He has been working with clients in the financial industry, manufacturing as well as the energy sector both as a consultant and on the company side. His specialties lie in the field of security strategy and architecture where he has led multiple projects for large scale European companies. He also has extensive experience as an incident responder which is the most important input for his work in security strategies. He is also a passionate skier to relax from the long consulting days.

Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG

Social Banking Executive

Carmencita Nader is an impact finance expert and Head of Social Banking at Erste Bank. She serves on the board of Die Zweite Sparkasse (Die Bank der zweiten Chance | Zweite Sparkasse) and contributes as a supervisory and advisory board member across Austria’s cultural and social sectors. Her work focuses on financial inclusion and on the role of civil society in strengthening economic development and societal resilience.

Palo Alto Networks

VP & Chief Security Officer, EMEA

Haider Pasha is the VP and Chief Security Officer for EMEA at Palo Alto Networks, leading cybersecurity innovation since 2018. With over 25 years of experience in security and technology, he develops advanced cyber‑resilience strategies for global organizations. Haider advises executives on AI‑enabled SOCs, securing agentic AI, cloud security, and SASE, while guiding compliance with regulations such as the AI Act, GDPR, and NIS2. His career includes senior leadership roles at Symantec and 15 years at Cisco, including CTO for Cisco Africa. Haider is a trusted industry spokesperson and holds an MBA and multiple cybersecurity certifications.

Accenture

Secure Digital Core Lead & Secure AI Lead at Accenture Central and Eastern Europe

André Schmidt is a Senior Manager, thought leader, and practice lead of Data & AI Security at Accenture Central and Eastern Europe, based in Zurich. He works with financial institutions and regulated organizations to navigate the security, trust, and governance challenges emerging at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and disruptive technologies. André is a lecturer at the Berner Fachhochschule and holds a Master Science in Computer Science and Machine Learning from ETH Zurich.

Radware

Product Marketing at Radware Cybersecurity

At Radware, Dan leads various product marketing initiatives for cloud application protection services, DDoS protection solutions, and application delivery products. He brings a wealth of experience in product management and marketing from industry leaders such as Meta and Cisco Systems, where he focused on networking and identity security products. With an MBA from Cornell University and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, along with his industry experience, Dan is uniquely equipped to translate complex technical concepts into compelling marketing strategies and impactful business plans.

Microsoft

Senior Security & Technology Leader and Chief Security Advisor

Olivier Schraner is a senior security and technology leader and Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft, with a background spanning CISO, CTO, and enterprise architecture roles. Prior to joining Microsoft, he held senior leadership positions at UBS, including serving as a CTO and Global Head of Architecture, where he led large-scale cloud, cybersecurity, and architecture initiatives in highly regulated environments. He is passionate about building resilient, secure, and compliant digital systems and driving impact through collaboration and strategic execution.

KuppingerCole Analysts AG

Chief of Advisory, CISO

Christopher Schütze holds a dual role at KuppingerCole Analysts AG: as Chief of Advisory he leads a specialized team focused on Identity, Governance, and Zero Trust - advising C-level clients on cybersecurity strategy, risk management, and regulatory frameworks including NIS2 and DORA. As CISO, he carries operational responsibility for KuppingerCole's own security posture, having built the company's ISMS from scratch and achieved ISO 27001 and TISAX certification. Both roles inform each other - what he advises clients on, he also implements and owns internally. With over 15 years in IAM and cybersecurity, Christopher speaks and moderates regularly at KuppingerCole events including EIC and Cyberevolution, as well as at external industry conferences. Christopher holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the CISSP certification.

Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (MFA Austria)

Former Minister of Defence / Major General (ret.)

Thomas Starlinger is a retired Major General of the Austrian Armed Forces and interim Minister of Defence in Austria’s so‑called “Expert Government.” Over the course of his career, he spent 15 years abroad in various international headquarters for the EU and NATO, as well as in UN missions in Cyprus, Iran, Kosovo, Syria, and Tajikistan. He has gained extensive expertise in global security developments and advises institutions and companies on the impact of these dynamics on their current and future endeavours.

Erste Group Bank AG

Group Chief Security Officer (Group CSO)

Roland Supper is Group Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Erste Group Bank AG. In his function he’s directly responsible for the topics of Cyber Information Security, Business Continuity & Crisis Management, (Cyber)Physical Security and Data Protection. Successfully leading the Security agenda in financial services over the past 20+ years, allows Roland a holistic expertise in Security Governance, Management and Operations. He is also accountable for the secure and resilient operation of Erste Bank’s services. Roland actively promote and challenge initiatives focused on novel technologies for mitigating (cyber) risks, advancing the integration of artificial intelligence and future‑proof architectures, such as quantum-safe security.

KuppingerCole Analysts AG

Lead Advisor

Patrick Teichmann is Lead Advisor at KuppingerCole Analysts and a passionate voice in Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Digital Identity. With nearly a decade of experience in IAM, he supports large organizations in turning identity and access management from a technical necessity into a strategic capability, from strategy development and tool selection to implementation guidance and operating models that make digital identity work across the organization. Having started his career as a developer and solution architect, both in house and as an external consultant, Patrick has gradually expanded his focus toward IAM governance and strategy. This perspective now shapes his work at KuppingerCole Analysts, where he brings together strategy, technology, and organizational design to help clients build effective and sustainable IAM landscapes. He also shares his expertise as a guest lecturer at a university of applied sciences.

Zerothird

CEO and co-Founder

Felix Tiefenbacher is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of zerothird, a European provider of entanglement-based quantum-secure communication infrastructure. He holds a PhD in quantum physics and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Nobel Laureate Anton Zeilinger. Together with his co-founders, he transitioned entanglement-based quantum communication from academic research into commercial, carrier-grade systems. At zerothird, he focuses on the deployment of quantum-secure networks for financial institutions and critical infrastructure operators, including long-distance Quantum Key Distribution backbones operated under a Key-as-a-Service model.

NVISO Security

DFIR Lead

Bart Vanautgaerden is part of NVISO’s CSIRT, leading emergency response, proactive threat hunting, and IR program development for government and international clients. He has presented at the SANS DFIR Summit and Black Hat, led APT working groups at NATO HQ, and held senior security roles at SWIFT, Euroclear, and NATO. Previously a Principal IR Consultant at Mandiant (Google Cloud), Bart has investigated APT groups since 2015, including leading the global IR program in Ukraine from 2022 with OT incidents linked to SANDWORM/APT44.