Global Cyber Alliance Appoints 26 Strategic Advisors and 12 Ambassadors Adding to Its Current Network

The nonprofit grows in diversity and talent with highly skilled representatives from like-minded public and private organizations all over the world.

 

Brussels, 23 May 2023 (*). The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) announced during its Strategic Advisors Committee in Brussels the appointment of twenty-six Strategic Advisors and twelve Ambassadors, adding talent and diversity to its network. The two-day meeting took place in hybrid mode, with both virtual and in-person attendees.

Strategic Advisors and Ambassadors bring a unique set of skills, experiences, and networks to GCA, positioning the organization to deliver on its strategic vision of a secure and trustworthy Internet that enables social and economic progress for all.

“Cybersecurity is a team sport. I welcome each and every one of GCA’s Strategic Advisors, recognizing their work and experience. They have talent, multi-segment knowledge, diversity and commitment – just what we need to enrich our team and ensure that GCA is an innovative and agile force to address current risks posed by cyber insecurity,” Philip Reitinger, GCA’s President & CEO, said.

Appointed as Strategic Advisors are:

  • Fahad Alsehli, Threat Intelligence & Vulnerability Management Director at stc. He is a cybersecurity professional with 15+ years of experience in incident management, threat intelligence and vulnerability management.
  • Carlos Alvarez (*), Director, Trust and Public Safety Engagement at ICANN. He is a senior international cyber security leader who for over 25 years has focused on enabling cyber fighters through policy, processes and tools, aiming towards a safe and stable global Internet through voluntary international cooperation and the creation and strengthening of relationships.
  • Liina Areng leads the EU CyberNet project, focused on EU’s external capacity building in cybersecurity and its flagship – LAC Cyber Competence Centre LAC4.
  • Fiona Asonga, ICT specialist in policy advocacy, development, and implementation. Current Chief Executive Officer of Technology Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK), she leads government and stakeholder consultations.
  • Inge Bryan, FOX-IT CEO, trusted advisor to boards and policymakers. Her career spans two decades of intelligence and criminal investigations, mainly tech and data related. She has vast experience in leading investigations, leading change in organizations and managing crises. She’s passionate about cyber security.
  • Paul Diaz, Vice President of Policy at Public Interest Registry (PIR, the operator of .ORG with over 10.8 million active registrations worldwide). He has decades of policy development, analysis, and advocacy experience across a range of Internet-related issues.
  • Stéphane Duguin (*), CEO of the CyberPeace Institute. He is an investigator, an entrepreneur, and a humanitarian. He has spent 30 years preventing organized crime, terrorist groups and malicious state actors from causing harm to vulnerable populations.
  • Raúl Echeberría, Executive Director of ALAI, the Latin American Internet Association. He is a broadly recognized expert in internet development, policy, and governance.
  • Dr. Melanie Garson, Cyber Policy Lead and Acting Director of Geopolitics at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. She also holds a post as Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at University College London teaching about cyberwarfare and the future of conflict in the digital age.
  • Esther George, highly experienced cybersecurity consultant, CEO of Zyber Global Centre, and Lead Cybercrime Consultant for GPEN. She trains judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement worldwide and has published papers on cybercrime and electronic evidence.
  • Tarun Ghulati (*), President & CEO at Squared Watermelon Ltd. He has led banking and financial services businesses across the world including as Deputy Chairman taken a bank to listing. He sits on several regulated boards and advises many entities internationally.
  • Joyce Hakmeh, a policy expert in international security focusing on cyber policy. She is serving as the Deputy Director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House and as the Co-Editor of the Journal of Cyber Policy.
  • Joshua Kennedy-White, Managing Director for Arqit, brings 25 years in public and private sector technology and strategy, has led 10+ major cyber and deep tech acquisitions, integrations, and investments. He is a regular media commentator and speaker.
  • Olaf Kolkman, Principal at the Internet Society with two and a half decades of experience in Internet technology and policy matters, in particular those related to security and trustworthiness of the Internet.
  • Dianna Langley is NetHope’s COO and senior sponsor of their Digital Protection Program, which builds the cybersecurity capacity and resilience of 65 nonprofit Members that collectively reach some 1.2 billion vulnerable people worldwide.
  • Michael Lashlee joined Mastercard as the Deputy Chief Security Officer in 2016 following a 29-year career with the U.S. Government, including over 25 years with the U.S. Secret Service. In his current role, Mr. Lashlee is responsible for all operational cyber and physical security response management for the company.
  • Elaine McKechnie, who has held various roles in Intelligence and Information Security and in her current one at Virgin Money, she is a Senior Manager leading the Cyber Strategy & Frameworks including Cyber Threat Intelligence. 
  • Craig Newmark helps and protects the people who help and protect the US. Entrepreneur and philanthropist with a long-standing commitment to digital security.  He focuses on cybersecurity, Cyber Civil Defense and the protection of vets and military families, journalists, and victims of online harassment, among others. Founder of the classifieds craigslist.
  • Dr. Towela Nyirenda-Jere, the Head of the Economic Integration Division at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), is a telecommunications engineer and development practitioner with 20+ years’ experience spanning academic, private sector and international development sectors in Africa.
  • Chris Painter, leader on cyber issues for 25+ years, first in the US government as a federal cybercrime prosecutor, a senior official at the Department of Justice and the White House National Security Council, and dedicated high-level cyber diplomat at the State Dept. He serves as President of The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. 
  • Līga Rozentāle, Independent Strategic Advisor/Consultant on driving teams on strategic issues for innovative government and business development, building on 20+ years of experience in the private tech sector, national government and diplomacy, as well as at the EU, NATO and the UN.
  • Robert Sheldon, who has worked in a variety of cybersecurity policy roles within government, think tanks, and industry. For the past 6 years, he has led public policy engagement at CrowdStrike. 
  • Dr Jamie Saunders, who served for 29 years in the UK Government – GCHQ, the FCDO, Cabinet Office and the National Crime Agency. He now divides his time between strategic security consulting, academia, and supporting cybersecurity start-ups.
  • Govind Shivkumar, director within the Responsible Technology program at Omidyar Network, where he leads its investments and portfolio in technology and governance of an open internet, encompassing areas such as open-source software, technical standards, cyber security, and digital public goods.
  • Rob Spiger, who has worked as a Principal Security Strategist on Microsoft’s Global Cybersecurity Policy Team for over a decade and has been with Microsoft since 2003. Prior work includes jobs at Avanade and Lockheed Martin. 
  • Bobbie Stempfley is the Chair of the CIS Board of Directors. She brings more than 25 years of security and digital transformation experience in both the public and private sector including executive roles at Dell Technologies, the Software Engineering Institute, and in senior executive leadership roles in DoD and DHS.

Their comprehensive bios are available here.

(*) Updates announced in July.

A Growing Ambassador Program

Serving as virtual members of the GCA team, our ambassadors scale our mission of eradicating cyber risk across the globe. They directly engage on behalf of GCA in a particular sector or region and provide feedback to GCA. Ambassadors also serve as Strategic Advisors. GCA’s twelve Ambassadors for 2023 are:

  • Ankush Johar, a cyber investor, founder & managing partner at Infosec Ventures. He is also the co-founder of a community of over 3000+ CISOs globally called EliteCISOs Global.
  • Barry Gooch has spent his life in law enforcement and policymaking on numerous panels and national bodies, providing support to Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police on several cases and operations. Co-founder of PROFiT B2B crime support and of an advanced cross-sector Intel system.
  • James Gedeo, Executive Director of Liberia Cyber Crime Prevention & Mitigation Agency. He is a graduate of Botho University, Gaborone Botswana, where he obtained a BSc in Network Security and Computer Forensics.
  • Mazen Al Ahmadi, professional cyber security leader with more than 20 years of extensive experience and expertise in different IT and security domains. He currently serves as General Manager of Cyber Defense at STC.
  • Mubin Shaikh, a cybersecurity veteran with comprehensive technical knowledge across various domains. He is a Partner with EY’s Cyber Security Consulting Practice, with 20+ years of experience in the service industry and has been assisting the clients in their cybersecurity journey’s.
  • Nick Route, former CTO of the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, holds over 22 years of service, with a successful track record in helping organizations deliver real value from ICT through decreased cyber security risk and leveraging Cloud services.
  • Nicola Staub, CEO of VC-backed startup CYBERA, is an Attorney-at-Law who previously worked as Cybercrime Prosecutor in Switzerland. Expert with hands-on experience fighting fraud, scams, and other financial crimes and special Counsel to leading law firm MLL.
  • Roger Francis, Cyber Claims Director at CFC Underwriting, has 15 years’ experience in information security, helping businesses protect their organizational assets from cyber threats, developing global security governance programs, and responding to headline cyber breaches.
  • Rois Ni Thuama, Head of Cyber Governance at Red Sift Limited, is a subject matter expert in cyber governance and risk mitigation and a business entrepreneur with a proven track record of performing roles which have been both strategically and functionally focused.
  • Saad Alhoyaymel, the co-founder, and CEO of Managed Services Company, has extensive experience in cybersecurity and is currently working closely with small and medium-sized businesses to help under-resourced organizations overcome their cybersecurity challenges.
  • Tony Krzyzewski, who has 42 years’ experience in the information tech industry with the past 27 focused on cybersecurity. Based in New Zealand, he is a director of SAM for Compliance, an SaaS service that allows organizations assessing and managing compliance with standards and industry frameworks.
  • Carlos Seisdedos, appointed late March addressing Spain and Latin America, currently heads the cyber intelligence area at Internet Security Auditors, with 15+ years of experience as a researcher and analyst in international security and cybersecurity, professor, and speaker at specialized events, including for NATO.

Our ambassadors’ full bios are available here. ​​

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About the Global Cyber Alliance

The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) is an international, cross-sector effort dedicated to eradicating cyber risk and improving our connected world. GCA works with our partner community worldwide to build practical, accessible resources and measure their impact, in order to achieve a secure, trustworthy Internet that enables social and economic progress for all. Learn more at www.globalcyberalliance.org.