Agents, IoT and AI:

Disruption and the Evolving Autonomous Threat Landscape

November 09

Executive Dinner

November 9, 2026

Invite Only

November 10

NKST Summit Vancouver

November 10, 2026

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT

Venue

Anvil Centre

New Westminster, BC

NKST Summit Vancouver 2026

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

NKST Summit Vancouver 2026

Security. Technology. What’s next.

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NOVEMBER 10, 2026 · 8:00 AM PT · VANCOUVER

Our Sponsors & Partners

SUMMIT THEME

Agents, IoT and AI: Disruption and the Evolving Autonomous Threat Landscape

Autonomous AI agents are moving into production. IoT and OT devices are multiplying past the edge of traditional visibility. This Summit’s dual tracks will dive into those two worlds, with keynotes and panels exploring where they interact, converge, and collide.

TRACK 1

IoT & Autonomous Systems

Securing the sprawling edge, connected devices, OT environments, and autonomous physical systems operating outside traditional perimeters.

TRACK 2

AI & Agentic Systems

Governing agentic AI as it gains authority to act, model risk, autonomous decision-making, and the new attack surface it creates.

ABOUT THE SUMMIT

A closed-door forum for Canada's security & technology leaders

The NKST Summit Vancouver is an executive forum in Western Canada, bringing together senior cybersecurity and technology leaders responsible for protecting some of Canada’s most critical organisations.

The event aims to create an environment where meaningful conversations take priority over product pitches. Industry leaders come together to openly discuss emerging risks, share real-world experiences, and explore practical strategies for navigating today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.

The NKST Summit Vancouver combines thought leadership with genuine peer engagement. Executive panels, keynote presentations, interactive discussions, and networking sessions are carefully curated to encourage collaboration between security leaders, technology executives, researchers, and industry innovators.

The result is a trusted environment where sponsors engage directly with decision-makers who are actively shaping cybersecurity investment, AI adoption, digital transformation, and enterprise resilience across Canada.

THE AGENDA

NKST Summit
Vancouver 2026

10
NOVEMBER 2026 Vancouver · Pacific time

Room filters include registrations and breaks. Select a session to view its speakers.

Time (PT)

ADVISORY BOARD

Local Committee Members

Mary Carmicheal (Event Chair)

Field CISO, Western Canada

Bell Cyber

Rob Davidson

Chief Information Security Officer

Pacific Blue Cross

Sonny Sarai

Co-Founder

Brockton Point Solutions

Beverly Ehlbeck

Director, Cyber Security Integration & Resilience (Global)

Worley

SUMMIT SPEAKERS

Featured Speakers

Speaker Name

Brent Fowles

CISO, Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Services

Western University

With over 25 years of experience in Information Technology, Brent has most recently transformed Western’s Cybersecurity Strategy through partnerships with industry leaders, introduction of 24/7 SOC coverage, effective risk assessment initiatives and campus-wide cybersecurity awareness programs. He also delivers Operational Leadership programs on “Your role in Protecting Corporate Information” and “Working Securely” in partnership with Western’s Privacy Office.

Speaker Name

Mina Girges

Vice President and Chief Information Officer

TransForm Shared Service Organization

Mina Girges is a technology and transformation executive with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise modernization, cybersecurity, infrastructure, M&A integration and technology operations across healthcare, automotive and private equity-backed environments.

As Vice President and Chief Information Officer at TransForm Shared Service Organization, Mina provides executive leadership for technology across a regional healthcare ecosystem supporting five hospital partners and other health service providers in Southwestern Ontario. His mandate spans enterprise technology strategy, cybersecurity and digital risk, infrastructure and cloud, clinical and business systems, data and analytics, and the modernization of shared digital services.

Prior to healthcare, Mina held senior technology leadership roles at ABC Technologies, a global automotive supplier, where he led global infrastructure and cybersecurity transformation, technology integration through significant mergers and acquisitions, platform modernization, and initiatives that improved operating performance while delivering substantial cost efficiencies.

Mina's perspective on cybersecurity is shaped by operating in environments where technology disruption has immediate business and operational consequences. He views cyber resilience not simply as a technical discipline, but as an enterprise leadership responsibility encompassing governance, operational continuity, investment decisions, organizational readiness and the ability to respond effectively when systems fail.

His broader leadership focus is on helping complex organizations simplify, modernize and build resilient technology capabilities that enable growth, improve performance and support the people and customers who depend on them.

Mina holds an MBA and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor.

Speaker Name

Dominic Vogel

President

Vogel Cyber Leadership & Coaching

Dominic Vogel is a well-respected cyber security thought leader appearing on media news outlets across the world. As a twenty-year veteran cyber security expert and thought leader, Dominic holds a proven track record across a multitude of industries (financial services, logistics, transportation, healthcare, government, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure).

Dominic is a firm believer in delivering sustainable security that supports and protects business goals. Having worked within large and globally diverse organizations he has extensive security experience that has been forged over the past two decades as an information security professional.

Dominic is a 2x founder who has focused on providing unbiased actionable cyber security strategic guidance and advice to startups and small businesses across North America.

Dominic is the President at Vogel Cyber Leadership & Coaching, a Vancouver-based leadership advisory company specializing in cyber risk management.

Speaker Name

Tasleem Jessani

Leadership Coach & Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist

Tasleem Jessani Co.

Tasleem Jessani is a Leadership Coach and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who helps high-performing professionals and executives unlock their leadership potential by addressing the subconscious patterns that influence their confidence, decision-making and relationships.

With over a decade of experience in corporate Human Resources and more than six years coaching leaders and executives, Tasleem brings a unique perspective that bridges traditional leadership development with a deeper understanding of human behaviour.

Combining leadership coaching, clinical hypnotherapy and intuitive insight, she works beyond traditional leadership strategies to help high-performing professionals recognize the subconscious beliefs, emotional responses and behavioural patterns that influence decision-making, communication and interpersonal dynamics. Her work helps leaders develop greater self-awareness and emotional resilience, enabling them to navigate complexity with greater confidence, clarity and authenticity.

As artificial intelligence continues to transform the workplace, Tasleem believes that the ability to understand, connect with and lead people will become one of the most valuable leadership capabilities.

Speaker Name

Walter Anderson

Founder

PORTSECURE AI Governance & Resilience

Walter Anderson is the Founder of PORTSECURE and serves as Chief Information Security Officer for the Nanaimo Port Authority. With more than 20 years in cybersecurity, he helps maritime, critical infrastructure, and logistics organizations align security with business strategy, strengthen defences against emerging threats, and build resilience around AI adoption.

Walter chairs the Cybersecurity Working Group for the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, serves as President of the ISACA Victoria Chapter, and teaches Maritime Cyber Risk and Resilience at Royal Roads University. He recently led a national cyber-physical exercise involving 150 organizations and 650 participants to advance Canada's critical infrastructure resilience, and has designed and facilitated agentic AI tabletop exercises focused on autonomous threat scenarios and post-incident defensibility.

Speaker Name

Maleena Singh

Director of Incident Response

Mirai Security Inc.

Maleena Singh has over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity operations, investigations, and incident response, serving in senior leadership roles across public and private sectors. As the Director of Incident Response at Mirai Security, she helps organizations respond to and recover from cyber incidents while providing strategic guidance to enhance resilience against emerging threats.

Maleena's career spans over two decades, including 23 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), where she concluded her tenure as leader of the Provincial Cybercrime team. During this time, she played a key role in domestic and international cyber investigations, collaborating with global law enforcement agencies.

Following her tenure at the RCMP, Maleena led the Cyber Incident Response practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Vancouver, driving cybersecurity initiatives for diverse organizations. She has also served as Director of Cybersecurity at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), where she focused on advancing cybersecurity programs and maturity.

Maleena is recognized as an industry expert, with her insights sought by leading organizations. She holds advisory roles with various institutions and actively contributes to cybersecurity development.

Speaker Name

Sabino Marquez

Co-founder

Trustable

Sabino Marquez is a technology executive and researcher who has served as both Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Trust Officer. His operating experience spans enterprise growth, assurance, acquisition diligence, and strategic trust leadership. He originated Trust Value Management, a business discipline for governing stakeholder value safety. Through TVM, he develops operating systems and professional instruments that give trust value workers the methods to enable, grow, govern, and account for enterprise trust value and its business consequences. He is the co-founder of Trustable and author of Trust Value, which traces the development of the discipline through his operating career.

Speaker Name

Thelma Muronzi

Cybersecurity Awareness Program Project Manager

BC Hydro

Thelma Muronzi is a Cybersecurity Awareness Program Project Manager at BC Hydro with over a decade of experience in information technology, spanning cybersecurity strategy, security awareness, governance, risk, and compliance. She has led cybersecurity programs and initiatives, advised organizations on security and regulatory requirements, conducted security risk assessments, and supported cybersecurity transformation and control improvements across diverse business and technology environments. She holds an MBA, an MSc in Applied Information Technology, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Information Security and Assurance, and a BCom in Informatics. Her professional credentials include CompTIA Security+ and Red Team Hacking certifications. She was the first-place winner of the Capture the Flag competition at the Blacks in Cybersecurity 2020 Winter Conference in Washington, DC, and was featured in the 2019 Epic Women in Cyber article. She is also the founder of Cyber LifeHax (CLH), an initiative dedicated to promoting cybersecurity awareness among seniors.

Speaker Name

Sherry Rumbolt

Senior Strategic Advisor in Cybersecurity

Govt. of Canada

Sherry Rumbolt is a Senior Strategic Advisor in Cybersecurity with the Government of Canada, bringing over 25 years of experience in IT and Cybersecurity. Her career includes holding senior cybersecurity roles across multiple federal departments, including the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Shared Services Canada, the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces, and the Government of British Columbia.

Prior to joining the Public Service, Sherry served for 21 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, specializing in Security Information Systems and Technology, with a strong focus on IT and Cybersecurity.

Sherry is deeply committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and raising awareness about the critical importance of cybersecurity. Her contributions have been recognized nationally—she was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Women in Defence in 2021, one of the Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity in 2020, and received the SiberX Canadian Women in Cybersecurity Lifetime Achievement Award.

She actively serves on several advisory boards across Canada, mentors emerging professionals, and advocates passionately for employment equity, working to ensure equal opportunities for underrepresented groups in the cybersecurity field.

Sherry holds multiple cybersecurity certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

Speaker Name

Maryam Hamidirad

Director of Security & GRC

FISPAN

Maryam Hamidirad is a cybersecurity and GRC leader with over a decade of experience spanning enterprise security, technology, risk management, and consulting. She currently serves as Director of Security & GRC at FISPAN, a financial technology company, where she has built and scaled the enterprise security and GRC function from the ground up.

Her expertise spans enterprise security strategy, cloud and application security, cyber risk management, AI security and governance, and security program development. She brings experience in security strategy, risk-based decision-making, security architecture, cloud and application security, and the implementation of automated controls and continuous security assurance.

She advises executive leadership on cybersecurity strategy, emerging technology risks, regulatory expectations, and security investments, with a focus on building security programs that enable organizations to scale securely.

Maryam previously worked in Deloitte’s consulting practice, advising financial services clients on cybersecurity strategy and roadmaps. She has also taught graduate-level Cyber Risk Management at the New York Institute of Technology.

She is an active ISACA member and holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from Ivey Business School.

Speaker Name

Rob Labbé

CEO and CISO-in-Residence

Global Mining and Metals ISAC

Rob Labbé is CEO and CISO-in-Residence of the Global Mining and Metals ISAC. He co-founded MM-ISAC in 2016 to help mining and metals companies share threat intelligence, develop practical security guidance and build trusted industry relationships. His information-security career spans two decades, with a sustained focus on the mining sector. Rob advocates for business- and user-focused security that combines effective controls with operational resilience, helping companies protect their operations while continuing to innovate and produce the minerals and materials the world needs.

Speaker Name

Thaïs Ramos

Director of Governance, Risk & Compliance

Simon Fraser University

Thaïs Ramos is Director of Governance, Risk & Compliance at Simon Fraser University, with a background in law and extensive experience in privacy, cybersecurity and risk management. She focuses on making governance practical—simplifying processes, strengthening accountability, and exploring how AI and automation can reduce administrative work while preserving meaningful oversight. An advocate for women in technology, she serves on the board of Vancouver Women in Tech and SheLeadsTech at ISACA Vancouver. Thaïs holds a master’s degree from Cornell Law School and the CISA (ISACA) and CIPM/CDPO (IAPP) certifications.

Speaker Name

Cat Coode

Founder

Binary Tattoo

Cat Coode, one of Canada's Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity 2021, is the founder of Data and Privacy consultancy Binary Tattoo. Backed by Cat's foundation in mobile development and software architecture (BlackBerry), and over a decade in Privacy, she helps individuals and corporations better understand data privacy and design.

Speaker Name

Sonny Sarai

Co-founder

Brockton Point Solutions

Sonny Sarai is a seasoned information security leader with extensive experience in developing, managing, and enhancing cybersecurity programs across various industries, from startups to enterprise-level organizations. With over 15 years in the Information Security field, Sonny has a proven track record of driving security initiatives and ensuring robust protection measures. He is an active board member of the CISO division for the CIO Association of Canada. Sonny’s career has evolved from providing application support in his early IT days to leading comprehensive information security programs at large organizations.

Sonny is a proven professional and leader who specializes in security, privacy, and compliance. He has been a strong contributor in increasing the security posture of every organization he has been involved with. Sonny strongly believes that one of IT’s important role is to enable the business. Building and fostering relationships within the business and IT has contributed to his success in this area.

Speaker Name

Mary Carmicheal

Field CISO, Western Canada

Bell Cyber

Mary Carmichael helps organizations turn business strategy into technology execution, ensuring initiatives deliver results. She is a Principal Director, Technology Strategy & Risk at Momentum Technology, where she advises organizations on planning, funding, and delivering technology and AI initiatives. Her work spans strategy, program delivery, IT investment management, and risk & control assessment. With over 15 years of cross-sector experience, Mary brings a strong business and financial lens to technology decisions, helping leaders prioritize investments, strengthen governance, and manage risk while achieving benefits.e.

Also, Mary is an AI and Cyber Research Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, focused on third-party AI risk management. A recognized leader within ISACA and Global SheLeadsTech Advocate, she received the 2026 ISACA Global Chapter Leadership Award.

SUMMIT FORMAT

What to Expect at NKST Summit Vancouver

A full day of high-impact programming, structured for senior leaders and practitioners. 

01

Keynote Presentations

Forward-looking perspectives from leading cybersecurity, technology and industry executives on AI, autonomous systems, IoT security and the evolving threat landscape.

02

Panel Discussions

Candid, multi-perspective conversations examining the challenges emerging at the intersection of AI, connected infrastructure and autonomous technologies, from governance and identity to resilience, accountability and enterprise risk.

03

Dual-Track Sessions

Two dedicated streams allow attendees to go deeper into the issues most relevant to their organisations: IoT & Autonomous Systems and AI & Agentic Systems, with focused discussions led by practitioners and subject-matter experts.

04

Exhibition & Partner Showcase

A curated environment for discovering emerging security capabilities, engaging directly with technology partners and exploring solutions addressing the next generation of cyber risk.

05

Networking

Purposeful opportunities to connect with CISOs, CIOs, technology executives, practitioners and industry partners, creating space for meaningful conversations, peer exchange and long-term relationship building.

06

Research & Intelligence Briefs

Timely insights, research and expert perspectives examining emerging threats, technology shifts and the implications of increasingly intelligent and autonomous digital environments.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Built for the leaders shaping strategy

This summit is reserved for senior technology leaders who shape strategy and drive transformation across their organizations, ensuring a confidential, peer-driven room where every conversation is directly relevant to the people in it.

  • Chief Information Security Officers
  • Technology & IT Directors
  • Chief Technology Officers
  • Heads of IT Security / Risk
  • Chief Information Officers
  • Innovation & Transformation Leaders
  • Chief Digital Officers

INVITATION ONLY

Executive Dinner | November 9

An invitation-only evening for cybersecurity and technology leadership in British Columbia and Western Canada.

The Vancouver CISO Dinner is a curated, invitation-only gathering designed to bring senior cybersecurity leaders together before the NKST Summit Vancouver on November 10.

Set in a relaxed dinner environment, the evening is intentionally built around strategic conversation rather than formal presentations or product pitches. A facilitated round table activity will create space for candid peer exchange, shared perspectives and meaningful relationship-building.

 

SUMMIT VENUE

Anvil Centre, New Westminster, BC

Located in the heart of New Westminster, Anvil Centre offers a modern, purpose-built setting for NKST Summit Vancouver 2026. With versatile conference spaces designed to support our dual-track program, plenary sessions, exhibition and executive networking, the venue brings the full summit experience together under one roof.

With direct access from New Westminster SkyTrain Station and lots of nearby parking, the venue offers exceptional accessibility for attendees. It provides an ideal meeting point for cybersecurity and technology leaders from across the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, and Western Canada.

Address: 777 Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3M 1B6, Canada. 

JOIN NKST SUMMIT VANCOUVER

The threat landscape is becoming autonomous.

Our security strategies must evolve with it.

Join the leaders shaping how we secure AI, agents, IoT and autonomous systems, and prepare for a new era of intelligent, interconnected risk.