Registration is now open with early bird pricing through August 1st!

Join leaders from around the Midwest to explore critical issues and topics in cybersecurity and leadership development. 

The Heartland CISO Summit is the KC Tech Council’s newest exclusive event. Local and regional security leaders will come together to learn from industry experts, grow their technical and leadership skillsets, and network with fellow CISOs. The KC Tech Council brings together high-level speakers and unique programming that attendees wouldn’t experience otherwise.

Topics Include:

• GenAI security concerns and opportunities
• How to quickly assess and integrate new tech without slowing innovation
• Third party and vendor security
• Diversifying security teams to better tackle threats
• And more!

Attendees must be a director level or higher security professional.

Confirmed Speakers: 

Shariq Aqil is the Global Field CTO for Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Toronto and the inventor of groundbreaking Zerto Cyber Resilience Vault. As a highly accomplished and seasoned specialist in Cyber Resilience and Data Protection, Shariq boasts an extensive career spanning over two decades, marked by significant roles at renowned organizations such as IBM, EMC, and Dell. Throughout his professional odyssey, Shariq has consistently excelled in crafting, implementing, and overseeing comprehensive data protection and cybersecurity strategies.

Joshua Brown is VP and Global CISO of H&R Block. In this role, he leads the teams responsible for identifying, tracking, and mitigating security risk, ultimately ensuring the company can move quickly and safely to innovate and fulfill its ambitious Block Horizons growth strategy.  His team is also responsible for detecting, monitoring and mitigating fraud in the DIY tax space. Prior to H&R Block, Joshua worked for several different entities within the Omnicom Group of companies.  His love of teaching and lifelong learning led him to become a mentor for the SANS Institute, the leading authority for information security education. He has been a frequent author and speaker on myriad information security topics, including speaking at the InfoSec World conference, the ISC2 World Congress, and being published in Security Current magazine and Enterprise Security magazine. Joshua was named a Top Global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine in 2023; a Top 10 CISO by Enterprise Security Magazine in 2023; and a Top 100 CISO by Security Currents in 2024

Kevin Higgins is the VP of Information Technology and CISO at the Kansas City Chiefs. In his role, Kevin oversees the operations, management and security of information assets and technology resources for the club as well as Hunt Midwest. He and his staff handle all technology-related needs for the club, including device security and management, network security, product management, software development and help desk support. For his efforts, Higgins was recognized as a CIO Award recipient by the Info-Tech Research Group in 2020 and 2022 for extraordinary technology leadership. This award recognizes CIOs who have achieved a world-class level of business leadership satisfaction.

Brian Himstedt is the VP of Technology & Business Analytics at the Kansas City Royals. He provides strategic direction and oversees club investments in technology infrastructure and operations, cybersecurity, implementation and support of business systems, business data architecture, and business analytics and reporting. Brian started with the Royals in 2009 as Senior Director of Information Systems. Prior to joining the organization, Brian spent four years leading interactive marketing and client strategy at Brighton, an ad agency in St. Louis, and previously worked in consulting, initially with Accenture’s Consumer Products practice, followed by time at Daugherty Business Solutions.

Britney Kennedy is the Global BISO at Cardinal Health. Upon joining Cardinal Health in 2020, Britney led cyber operations for a year before transition to her current position as the Global Business Information Security Officer.  She strives to develop reliable, innovating, and collaborative teams to foster a security-minded culture. Britney began the first decade of her security career in the US Army where she traveled internationally, assessing the network security of military, police, and other government agencies. Transitioning to the director of the information security department for AMC Theatres, Britney developed and implemented the global security strategy and ensure security concerns were address at the executive level. Britney earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied & Discrete Mathematics from Louisiana State University, and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland University College.  She holds multiple security and leadership certifications.
Britney is a Founder of Women in Security – Kansas City and serves as an advisor for multiple security conferences.  She was named an IT Security Power Player by SC Magazine and selected as a 2023 Top Global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine.

Romaine Marshall is a Shareholder at Polsinelli’s Salt Lake City office, where he helps organizations navigate legal obligations related to security, privacy, and data innovation, leveraging his extensive experience as a business litigation and trial lawyer. With a focus on generative AI, he advises on evolving legal obligations and risk management strategies, particularly for cybersecurity and data privacy incidents. Romaine has represented clients in high-profile cases involving botnets, NFTs, and ransomware, and has directed risk assessments and incident response plans. A frequent author and presenter on digital transformation and AI/ML technologies, he also hosts the Utah Chapter of the CISO Executive Network.