2026 Summit Speakers
Vice President, CISO
Lowe's
Marc Varner has more than 25 years of technology experience and expertise in global cybersecurity strategy, security architecture and process, information security governance and controls, and regulatory compliance. As vice president and chief information security officer at Lowe's, Varner is responsible for protecting the organization's information assets and technologies.
Future Speakers
If you are interested in speaking at Cyber Summit 2026, please email Samantha Williams at williamsse11@appstate.edu.
Major Account Manager
Check Point Software Technologies
Ian O’Briant is a former state agency CIO and cybersecurity professional focused on public-sector and higher education security. He is a passionate advocate for cyber workforce development, working to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world defense through hands-on learning and public-private collaboration. He has three kids, two dogs, a lizard, and a cat. He rarely remembers where his keys are.
Chief Information Officer
Reynolds American
Dawn-Marie Hutchinson is the Chief Information Officer at Reynolds American where she leads the company’s technology strategy and operations, encompassing digital workplace, core platforms, data & analytics, cybersecurity, and IT service delivery. Before her time as CIO, she spent 5 years as the company’s global Chief Information Security Officer where she significantly expanded the global cybersecurity program—establishing a regional support model, launching the Cyber Defense Centre, accelerating the Operational Technology cyber program, and transforming the governance, risk, and compliance function.
She has built a successful career as a CISO, bringing global experience from leading multinational manufacturing and consumer goods companies. Before joining Reynolds, she served as CISO for Pharmaceuticals, R&D, and Supply Chain at GSK, and earlier as CISO at Urban Outfitters Group. She began her career as a Business Analyst at The Walt Disney Company.
A New Hampshire native, Hutchinson has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She is a strong advocate for the future of the profession and passionate about engaging with students and security professionals to highlight the vital role they play in shaping modern IT organizations. Through her speaking and mentorship, she emphasizes how cybersecurity leaders can drive meaningful growth, influence business strategy, and create lasting organizational impact.
Vice President
InfoPathways
Thomas (Thom) Bethune is a Vice President at InfoPathways with more than 30 years of experience in information systems, cybersecurity, and technology leadership across highly regulated and complex environments, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,
manufacturing, research, and construction. Thom’s career began at the University of North Texas, where early exposure to emerging networked systems shaped a lifelong focus on using technology to solve real business problems—not adopting technology for its own sake. After transitioning from field operations in heavy construction into enterprise technology leadership, he pioneered real-time data collection, operational analytics, and secure network architectures well before mobile computing and ubiquitous internet access became standard.
At InfoPathways, Thom advises executive teams on cybersecurity risk, enterprise architecture, disaster recovery, wireless and RF networks, and operational resilience, with a focus on aligning security strategy to organizational readiness and compliance requirements. He is known for translating complex technical risk into language leaders can act on.
In recent years, Thom has expanded his work into applied artificial intelligence, particularly where AI, cybersecurity, and regulated industries intersect. His recent work includes completing MIT Sloan’s Artificial Intelligence in Pharma and Biotech program, speaking on AI governance and implementation at BioBuzz’s Integrating AI Across the Biopharma Value Chain, and actively evaluating emerging AI platforms to help organizations adopt AI responsibly and securely. Thom is also an active member of the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI)’s Clinical Bridge program, a collaborative advisory initiative designed to help early-stage and startup pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies navigate the challenges of growth, regulatory readiness, and the transition from research to clinical operations. Through this work, he supports founders and scientific teams as they build secure, compliant, and scalable digital and operational foundations.
At the Cyber Security Summit, Thom brings a practitioner’s perspective—grounded in decades of hands-on experience—on how cyber threats, AI, and operational risk are converging, and what leaders, technologists, and students need to understand to build secure, resilient systems for the future.
SVP, Head of Cyber Defense Engineering & Innovation
Truist Financial Corporation
Benjamin (Ben) Agner is an experienced IT and security leader, engineer, consultant, architect, and public speaker. He has an extensive track record of delivering secure digital transformation and innovation at scale through cloud enablement, zero-trust security architectures, and modern (Agile/DevSecOps) team structures. Ben currently serves as the Head of Cyber Defense Engineering and Innovation at Truist, where he leads the Security Automation, Security Solutions Engineering, and Network & Email Security Engineering teams.
Sr. Director | Head of Identity & Access Management
Ally Financial
Kevin is an experienced Cyber Security Executive working in the Financial Services industry with a unique blend of cyber, business, and technical knowledge. Currently Kevin is Sr. Director and Head of Ally Financial's Identity & Access Management program. Kevin has 25 years of experience and demonstrates astute visionary skills in designing, implementing & leading security organizations, products, processes, and controls.
Specialties:
-Executive Leadership
-People & Organization Management
-Dynamic Employee Engagement
-Cyber Security Professional
-Platform Strategy & Vision
-People Recruitment & Talent Development
-Identity & Access Management SME
-Data Security
-App Security
-Business Strategy & Execution
-PCI Security
-Audit & Regulatory Oversight