Guided by Leaders Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity

Sylvia Burns serves on the Executive Leadership Advisory Council for George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies program in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity. A former federal Chief Information Officer with more than 30 years of public-sector experience, she brings expertise in cybersecurity governance, enterprise modernization, and executive leadership.

As CIO of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and previously at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Sylvia led large-scale technology transformation, strengthened cybersecurity resilience, and aligned technology strategy with organizational mission. She brings a people-centered approach to leadership, emphasizing effective governance, institutional trust, and the development of future technology leaders.

Alexandra Guenther is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Leidos and an enterprise leader focused on how technology, people, and operating models are reshaping the future of work. Her career spans technology, cybersecurity, AI, global operations, and large-scale transformation, giving her a practical perspective on the skills organizations need as technology changes how work gets done. Throughout her 20+ year career, Alexandra has invested in STEM education, mentorship, and expanding pathways into technology careers through youth programs, academic advisory roles, and nonprofit Board service. A George Washington University alumna with a master's degree in Systems Engineering, she is particularly passionate about strengthening the connection between education and industry—helping learners build the technical, leadership, and adaptive capabilities required for careers that will continue to evolve.

Shaun Khalfan serves as SVP, Chief Information Security Officer at PayPal, leading global cybersecurity, product security, technology and cyber risk, and resilience. He partners with product and engineering teams to enable secure, high-velocity innovation to advance PayPal's mission to be the most trusted partner for digital payments and commerce worldwide.

Prior to joining PayPal, Shaun served as the CISO for Discover Financial Services and four-time CISO with experience at world-leading financial services institutions and top U.S. government agencies. Shaun is a graduate of the University of Maryland and has an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business. He serves on the board of the Kohl Children's Museum and is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Lucian serves as Chief Executive Officer of Building Cyber Security, a nonprofit organization advancing cybersecurity protections for intelligent technologies, buildings, and communities. Over three decades, he has held senior leadership roles in the White House, Pentagon, and Congress, shaping budget, policy, and management for U.S. national security programs.

Previously, Lucian served as Assistant Secretary of Defense, overseeing the world's largest real property portfolio, valued at approximately $1 trillion, and in the White House Office of Management and Budget overseeing national security, nuclear, and intelligence programs. Today, he is focused on advancing cyber safety standards for the built environment and serves on the U.S. Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board and several corporate boards.

Lucian earned his MBA from the George Washington University.

Helen Patton is a strategic cybersecurity advisor at Cisco. Previously she served as a product CISO at Cisco, providing strategic insights to the security community. She was the CISO at the Ohio State University and spent ten years in risk and resiliency at JPMorganChase.

Helen is a nationally recognized cybersecurity and digital trust leader known for transforming complexity into shared understanding, strengthening communities through clear direction, collaboration, and resilient strategy. She advocates for more naps and is anti-bagpipes.

Helen has a Master's degree in Public Policy. She is a founder of the Cybersecurity Canon, and a cybersecurity professor of practice at the University of Canberra. She serves on various cybersecurity advisory boards and industry groups. Helen is the author of "Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path" and "Switching to Cyber".

Dr. Chris Rodriguez is the Assistant City Administrator for the District of Columbia, where he leads cross-agency collaboration and results delivery across a 38,000-person workforce and oversees key functions spanning technology, artificial intelligence, human resources, procurement, risk management, and general services. He also chairs DC's AI Task Force, guiding the review and implementation of innovative AI initiatives across District Government. Previously, he served as DC's Acting Chief Technology Officer and as Director of the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, where he led major emergency response efforts, including the District's COVID-19 response and coordination during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Dr. Rodriguez began his public-service career with the CIA following September 11, serving as a senior analyst and Branch Chief focused on terrorism, cyber threats, and national security. He later served as Director of New Jersey's Office of Homeland Security. He holds a BA from Williams College and an MA and PhD in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame.

Renee Wynn is a seasoned executive and board advisor with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning environmental policy, global IT operations, cybersecurity, and supply chain risk management. She has led complex, mission-critical programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and served as Chief Information Officer at NASA, one of the world's most iconic and technologically sophisticated organizations.

Today, Renee serves as an independent board member and strategic advisor, working with technology companies and a private equity firm to strengthen governance, resilience, and long-term value creation. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex risk and technology issues into pragmatic strategies. Renee holds a bachelor's degree in economics from DePauw University.