Cybersecurity Panel

From Defense to Differentiator: Cybersecurity as a Strategic Business Driver

Featuring: 2025 SIM Portland CISO of the Year and senior security leaders shaping cyber strategy across healthcare, financial services, government, and high-growth SaaS organizations.

Cybersecurity is no longer just about preventing breaches—it’s about enabling the business to move faster, smarter, and with confidence.

As organizations close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical driver of resilience, trust, and competitive advantage. When designed and led effectively, security doesn’t slow innovation—it reduces uncertainty, protects enterprise value, and enables better decision-making at the executive and board levels.

Why Now?

AI acceleration and rapid SaaS sprawl have expanded the enterprise attack surface faster than traditional security models can manage, introducing new risks through shadow AI and third-party dependencies. As boards and insurers raise expectations for resilience and governance, cybersecurity must evolve from a brake on innovation into a strategic enabler of confident growth.

What You’ll Learn

• How resilient security design strengthens—not constrains—innovation

• Why third-party and SaaS risk has become a board-level concern

• The realities of cyber insurance in 2025–2026 and what organizations must do to remain insurable

• How AI governance and “shadow AI” are reshaping risk conversations

• The expanding strategic role of CIOs and CISOs as co-authors of business strategy

This will be a candid, practical discussion grounded in real-world experience—not theory—focused on what actually works in today’s complex risk environment.

Panelists

Hadas Cassorla
Seasoned cybersecurity executive and advisor with experience building and scaling security programs across SaaS, fintech, retail, education, and healthcare-adjacent organizations. Former CISO and vCISO for companies ranging from startups to regulated enterprises; founder of Scale Security Group. JD, MBA, CISSP.

Michael Swinarski
Information security leader focused on risk management, trusted partnerships, and high-performing teams. Known for calm leadership, clear communication, and translating complex risk into actionable executive decisions.

Jayashree (Jaya) Srinivasan
Cybersecurity and IT executive experienced in building scalable, regulator-ready programs across financial services, government, and healthcare. A former programmer and architect, she is known for translating complex risk into clear, board-ready decisions. Jaya was awarded the 2025 Oregon CISO of the Year Award in November last year. She holds CISSP, CISM, CRISC, and CDPSE certifications.

Agenda for Chapter Events:

5:15 – 6:20  Cocktails & Networking

6:20 – 6:50  Dinner

6:50 – 7:00  Announcements

7:00 – 7:05  Speaker Introduction and talk

7:05 – 7:50  Keynote Presentation

7:50 – 8:10  Q&A

8:10 – 8:15  Wrap-up & Conclusion