Topic: Strategic Management

Seminar Topics

[1 CPE] The Power of Partnership

  Presented by Aaron Smith • Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited

Technology alone doesn’t drive success—partnerships do. True innovation happens when organizations work together, leveraging expertise, shared goals, and a commitment to collective growth. By fostering strong relationships, we build solutions that are more resilient, secure, and impactful for the future.

Join us as Aaron Smith, Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited, shares his experiences on achieving success through organizational alignment. While technology provides a wealth of tools, people and partnerships are essential to achieving goals.

Aaron Smith is the Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited and the President of InfraGard Alaska. With decades of experience in IT leadership, cybersecurity, and infrastructure protection, Aaron has worked extensively in both the private and public sectors to enhance security and operational resilience. His expertise spans critical infrastructure protection, risk management, and technology-driven business transformation.

Before joining Doyon, he served as Chief Information Officer for Doyon Utilities, overseeing technology operations supporting essential services across Alaska. Aaron also has a military background, having retired from the Alaska Air National Guard, where he focused primarily on cybersecurity and network defense.

Passionate about collaboration and innovation, he believes in the power of partnerships to drive meaningful technological advancements that protect and empower organizations. Over his 20+ year career, Aaron has worked across Information Technology, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Cybersecurity in both military and civilian sectors.

[1 CPE] Successfully Implementing AI in Your Office: An Interactive Discussion

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

With so many useful applications from customer service to data management and new employee recruiting, the use of Artificial Intelligence around workplaces increases every day. Information Technology professionals are now tasked with identifying AI tools to increase efficiency and find cost savings. Employees have been utilizing AI for task automation in a wide array of roles. This adoption is only going to continue to grow.

How is all this governed? What are the security practices you need to adhere to? Join us for an open panel discussion on the proper implementation of AI in your workplace. Our Advisory Council will share some of their experiences in utilizing AI applications of all types while ensuring the necessary security measures. Bring your questions to ensure you walk away with valuable insights for properly implementing AI.

[1 CPE] How to Talk to Executives About Technology

  Presented by Dr. Ethan Benatan • Chief Information Officer, TriMet

As IT practitioners and leaders, you have deep knowledge about the benefits, risks, and costs associated with your IT operations. Yet IT is too often seen only as a cost center, as order-takers, or as a bunch of smart people who understand the things that our users see at the Service Desk. How can you increase your impact by helping your boss, their boss, executives, and the CEO understand what you have to offer? In this session, we will learn from real experience and leave with a toolkit that will help you better serve your organization –– and your career.

Dr. Ethan Benatan has led IT departments for over 25 years, spending over 10 of those years on executive teams across four different industries and overseeing IT portfolios worth up to a half-billion dollars. He currently serves as the Executive Director of IT and Chief Information Officer for TriMet, the regional transit authority in Portland Oregon, where he is proud to lead an IT team of over 100 professionals in service to the region.

Dr. Benatan is passionate about aligning IT with business needs and building effective communication between IT and internal customers. He is inspired by human potential and enjoys mentoring and teaching. He is a practiced communicator, facilitator, and trainer with skills in nonviolent communication and mindful compassionate dialog. In his spare time, he loves to nerd out on his hobbies which include billiards, flying, and salsa dancing.

[1 CPE] The Decarbonization of the Data Center

  Presented by Ian Clatworthy, Global Director, Infrastructure Product Marketing • Hitachi Vantara

Balancing the need for substantial data infrastructure with more eco-friendly policies should be top of all organizational to-do lists. Rather than a competition between corporations, these initiatives should be focused on the larger benefit of a healthier world. That’s why creating a specific data center decarbonization strategy will be key. This will range from improving the visibility and measurement of power usage, to actually reducing the carbon footprint of each operational layer. But where should organizations begin?

Ian comes from a customer background in Formula 1 and World Rallying. Having a deep understanding of technology and its benefits he took his skills into technology sales and marketing with Dell and HDS. Today he leads Product Marketing for data infrastructure technologies at Hitachi Vantara.

[1 CPE] From Back-End to Boardroom: Securing Your Seat at the Table

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

Decisions are made every day at your organization that will impact all employees. Budgets, policies procedures, and more are discussed in board rooms, on conference calls, or at a staff lunch. Who is a part of these discussions? Are you? So often Information Technology departments are not included in key decisions about the direction of an organization, and they should be.

Join the INTERFACE Advisory Council for an open discussion about securing your “seat at the table.” IT performs so many crucial services that help all aspects of a business, it makes sense that you are offering up the needed insight into technology’s role in key decisions. Join this panel discussion to hear from your peers about how you can accomplish this tough task.

Moderator: Brandon Gatke, AVP of Information Technology and Security, Portland Community College

Panelists:

  • Ed Arib, Technology Manager, Portland Police Bureau
  • Steve Hankel, Vice President of Information Technology, Johanson Transportation Service
  • Brian Hole, Deputy CISO, Legacy Health
  • Jaya Srinivasan, CISO, Director of Cybersecurity, M Financial Group

[1 CPE] The Decarbonization of the Data Center

  Presented by Ian Clatworthy, Global Director, Infrastructure Product Marketing • Hitachi Vantara

Balancing the need for substantial data infrastructure with more eco-friendly policies should be top of all organizational to-do lists. Rather than a competition between corporations, these initiatives should be focused on the larger benefit of a healthier world. That’s why creating a specific data center decarbonization strategy will be key. This will range from improving the visibility and measurement of power usage, to actually reducing the carbon footprint of each operational layer. But where should organizations begin?

Ian comes from a customer background in Formula 1 and World Rallying. Having a deep understanding of technology and its benefits he took his skills into technology sales and marketing with Dell and HDS. Today he leads Product Marketing for data infrastructure technologies at Hitachi Vantara.

[1 CPE] From Silos to Synergy: The Power of Cybersecurity Platformization

  Presented by Jonathan Becker, Security Engineer • Check Point

Attendees will gain insights into the power of platformized cybersecurity, discovering how it can transform security operations into a more agile, integrated, and proactive defense mechanism.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations are confronted with a growing and diverse array of cybersecurity threats. This presentation explores the transformative shift toward platform-based cybersecurity solutions, emphasizing how platformization can enhance security posture across the enterprise.

We will begin with a brief history of platformization, tracing its evolution from isolated security tools to integrated, cohesive frameworks. We’ll delve into how platformization unites disparate security tools, systems, and processes, creating a unified approach that improves threat detection, response, and mitigation. By breaking down traditional silos and fostering seamless communication across security layers, platformization enables organizations to respond more swiftly and effectively to emerging threats, reduce operational complexity, and bolster overall resilience.

[1 CPE] The Human Factor: Quantifying Human Risk

  Presented by Sara Anstey, Director of Data Analytics and Risk  • Novacoast

This talk will explore the growing field of human risk management and quantification, diving into the next step in an organization’s risk journey: quantifying people. We will discuss where the market is, how people are adopting it, and what organizations can gain from human risk management.

Join this session on the emerging and evolving field of human risk quantification, which aims to apply quantitative methods to assign risk scores to every employee at a company based on their actions and access. This space is very similar to where cyber risk quantification was about 4 years ago when there were a few start-ups in the market and a few active voices on LinkedIn advocating for the adoption of these practices. Now, human risk quantification is an organizational priority. Having done extensive research into where the players in the market are and how companies utilize these strategies, human risk quantification has become the next step of a risk journey for many companies. Over 80% of breaches involve the human element –– if organizations want to stop them, they need to understand how the people they employ affect their security posture.

[1 CPE] IT Leadership: How to Grow to Next Level and Be a Better Leader

  Presented by Phillip Abeyta, CEO of TEC34 and Board Member • New Mexico Technology Council

You stare at multiple screens each day monitoring logs and looking for irregularities in data. Later today, you will spend thirty minutes helping someone access their email and reset a password. Many IT professionals can feel isolated from a company mission as they go through their daily tasks. Especially with remote working, bonding with your team and exhibiting leadership can be a challenge.

Having strong leaders in your organization is a vital element of success. Inspiration can come in many forms, and a strong leader always looks to get the most out of any task. As you consider your own career ambitions, how successful are you at being a leader each day? Join Phillip Abeyta, Chief Executive Officer of TEC 34, for a comprehensive approach to exhibiting leadership in IT. As an expert in the technology that runs your business, people rely on you to display the efficiencies that come from embracing technology and its processes. CIOs and Engineers alike will walk away with several strategies they can use to improve their own leadership approach.

With over 15 years of experience in the IT sector and a passion for empowering businesses, Phil is at the helm of TEC34, guiding it to offer tailored consulting and professional services to help organizations tackle technical challenges head-on.

His leadership extends beyond the boardroom as he serves on community boards, including the New Mexico Tech Council since 2017. He will also start his Core Program with Leadership New Mexico in September, where he will undoubtedly continue to enhance his skills as he will work alongside great leaders across the State of New Mexico. Phil’s educational background in Electronics and Computer Engineering, combined with Business Administration and an ongoing MBA, showcases his dedication to continuous learning and growth.

[1 CPE] The Decarbonization of the Data Center

  Presented by Ian Clatworthy, Global Director, Infrastructure Product Marketing • Hitachi Vantara

Balancing the need for substantial data infrastructure with more eco-friendly policies should be top of all organizational to-do lists. Rather than a competition between corporations, these initiatives should be focused on the larger benefit of a healthier world. That’s why creating a specific data center decarbonization strategy will be key. This will range from improving the visibility and measurement of power usage, to actually reducing the carbon footprint of each operational layer. But where should organizations begin?

Ian comes from a customer background in Formula 1 and World Rallying. Having a deep understanding of technology and its benefits he took his skills into technology sales and marketing with Dell and HDS. Today he leads Product Marketing for data infrastructure technologies at Hitachi Vantara.