Topic: Strategic Management

Seminar Topics

[1 CPE] Who’s Attacking You?

  Presented by Critical Insight

One of the most common questions from IT Leaders and Executives is: Who would attack our organization and why?

In this panel discussion, we’ll examine the most common cyberattack perpetrators and their methods. From hostile Nation-States to teenagers to some threat actors you might not expect. We will discuss the methods these attackers are using to gain access to your networks, be it unpatched systems, newly found zero days, as well as other avenues into your network. Also covered will be the intent of these attacks, whether it is to steal your intellectual property, extort your cryptocurrency, or to disrupt your operation to meet strategic goals. Most importantly, we will discuss how to tell the difference, and how to protect yourself.

[1 CPE] The InfoSec Talent Shortage That Wasn’t

  Presented by Critical Start

The experts agree: there isn’t nearly enough cyber security talent out there. But what if all the experts, news stories, conference talks, and board room conversations are wrong? What if there is more than enough cyber security talent to get organizations what they need to be successful, secure, and in a reasonable budget? In this presentation, Critical Start’s Senior Security Consultant, Alex Humphrey, will discuss ways to hire, train, and retain great cyber security talent, move business objectives forward, and keep the organization secure – all without breaking the bank.

[1 CPE] Your Career Path Is Unique to YOU!!

  Presented by Jerry Rapp • Chief Information Officer, Town Pump, Inc.

When I was first exposed to technology, I immediately knew it was my passion. My career focus has always been to be qualified to be a CIO. This goal allowed me to focus on the career growth that I had the most control over. It was never about the title for me, it was about gaining knowledge and providing value day in and day out. I would like to provide you with a view of my unique path: the key interactions; the advice I received – some good, some not so much; many relocations; new job positions; and some good old-fashioned luck. Now that I have been a CIO for seven years, what have I learned? Was it everything I wanted it to be? I encourage you to come to the keynote session to find out.

Jerry Rapp is a 38-year technology veteran and the current CIO of Town Pump Inc. in his hometown of Butte, MT. Jerry started his technical career in the Air Force back in the day when there were no laptops or cell phones, just mainframes. After the Air Force, Jerry attended Montana Technology University in Butte majoring in Information Systems. The majority of Jerry’s career was spent with Fidelity Investments, the largest retirement plan provider in the U.S. After twenty years, five relocations all over the US, and a variety of different roles; he circled back to Butte seven years ago to take on the role of CIO at Town Pump. In his spare time, Jerry is an avid golfer and runner.

[1 CPE] Let Policy Guide Your Team

  Presented by CompuNet

This discussion will cover a set of policies that will address the necessary functions to implement a standard Information Security Management System (ISMS) which aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework for Cybersecurity and provides for compliance with most statutory requirements.

[1 CPE] Should I Stay, or Should I Go?

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council • Panel Discussion

Over the past year, the professional workforce has dealt with extensive turnover. In what is being labeled “The Great Resignation,” employees are vacating roles en masse, sometimes with no future employment lined up. There are many reasons why this is happening. Employees report their priorities changed following the pandemic of 2020 and the coinciding lockdown. All of this has brought challenges for Managers and Directors across industries.

In the IT industry, shops are struggling to maintain needed levels of staffing. With so many IT jobs capable of remote working, IT staffers are taking positions at out-of-market companies with higher salaries. Across the country, there are examples of employees moving to a preferred destination while working a remote job. For IT leaders in New Mexico, there is an ongoing challenge to maintain needed staffing levels and provide proper service.

Join a group of distinguished local IT leaders for an open discussion on the challenges of staffing and supporting current employees.

Panelists:

  • Jose Diaz, Director, Information Services, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center
  • Steve Cox, Director, Information Technology, The Downs Casino and Racetrack
  • Aaron Frankel, Information Security Officer, TriCore Reference Laboratories
  • Mike Kelley, Chief Information Officer, Mesilla Valley Transportation
  • Dee Skinner, Director, IT Services, Haverland Carter LifeStyle Group

[1 CPE] Accidentally Zero Trust

  Presented by Zscaler

Zero Trust is the latest buzz phrase in the industry that promises to be the panacea for the malware and ransomware challenges faced by enterprises today. Shifting to a Zero Trust Architecture strategy, however, can have major business operations benefits that go far beyond information security.

Join Brett James, Director of Transformation Strategy at Zscaler, as he recalls “accidentally” delivering a Zero Trust Architecture strategy for a global engineering and construction company that started life simply as a way to reduce capital expenditure and start using cloud.

[1 CPE] IT and the Future of Work

  Presented by Michael Dietrich • Chief Technology Officer, Greater Nevada Credit Union

We keep hearing about the “new normal.” The pandemic brought about many changes. Demand for digital services increased. Remote work became the rule rather than the exception. And as more and more workers decide to pursue other passions it has become increasingly difficult to recruit qualified candidates, resulting in businesses offering worker flexibility and accommodations to expand the talent pool. This sea change has prompted businesses to rethink the workplace permanently. The idea of the “office” or the “campus” as defined physical space is becoming an archaic idea.

Technology professionals were the enablers of this change. During the pandemic, we solved problems to keep business and commerce running – because we were the only ones who could. Now that the new ways of working that were necessary for continuity of business are being permanently adopted, technology shops need to continue to adapt quickly. We no longer have the luxury of reduced budget and resource constraints to make things happen quickly during a crisis. As speed was the priority over quality during that time, we now need to mitigate gaps in the solutions provided. Most importantly, our teams are not simply supporting these changes. Our ways of working have changed dramatically as well. We as technology leaders need to adapt to new leadership, culture, and engagement challenges.

Greater Nevada Credit Union Chief Technology Officer Mike Dietrich discusses what this means to us as IT leaders, and the implications on IT support, security, and ways of working within technology support organizations.

Michael is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Greater Nevada Credit Union. In his 30-year career as a technology professional and leader, he has served as Chief Information Officer for the State of Nevada and held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, LinkedIn, Rackspace, and Ericsson. He has contributed to industry-changing innovations in media delivery, gaming, open hardware platforms, and AV communications.

Michael’s passion is finding the truly meaningful ways that technology can lead to better business outcomes and enhance our lives. To this end he is often heard using the phrase, “Know what done looks like,” which means seeing the result from the point of view of the customer, regardless of their technical skill level, to ensure that a technology solution delivers what is needed seamlessly and effortlessly.

In his words “IT has elevated from a basic requirement to a business enabler. It is now evolving from a business enabler to becoming the core of the business model itself regardless of the industry – an idea further solidified during the pandemic. As such, any conversation about the benefits of a solution should not be about the technology itself, but about what the solution can do for us. The technology we use impresses no one. What we accomplish with it is everything.”

[1 CPE] Taking Ownership of Security and Optimization in the Digital Age

  Presented by Jim Bates • Founder, President & CEO of Business Improvement Group

We as IT practitioners, service providers, manufacturers, managers, executives, and business owners are tasked with leading change––change due to intentional and unintentional events including the internet of things (IoT), digital transformation, intelligent automation, machine learning, robotics, and yes, pesky pandemics that have changed the way we work. These changes introduce new vulnerabilities that expose our data to motivated threat agents. Information security or cybersecurity is everyone’s job. Jim Bates will send out a call to action with some tips on how to get buy-in and lead in this age of digital chaos. We need more than just transformation. We need secure, scalable, and sustainable optimization.

Jim Bates is the Founder, President & CEO of Business Improvement Group, Inc. (BIG) and an Adjunct Professor in several schools at the University of Alaska Anchorage, including the MSPM program. Jim was elected as President-elect to the Project Management Institute Alaska Chapter (PMIAK) for 2018 and as an Executive Adviser for the nationwide Center for Technology. In addition to his many professional certifications, Jim holds master certificates in Business Analysis, Lean Six Sigma, and Project Management from Villanova University.

Jim is an experienced executive and consultant who is passionate about leading business transformation and offering innovative, high-value solutions to everyday business challenges. He has a proven ability to successfully analyze an organization’s critical business requirements, identify deficiencies and potential opportunities, and align and integrate technology.

He strives to help companies develop innovative and cost-effective solutions for enhancing competitiveness, increasing revenues, and improving customer service offerings. Jim is also an engaging, experienced public speaker and instructor. He frequently offers courses in Six Sigma, ITSM/ITIL, HIPAA compliance, leadership training, project management, and more.

[1 CPE] How to Advance Strategic Business Goals with IoT

  Presented by Aruba, a HPE Company

Whether it’s the allure of the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), a fear of being viewed as a laggard, or internal pressure to do something new, many companies rush head-first into IoT projects without clearly defined objectives or value propositions. The result is a high rate of failure and subsequent disillusionment about the real value of IoT. If your company’s strategic goals require human productivity monitoring, human productivity organizational redesign, augmented reality, energy monitoring, and/or building security, Aruba’s ESP can expedite time-to-insight and time-to-value. The solutions can securely handle all manner of IoT devices and integrate them with enterprise business applications and processes. Join us to learn how you can reduce IoT deployment time to a fraction of what a custom-developed solution would require.

[1 CPE] Endpoint Systems Management: Time to Rethink

  Presented by Quest Software

See the recent changes to the endpoint environment and how these affect your infrastructure. Learn how these changes affect your network design and what this means for your daily business. Learn more about the new technologies available for managing your endpoints and see some tips and guidelines to be prepared for what’s next.