SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

SPEAKERS AT THE DATA BREACHES: DEFENSE

AND RESPONSE CONFERENCE – DECEMBER 4, 2024

Michael Babischkin, Vice-President – Deputy Director of Information Security, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

Michael Babischkin is a 22-year veteran of the US Coast Guard. His diverse Coast Guard career has included assignments ranging from Search and Rescue boat crew member at Station Cape Cod Canal MA and radio communications operator onboard the US Coast Guard Cutter MIDGETT to IT Instructor, Assistant Information Systems Security Officer for the Coast Guard Great Lakes region to Assistant Branch Chief at the Coast Guard’s Telecommunications and Information Systems Command. Michael retired from Active Duty as a Chief Warrant Officer in 2014.

Since retiring from the Coast Guard Michael has worked at two different Fortune 300 companies leading the comprehensive transformation of their global cybersecurity incident response programs, building a security monitoring and incident response program with an international footprint from scratch at one company and completely revising the organization and maturing the program of the other.

Michael is currently the Deputy Director of Information Security at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago where he has been for the past four years. He leads the Bank’s Threat and Incident Response team and provides security expertise and leadership to the Bank’s strategic initiatives.

Mike Bitz, RVP, Technical Account Management, Tanium

Mike Bitz is a Regional Vice President of Technical Account Management at Tanium. In this role he helps global organizations identify, control, and remediate their endpoints, and takes pride in furthering the company’s mission to protect people, defend data, and secure the systems behind the critical infrastructure and services that make up the backbone of our society and economy. Mike gravitates toward solving difficult problems and has over 20 years of software engineering experience in a variety of roles at companies including Apple. He holds a Computer Science degree from Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of South Dakota. Outside of tech Mike enjoys traveling with his family, astronomy, anything to do with cars or rockets, and solving Rubik’s Cubes competitively.

Armando D’Onorio, CISSP, GSLC, GCCC, Senior Consultant & CISO, ADOIT Consulting; Information Security Manager, Surf Internet

Armando D’Onorio is a distinguished cybersecurity leader with over two decades of experience, renowned for his ability to transform business value through robust information security, risk management, and governance programs (CISSP, GSLC, and GCCC). Beginning his IT career in the helpdesk field, Armando gradually transitioned to network infrastructure and ultimately found his passion in cybersecurity focusing on helping customers protect their assets and intellectual property from the ever-changing and growing threat landscape.

Over the years, Armando has driven efforts in cybersecurity awareness, asset and vulnerability management, incident response, and disaster recovery, working across diverse departments and their respective liaisons to deliver security strategies that meet business and regulatory demands. He has successfully implemented security awareness programs, led cloud-native deployments, and orchestrated disaster recovery and incident response strategies for private equity firms, mid-market companies, Fortune 100 corporations, and Big Ten universities.

As the Information Security leader at Surf Internet, Armando spearheads initiatives to safeguard data, secure digital infrastructures, and anticipate emerging risks in today’s high-stakes environments. He is dedicated to building resilient security frameworks that empower people, drive operational excellence, and enable the organization to innovate while maintaining compliance.

Kalyan Gottipati, VP, Principal Solutions Architect, Citizens Finance Group 

Kalyan Gottipati is a global leader in the fintech industry, specializing in digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and microservices architecture. He has made transformative contributions to the financial services sector, working with leading institutions such as Citizens Bank, JPMorgan Chase, AMEX and Westpac Group. Kalyan’s innovations, including his patented Dynamic User Interface (UI) framework and Unified Lending Platform, have reshaped the way banks operate, driving operational efficiency and enhancing customer experiences. His expertise in fintech has significantly improved the scalability and security of digital banking platforms, helping institutions stay competitive while maintaining robust security measures.

As a member of the Forbes Technology Council, the IEEE Sr Member, and the Arizona Technology Council Cyber Security Committee, Kalyan actively contributes to thought leadership in technology, sharing his insights on emerging trends in fintech. His work has had a consistent and far-reaching impact on modernizing financial services, streamlining processes, and securing digital ecosystems, positioning him as a key authority in the future of fintech.

Marty Kondziolka, Area Manager, AccessIT Group 

Martin Kondziolka is a proven sales performer with over two decades of experience in cybersecurity solutions. His extensive background includes roles at industry-leading companies such as WhiteHat Security (now Synopsys), McAfee, and Fortinet. Known for his success in supporting commercial and enterprise accounts, Martin has built strategic business relationships throughout the Chicago region. Now leading AccessIT Group’s 7th and newest satellite office in Chicago, Martin plays a key role in expanding the company’s presence in the Midwest. AccessIT Group, a Pennsylvania-based cybersecurity solutions provider specializing in the design, implementation, and operation of security programs and infrastructure, continues its 23-year growth journey with Martin driving regional development.

Derek Milroy, Sr. Security Architect, Large Midwest Enterprise

Derek Milroy is a corporate security professional that has been implementing security, as both an internal employee and as a consultant, for the past twenty plus years. His main areas of focus the past decade or so have been: Systems Hardening (focusing mainly on Windows Forest/Domain/GPO architectures), Vulnerability Management, Patch Management, Log Management/SIM/SEIM, Incident Response, Network Infrastructure Security, Cloud Controls and Hardening, Red Team Program Management, Threat Modeling, and Threat Intel. He is a former QSA, current PCIP, and has also performed ISO 72001/27002, CIS Top18, and NIST CSF assessments.

 

Dmitriy Sandler, Director, Presales Systems Engineering, Arctic Wolf

Dmitriy spent the last 20 years in the IT industry in both customer and vendor roles. He has served as both a direct contributor as well as people leader across multiple organizations. Having started out in infrastructure, his focus gradually shifted towards cybersecurity and helping customers protect their assets and IP from the growing threat landscape. In his previous security focused roles Dmitriy worked with clients ranging from mid-market to Fortune 100 with a unique focus on cloud-native deployments. At Arctic Wolf, Dmitriy leads the Great Lakes Enterprise presales team and is determined to further their mission to help customers “End Cyber Risk”.

Piotr Topor, Director of Information Security and Governance, LSC Communications 

Piotr J. Topor, is a cybersecurity leader with over a decade of hands-on experience protecting organizations through robust information security and governance. As the Director of Information Security and IT Governance at LSC Communications, he leads initiatives to safeguard data, secure digital infrastructures, and prepare for emerging risks in today’s high-stakes environment. Over the years, Piotr has driven efforts in M&A cybersecurity, vulnerability management, and incident response, working across diverse industries to deliver security strategies that meet both business and regulatory demands. Certified as a CISSP, C|CISO, CISM, and CCSP, he’s dedicated to building resilient security that empowers organizations to innovate confidently. 

John Vatianou, CISO, Connamara

John Vatianou joined Connamara in 2007 as a business analyst. Over the years John has filled a number of important roles at Connamara, including Operating Officer and Financial Officer. He has recently assumed the critical role of Chief Information Security Officer to ensure that Connamara is on the leading edge of best practices in information security. John holds a Masters of Science in Information Systems from DePaul University. He also holds a CompTIA Security+ certification.

Sebastian Whiting, Information Security Engineer, Mercury

Bio to come!