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Becoming a CISO: Insights from Security Leaders Who’ve Made the Leap

Exclusive Executive Dinner

Date: March 26th, 2026 | 9:00 - 11:30 AM PDT
Location: San Francisco, California

The Reality of Mindset Shifts and Tradeoffs in Security Ownership

Join us for an exclusive, peer-driven leadership evening designed for senior security leaders who are actively preparing for the next stage of their careers.

​This intimate networking event features a short leadership panel with Patti Degnan, Assaf Keren and Helen Patton, followed by facilitated peer roundtables and meaningful discussion. Light food and beverages will be provided to keep the conversations flowing.

​We will explore the real-world decisions, tradeoffs, and mindset shifts required to move into executive security leadership

Cybersecurity Analyst
Francis Odum
Francis Odum

Francis is the Founder & Chief Cybersecurity Analyst at SACR. He built a globally recognized brand amongst top CISOs and leading cybersecurity vendors with strong name across the sector

Francis is the Founder & Chief Cybersecurity Analyst at SACR. He built a globally recognized brand amongst top CISOs and leading cybersecurity vendors with strong name across the sector

Patti Degnan
Aqsa Taylor

Patti is the Chief Information Security Officer at SailPoint. She specializes in building scalable security programs, and driving security governance across global enterprise environments.

Aqsa is the Chief Research Officer & Executive at SACR. She leads the firm’s Research Arm, owns building SACR’s first AI-powered research platform, and established the CISO Advisory Board.

Assaf Keren
Aqsa Taylor

Assaf serves as the Chief Security Officer at Qualtrics. He brings deep technical expertise in product security and enterprise risk, having previously held senior security leadership roles at CyberArk.

Aqsa is the Chief Research Officer & Executive at SACR. She leads the firm’s Research Arm, owns building SACR’s first AI-powered research platform, and established the CISO Advisory Board.

Helen Patton
Aqsa Taylor

Helen is an Advisory CISO at Cisco. She is a published author and board member dedicated to improving security governance and mentoring the next generation of security.

Aqsa is the Chief Research Officer & Executive at SACR. She leads the firm’s Research Arm, owns building SACR’s first AI-powered research platform, and established the CISO Advisory Board.

Gallery Photos

We were thrilled to host an exclusive evening of networking and insightful discussion. Here are the highlights from our event in San Francisco.

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