Watchtower Financial Services Forum
Financial Services CISO and Security Leaders Forum
Where Trust Meets Cybersecurity
Two and a half days of intelligence briefings, boardroom-level strategy sessions, and executive networking designed for financial services CISOs, security & risk leaders.
Date
July 11-13, 2027
Location
Loews Coral Gables Hotel · Miami, FL
Forum opens
Sunday, July 11, 2027 · 2:00 PM ET
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About the forum
Financial Services CISO and Security Leaders
Financial institutions face a threat landscape unlike any other sector. A breach at a bank does not just disrupt revenue. It freezes payments, erodes customer trust, and draws immediate regulatory scrutiny.
The Financial Services CISO & Cyber Resilience Forum brings together senior security leaders from banks, insurers, capital markets firms, payments providers, and fintechs for candid, off-the-record conversations about the challenges unique to protecting the financial system.
This is not a vendor expo. It is an invitation-only gathering built by practitioners, for practitioners, designed to accelerate the relationships and intelligence sharing that make financial services more resilient.
Executive Council
14 members
Bradley J. Schaufenbuel
Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
Paychex, Inc.
Dana Kilcrease
Chief Information Security Officer
Berkeley College
Dr. Carnell A. Council II
Chief Information Security Officer
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Ed Yousfi
Business Information Security Officer
Gallagher
Greg Journey
Chief Information Security Officer
MetroHealth
Brian Lee
Chief Information Security Officer
Oil States International
Dana Turner
Chief Information Security Officer
Union Bank & Trust
Jasmine Hicks
Chief Information Security Officer
Gaming Sector
Ken Foster
Chief Information Security Officer
Executive Cybersecurity Leader
Amit Basu
Chief Information Officer and CISO
International Seaways
Edward Marchewka
Chief Administrative Officer
PryorHealth
Chuck Layton
Information Resource Manager
San Jacinto College
Allen Ohanian
Chief Information Security Officer
Los Angeles County DCFS
Altaf Uddin
Chief Information Officer and CISO
Kansas Secretary of State
Agenda
Three days, one agenda
Session topics are drawn from the top-ranked priorities of the Executive Council. Times are Eastern.
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Registration & app orientation
ArrivalCheck in, collect your credentials, and set up the onsite peer engagement app.
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Welcome reception
NetworkingMeet peers over cocktails before the forum opens.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Networking & engagement dinner
NetworkingOpen seating dinner with the full attendee group.
Request an invitation
Secure your seat
Seats are limited to keep every room small enough for real discussion.
Eligibility
01Senior leaders only
Enterprise Directors, Vice Presidents, and CISOs. Every request is reviewed by our team.
Director level and up
Agenda
02Council led
Session topics come from the top-ranked priorities of our Executive Council.
Peer driven
Closed room
03Off the record
Boardroom sessions run under the Chatham House Rule. No press, no recordings.
Chatham House Rule
Registration · July 11-13, 2027
What to expect
Two and a half days, built by peers
Everything you need to know before you request an invitation.
Who attends
Enterprise CISOs, Vice Presidents, and Directors of security from the Fortune 1000, public sector, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.
How the agenda is set
The Executive Council ranks the year’s top priorities. Keynotes, boardrooms, and workshops are built from that list.
How sessions run
Boardroom sessions are small, closed, and held under the Chatham House Rule. Workshops are hands-on and capped by room size.
What you leave with
A peer network you can call, a set of program priorities pressure-tested by peers, and the session materials to share with your team.
Formats
Five ways to engage
Every format is designed for decision-makers who want to leave with something they can use.
Intelligence briefings
Current threat activity and what it means for enterprise programs.
Briefing
Boardroom sessions
Small, closed discussions under the Chatham House Rule.
Closed
Workshops
Practical sessions with frameworks you can take back to your team.
Hands-on
Strategic planning
Peers pressure-test priorities and build the year’s roadmap.
Peer-led
Live simulations
Facilitated incident exercises run in teams, in real time.
Live
Venue
Loews Coral Gables Hotel
The forum takes place at Loews Coral Gables Hotel in Miami, FL. Sessions, dinners, and lodging are all under one roof.
Dates
11-13
July 2027
Venue
Loews
Coral Gables Hotel · Miami, FL
Minutes from MIA
- Airport. Fly into Miami International or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.
- Travel. Ground transfers are arranged for approved attendees.
- Lodging. All forum nights are onsite at Loews Coral Gables Hotel.
From the room
What peers say
Attendees on what they took back to their teams.
Already wrote an email summary to our leaders, with 7 action items for various folks to follow up on.
Darrel Raynor
LCRA
Some of the topics will spur strategic discussions within my division as well with agency leadership.
Dave Boyd
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Several takeaways that I will be able to use to enhance our strategy, optimize current processes, and improve our day to day.
Dana Kilcrease
Berkeley College
I share the presentations with my team for review as well as to gauge if any vendors might meet our needs.
Kaseem Mabry
Tampa International Airport
I like to hear from those that are living the issues... those that are doing it confirm real world discussions.
Ed Moore
Carnival Corporation
For solution providers
Partner with the forum
Lead a workshop, host a boardroom, or anchor the evening program with 70+ CISOs and security executives in the room.
Sponsorship options
- Diamond and Platinum. Keynote and evening program presence.
- Boardroom. A closed session with a curated peer group.
- Gold. A hands-on workshop on the agenda.
- Silver. Onsite presence and peer meetings.