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Brendan Kwolek
Chief Information & Digital Officer, Halton Healthcare
Brendan Kwolek is the Chief Information Officer at Halton Healthcare, where he has led several strategic initiatives related to cybersecurity, virtual care and improving the customer and client experience. Through more than twenty years of experience in healthcare information technology, he has consistently demonstrated a desire to elevate technology performance above the status quo.
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Known for his ability to “see the big picture”, Brendan has significant experience with planning and implementation with Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and has recently championed the development of Halton Healthcare’s new Digital Health & Technology roadmap. Passionate about the intersection of technology and healthcare, Brendan is a past-Chair of the ‘Health Information Management Systems Society’ (HIMSS) Cybersecurity, Privacy & Security committee. Brendan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from York University, and is a Project Management Professional (PMP).
Kopiha Nathan
Privacy and Compliance Officer, HIROC
Kopiha Nathan is the Privacy and Compliance Officer for Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC), the leading provider of healthcare liability insurance in Canada. In this role, she leads HIROC’s privacy program and oversees compliance for internal controls related to information security.
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Kopiha’s roots are in the healthcare risk management field where she helped grow and sustain HIROC’s prominence in the healthcare sector. She has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare risk management field having worked as a risk management resource and consultant to many healthcare organizations across Canada. She was instrumental in leading many of HIROC’s cyber risk management and data privacy & security initiatives.
More recently, Kopiha has focused her efforts on helping healthcare organizations identify and mitigate privacy, cyber and technology risks associated with the pandemic, external (cyber) and insider threats, data sharing arrangements, and vendor management. Kopiha holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Information Technology Management from Ryerson University and is a Certified Information Privacy Technologist.
Dr. Wim Hafkamp
Managing Director, Z-CERT, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) for the healthcare sector in the Netherlands
Since 1 April 2020, Wim Hafkamp has been director of the Z-CERT foundation, the Cybersecurity expertise centre for the Dutch Healthcare sector. In 2023 he also obtained a role as chairman and quartermaster for the European Health Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (EH-ISAC). The main goal of this new initiative is to set up an information exchange platform for Cybersecurity between healthcare providers in Europe. Wim has a long track record in information security. Among other things, he worked as deputy director at the National Cyber Security Centre in The Hague.
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Until 2018 he was Group CISO at Rabobank, one of the largests banks in The Netherlands.
Wim has held various ancillary positions in the field of information security. For example, he was founder and chairman of both the Dutch and European versions of the information exchange platform Financial Institutions – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FI-ISAC). From 2017 to 2019, he also chaired the advisory board of DCYPHER, the Dutch platform for Cybersecurity research and higher education. In addition, he was active for six years as a member of the advisory board of ENISA, the European Agency for Information and Network Security.
Wim has a legal and business economics background and also obtained his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2008 on the subject of ‘Vulnerability and incident response in ITIL oriented organizations’.
Anastasia Lou Regen
Partner, Technology Consulting, Cybersecurity, EY
Anastasia Lou Regen is a seasoned expert in cybersecurity strategy, specializing in the critical interconnections between cyber and business. With extensive experience leading cross-functional teams of technology and business specialists, she has successfully delivered integrated cybersecurity solutions that align with organizational goals while minimizing risk exposure. Anastasia has orchestrated secure and resilient digital transformation initiatives, providing tailored training and advisory services to C-Suite executives to enhance their understanding of cybersecurity risks and strategies.
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She excels in designing, implementing, and managing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies and programs, developing robust governance frameworks and target operating models to ensure effective risk management. Additionally, she has defined and implemented organizational cybersecurity training and awareness programs, fostering a culture of security within organizations. Anastasia is also experienced in conducting cyber executive and board crisis simulations (Tabletop Exercises) to prepare leadership for potential cybersecurity incidents, overseeing managed security services to ensure optimal performance, and managing cybersecurity risks and third-party security to safeguard organizational assets.
Having worked with clients across various sectors, including Government & Public sector, Consumer, Technology, Banking, and Resources, Anastasia is dedicated to bridging the gap between cybersecurity and business.
Prakhar Arora
Senior Manager, Identity and Access Management (IAM), EY
Prakhar Arora is a Senior Manager at EY Canada specializing in Identity and Access Management, bringing over a decade of experience helping organizations strengthen their cybersecurity foundations through robust identity, privileged access, and cryptographic controls. With deep expertise across IAM strategy, Identity Governance and Administration, Privileged Access Management, and Certificate and Key Management, Prakhar has led complex security assessments and implementations for healthcare and consumer organizations across Canada.
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Prakhar focuses on designing and delivering IAM programs that align security, risk, and business objectives, particularly within highly regulated environments such as healthcare. His work includes securing privileged identities, implementing certificate lifecycle and cryptographic key management solutions, and building identity programs equipped to address the growing risks introduced by AI adoption and emerging quantum computing threats. Beyond technical delivery, Prakhar brings a forward-looking perspective on how converging technologies are reshaping the identity threat landscape. He works closely with security leaders to translate complex cryptographic and AI-driven risks into actionable identity strategies that protect critical systems, sensitive data, and long-term organizational resilience.
Keith Lawson
CISO, London Health Sciences Centre
For over 25 years, Keith has worked across cybersecurity, computer science, and systems engineering. As the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at London Health Sciences Centre, Keith oversees security strategy, operations, risk management, and incident response for one of Canada’s largest hospital systems. Keith’s work focuses on protecting critical infrastructure while facilitating digital transformation through secure system design.
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Beyond cybersecurity leadership, Keith’s technical foundation is rooted in the Linux ecosystem and full-stack development. Keith is currently pursuing a Doctor of Engineering, where his research focuses on the “Alberta Plan for AI”. Keith’s research focuses on the application of continual reinforcement learning, specifically temporal difference learning and meta-learning to enhance the resilience and autonomy of large-scale systems.
Gary Rankin
CISO, Hamilton Health Sciences
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Biography coming soon…
Greg Jackman
Canadian Country Manager, Cyera
As Canadian Country Manager for Cyera, Greg leads the company’s growth and strategy across Canada, helping organizations secure and manage their data in complex cloud, on-prem and Saas environments. With a background in cybersecurity and enterprise sales, Greg’s focus is on building customer partnerships while driving practical, business-focused data security outcomes. Greg has worked for over 25+ years as a sales professional in the IT industry across Canada. Greg has a long proven track record of helping customers solve the challenges they face in all areas of IT, from infrastructure, applications and cyber-security. His passion is building strong relationships with his customers and his sales team to assure successful outcomes for each individuals personal and professional objectives.
Iain Paterson
CISO, WELL Health Technologies
Iain Paterson is Chief Information Security Officer at WELL Health Technologies where he oversees security strategy, privacy and enterprise risk across a fast-growing network of primary care facilities, EMR and AI software companies, and healthcare supporting technology providers. With over two decades of experience in cybersecurity, he has held senior roles in the banking, healthcare, and public sector including Information Security Officer at Trillium Health Partners and Director of Security at eHealth Ontario.
Nimira Dhalwani
Chief Technology Officer, The Hospital for Sick Children
Nimira Dhalwani is the Chief Technology Officer at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, one of the top paediatric hospitals in the world. As the CTO, her focus is on hospital IT operations for today and for the future.
Nimira is a health system leader focused on delivering technical and digital solutions that provide a connected care experience for clinicians and patients. Nimira has held progressive IT leadership roles in several healthcare organizations over the past 15 years and brings expertise in IT strategy and delivery, clinical and patient user experience design, privacy and security best practices, and IT incident management.
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Nimira holds a Master of Business Administration from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University.
Lindsay Macdonald
Senior Director, Partnerships, Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity
Lindsay MacDonald is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with over 15 years of specialized experience in protecting Canada’s critical infrastructure from evolving digital threats. Based in Ottawa, she is the Senior Director of Cyber Partnerships at the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), where she leads the development and implementation of initiatives that strengthen national cyber resilience. Lindsay has played a pivotal role in guiding public and private sector organizations through risk assessments, technology integration, and threat mitigation strategies.
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With a background in engineering from Queen’s University Lindsay is passionate about national cyber resilience, partner collaboration and her role in strengthening Canada’s defenses against evolving digital threats.
Amy Yee
Board Member, Kemptville District Hospital
Amy Yee is a board director and digital transformation executive with deep experience overseeing cybersecurity, information technology, and system resilience in complex healthcare environments. As a Board Member of Kemptville District Hospital, she brings a governance-level perspective to cyber risk, operational continuity, and patient safety. Her career spans executive leadership roles in healthcare delivery, national standards development, and cybersecurity advisory.
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She previously held senior executive roles at SE Health and Health Standards Organization, where she led and governed large-scale digital transformation initiatives. In these roles, CIOs, CTOs, and cybersecurity leaders reported into her, giving her direct accountability for IT strategy, cyber posture, data governance, and operational resilience. Her work focused not only on modernization, but on ensuring technology investments strengthened care delivery, safety, and system performance.
Today, Amy also serves as Chief Digital Officer at Relevantz Technology Services Canada and fractional Chief Digital Transformation Officer at C3SA Cyber Security & Audit, advising healthcare and critical infrastructure organizations on Zero Trust adoption, cyber maturity, and designing systems that can withstand sustained operational pressure.
A frequent keynote speaker and panelist, Amy has presented at conferences including HIMSS and SecureWorld, where she explores the intersection of cyber resilience, governance, and patient safety. She is the host of the Wired for Change podcast, which convenes leaders across healthcare, cybersecurity, and public institutions to examine how organizations adapt — and how we build systems worthy of trust.
Jessica C. Ojiaku
Data Privacy Advisor, Pharmaceuticals
Jessica C. Ojiaku is a Data Privacy Advisor in the pharmaceutical sector and an emerging leading voice in Canada’s information security landscape. She is widely recognized for her rare interdisciplinary expertise spanning Cell and Molecular Biology, Economics, and Health Informatics, a foundation that allows her to address data privacy and cybersecurity challenges with exceptional rigor, clarity, and strategic insight.
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Drawing on this multidisciplinary background, Jessica brings a systems-level perspective to privacy, security, and risk management, bridging technical, regulatory, and organizational considerations in ways that move beyond traditional cybersecurity thinking. Her ability to synthesize complex domains has positioned her as an innovative thinker and a sought-after speaker on data protection, cybersecurity strategy, and the evolving intersection of health and technology.
A committed advocate for diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity, Jessica actively amplifies perspectives that are historically underrepresented in the field. She challenges conventional pathways into the profession, demonstrating how diverse academic and professional experiences strengthen security programs, improve decision-making, and drive more resilient privacy and risk outcomes.
Yama Saadat
Principal Solutions Engineer, Trend AI
Yama Saadat is a cybersecurity and AI leader with over a decade of experience deploying strategic security solutions across Education, Healthcare, Telecommunication, and Banking industries. He holds an Executive MBA in Cybersecurity Leadership from the University of Fredericton and a Master of Science in Computing Information Securities from the University of Gloucestershire, and has spent the past year immersed in the rapidly evolving AI landscape — earning multiple AI certifications and exploring practical applications of artificial intelligence within cybersecurity contexts.
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Currently with TrendAI, Yama operates at the intersection of AI and security, leveraging emerging technologies to build smarter, more resilient defenses against modern threats. Known for translating complex AI and security challenges into clear business outcomes, he is a trusted advisor who helps organizations navigate the opportunities and risks that AI-driven transformation brings.
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