CIO & CISO Think Tank

Rameshwar Balanagu is the Chief Enterprise Architect at UNFI and a globally recognized tech executive with over 20 years of experience driving Fortune 500 digital transformations. A Carnegie Mellon alumnus and Forbes Technology Council member, Rameshwar specializes in turning IT into a revenue engine. He famously achieved a 60% reduction in application footprint at UNFI by consolidating silos into a modern Lakehouse and has delivered over $15 million in operational benefits through optimized infrastructure. Beyond his technical mastery in AI, Quantum, and NIST-compliant cybersecurity, Rameshwar is a distinguished public speaker who connects ancient wisdom with modern technology. He is a trusted advisor to CEOs and Boards, offering a unique "5 Steps Framework" for scaling responsible AI and building resilient, future-ready cultures. A dedicated mentor, he is renowned for grooming the next generation of leaders, ensuring that enterprise innovation is always grounded in human insight and strategic integrity.

Gopal Kesavan is a distinguished engineering executive with over 20 years of experience leading high-stakes software lifecycles in the payments and fintech sectors. As Head of Engineering for Bill Pay at USAA, he directs the strategic overhaul of a platform serving 14 million banking members, ensuring seamless, multi-channel access to funds. Gopal is currently spearheading a multi-year, multi-million dollar modernization effort, leading 8+ development teams to transition complex legacy systems into resilient, cloud-ready digital experiences. A Harvard University alumnus, he excels at bridging technical complexity with business strategy, navigating stringent banking regulations, and fostering high-performing engineering cultures that prioritize both absolute compliance and a frictionless member experience.

With over 34 years of experience in information security and executive leadership, Ian Schneller has built a career advancing strategic cybersecurity and resilience across government, defense, finance, and healthcare sectors. His background includes three tenures as a large enterprise Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and recognition as the first CISO ever to win the national ORBIE Award. Most recently, he served as CISO for HCSC and as a Board Director on the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association Cybersecurity Subcommittee (2021–2025), strengthening protections for a system that supports healthcare for one in three Americans. During this time, Ian also partnered with other senior executives at HCSC to create an organizational wide artifical intelligence governance process (of which he served too) to ensure fair, transparent, and secure use of artifical intelligence. Ian also served as a fiduciary Board Director for Medecision and as Board Chair for “Dallas CISO Inspire”, bringing together more than 30 regional CISOs to upliŌ collective cyber defenses. In prior private-sector roles, Ian partnered with the Federal Government to shape national cybersecurity policy, including co-founding the Analysis and Resilience Center, a public-private partnership dedicated to protecting the United States from catastrophic foreign cyber attacks. A retired U.S. Air Force officer with nearly 24 years of service as a cyber defender, cyber attacker, and senior intelligence officer, Ian has advised the U.S. Congress on cybersecurity priorities and led major initiatives to secure critical infrastructure from cyber attacks and to enhance the nation’s most sensitive intelligence capabilities.

George Kanyotu is the AVP of Global Infrastructure Services at GM Financial, leading the organization’s efforts to deliver efficient, secure, and compliant IT infrastructure across the business. With over a decade at GM Financial, he provides strategic leadership to three key teams: Global Infrastructure Governance, IT Asset Management, and Global Vulnerability Remediation. George drives technology planning, aligns infrastructure initiatives with corporate goals, and ensures the organization stays ahead of industry best practices. He partners with senior leadership to anticipate organizational needs, implement scalable solutions, and maintain operational stability, security, and compliance across GM Financial’s global operations.

Mubeen Ahmed is a technology executive and Vice President of Software Engineering at Gartner, where he leads platform engineering across AI Products & Insights, Identity and Client Engagement as core digital products serving clients worldwide. With over two decades of experience spanning FinTech, EdTech, Non-profit, Telecom, and global consulting, Mubeen has built and led global engineering organizations giving him a firsthand understanding of how cultural fluency and human connection drive results in technology. Throughout his career, Mubeen has led cross-functional teams through complex transformations at organizations including Guild Education, Blucora (TaxAct), W.W. Grainger, and Accenture. Mubeen holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a US Patent holder. Based in Dallas, he is passionate about the intersection of technology leadership and emotional intelligence and believes that the leaders who will shape the next era of innovation are the ones who lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage.

Martin Bliss is a seasoned Technology Executive and the former Global Chief of Architecture at Hilti North America, where he led a 50-person organization across three continents. With over 20 years of experience spanning construction tech, healthcare, and finance, Martin is a "builder-first" leader who transitioned from hands-on engineering to the C-suite. At Hilti, he modernized the Profis Engineering platform, driving a 30% growth in hardware sales while slashing infrastructure costs by 45%. A specialist in AI Governance and Safety-Critical Systems, Martin is a vocal advocate for engineering discipline in an era of rapid AI adoption. He famously transformed architecture from an "approval gate" into a "decision-enablement engine," scaling teams in Europe and India through his innovative Architect Academy. Whether chairing Architectural Review Boards or drawing leadership lessons from systems failures like Boeing 737 MAX, Martin excels at translating complex technical debt into high-impact business strategy.

Srikanth Edula is a visionary Senior Executive and Transformation Leader specializing in the intersection of enterprise architecture, digital engineering, and organizational strategy. Currently serving as SVP and Chief Architect at Accommodations Plus International, Srikanth is dedicated to building "Target State" visions that move organizations from legacy complexity to cloud-native agility. With a deep background in highly regulated sectors - specifically Healthcare and Financial Services - he has established a reputation for maturing Enterprise Architecture (EA) practices from the ground up. His leadership is defined by a "servant leadership" philosophy, focused on fostering high-performing global teams and cultivating top-tier technical talent.

Michael Anderson is the Chief Information Security Officer at Dallas College and a transformational executive with over 27 years of experience across Government, Education, and the Fortune 500. A rare triple-threat leader, Michael has served as a CTO, CISO, and CPO, managing technology for Texas’s second-largest K-12 district and one of the largest counties in the U.S. He is a U.S. Army Veteran and a CISSP recognized for turning underperforming IT operations into world-class service delivery engines. Beyond the server room, Michael is a 2024 Who’s Who Inductee and an elite mindset coach. As the founder of Your Thought Life Mindset Consulting and host of a top-tier self-development podcast, he bridges the gap between high-stakes cybersecurity and human peak performance. Whether securing multimillion-dollar portfolios or mentoring the next generation as an Adjunct Professor, Michael’s leadership is defined by a unique fusion of technical governance, AI strategy, and the psychological resilience required to lead in a digital age.

Arvind Murali is the Global SVP of Data & AI at iOPEX Technologies, where he orchestrates intelligence for Fortune 500 enterprise transformations. With an MBA from MIT Sloan, Arvind is a "Consulting P&L Guru" who bridges the gap between complex data ecosystems and measurable business outcomes. He leads a unified competency across five pillars - Envision, Engineer, Enforce, Engage, and Execute - turning Agentic AI and Data Governance into strategic competitive advantages. A seasoned advisor to CXOs and VC-backed startups, Arvind specializes in monetizing data and streamlining operations through his "Information, Intelligence, and Interaction" framework. Whether building scalable architectures on Azure and AWS or mentoring entrepreneurs on go-to-market strategies, his focus remains on "byte-sized" programs that drive P&L impact. A prominent thought leader and podcast host, Arvind is dedicated to helping organizations save money, innovate at scale, and evolve into AI-ready enterprises.