Theresa Payton
First Female White House Chief Information Officer; AI Strategist; Business and Personal Security Expert; Privacy Visionary
As a visionary in the digital world, who famously made history as the first female to serve as White House Chief Information Officer and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most respected authorities on cybersecurity, Theresa Payton is a highly sought-after keynote speaker. She captivates audiences by drawing from her experience as a veteran cybercrime fighter and entrepreneur, masterfully blending memorable anecdotes with cutting-edge insights.
A celebrated, patented inventor of new security designs, Payton identifies emerging trends and techniques to help businesses – and audiences – combat cyber threats, from the impact of the Internet of Things to securing Big Data. She’s the cybersecurity expert organizations in both the public and private sectors turn to protect their most valuable resources, improve their IT systems and strategies and to discreetly guide them through data breaches.
Managing cybersecurity risk is what Payton knows and does best. Before overseeing IT operations as CIO for President George W. Bush and his administration, she held executive roles in banking technology for two of the country’s top financial institutions. After serving in the White House, she went on to co-found Dark3, a cybersecurity product company, and Fortalice Solutions, a world-class cybersecurity consulting firm ranked a “Top 5 Most Innovative Cybersecurity Company” in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Because of her ability to explain complex security issues and help non-tech-savvy people understand how to protect their privacy, Payton has been a frequent guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox Business, and Fox News and has been featured on CBS News, CNN, NBC News, and MSNBC, as well as Canadian and Irish news outlets. She also starred on the reality TV series “Hunted”, where highly trained investigators (including Payton) “hunted” to catch people attempting to hide throughout the world.
She is the author of multiple industry-leading books on IT strategy and cyber security, including Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth, which The Guardian included on their list of the “Top 10 Books About Cybercrime.”
AI AND THE FUTURE OF US: NAVIGATING THE PROMISE AND PERILS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Few technological developments of the last century have fueled as much curiosity, misinformation and fear as AI. In this highly-engaging, jargon-free presentation, Theresa unpacks AI's transformative power while exposing its looming risks, then demonstrates how our businesses, security and individual daily lives are being impacted by them. With anonymized stories from law enforcement's front lines and stunning live demonstrations that reveal the tradecraft of modern cybercriminals, Theresa will equip you with practical actions to harness AI's vast potential while protecting yourself, your clients and your organization.
SECURED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: INNOVATING WITHOUT COMPROMISING TRUST
Balancing innovation and security in a rapidly evolving digital world requires know-how, sensitivity and constant vigilance. From streamlining operations to enhancing customer experiences, Theresa shares strategies for driving transformation while safeguarding your organization's critical assets. With compelling case studies and easily-understood, actionable takeaways, Theresa will show you how to future-proof your organization and lead confidently in the age of relentless cyber threats.
FAITH, FAMILY, AND FEARLESS LEADERSHIP: THRIVING IN EVERY ROLE
Theresa shares her amazing journey of faith, resilience, and determination as a business professional, wife and mom of three that led her to the most visible position in the tech world, White House CIO. And that's before she became a CEO, one of the media world's leading voices on technology and cybersecurity and star of the hit CBS TV series, "Hunted." Drawing from her experiences leading in high-stakes environments, she reveals how faith and purpose have been her guiding lights in balancing family, career, and service. Theresa’s uplifting message will inspire you to lead boldly, embrace challenges with grace, and thrive in every role you’re called to fulfill.
Absolutely loved your session and the 2026 predictions!!!
Cisco
OMG!! I cannot begin to tell you how much we LOVE Theresa! She’s the best! The session was amazing and she is so warm and giving. I will certainly be recommending her to any of my colleagues after an engaging, informative, knowledgeable and warm speaker. In the meantime, I’m going to let all my colleagues in the events business know that they should just erase any other cybercrime speakers they have OFF their lists right now!
Thomson Reuters
Thank you for your fantastic presentation at Executive Summit and for being part of our (standing room only) Zero Trust session. I’ve heard nothing but great feedback from attendees on both fronts.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
I loved her session at the Governor’s Cyber Security Summit. I especially enjoyed hearing about the ‘5 F’s’ and how to protect our privacy in the uprise of AI.
Dell
Your speech and panel in Geneva were one of the Congress highlights and it was so directly applicable!
Pictet Group, Geneva Switzerland
Your presence in our event was VERY much appreciated by all of our customers, and especially our VIPs that had the chance to interact directly with you.
Intel Mexico
Everyone loved Theresa!!! I will, no doubt, recommend her to others. Great content and SO easy to work with! Thank you!
Healthcare Distribution Alliance
Theresa was great! She brought the same presence we saw at FS-ISAC and did a terrific job of tailoring to our audience technical and non-technical associates.
Raymond James Financial
Theresa Payton was awesome!
Security Industry Association
You completely nailed it! Your keynote was outstanding. Our customers, staff, everyone loved it. The content was informative, engaging, thought-provoking and memorable. I cannot count how many people I heard in the breaks talking about the Happy Meal, other examples that you gave, everything. Your remarkable insights will stay with us and our customers for a long time. We’d absolutely love to have you come back and present again.”
Biocatch
Wow Theresa! You make our job easy. Thank you so much for not only being an incredible professional with relevant and important information to share, but also for being a true joy to work with. Our survey results have started to come in and our audience LOVED you and took away actions they plan to implement in their businesses immediately. Your handout was an essential resource.
AssetMark, Inc.
Theresa we absolutely loved you! You make a very tough subject that would traditionally be hard to understand very digestible. It was so informative, and you are so knowledgeable and engaging. I’ve heard so many compliments from our attendees on how much they enjoyed your presentation. Also loved how you armed them with tools needed and left on a positive note.
First Horizon National Corporation
Theresa did a great job presenting for our group during our Annual Conference. Our bankers loved her session!
Western Bankers Association
Theresa is a pro and a class act. We will be using her again for sure.
OneLogin
Theresa! Loved your keynote speech. You are an inspiration to us all with all your achievements. The thing that stuck out to me about you was your empathy, your grace and the way you connect with your audience. Thank you for being an advocate of security.
Retail & Hospitality - ISAC
Privacy in the Age of Big Data
Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth
