Michael of Walmart Global Tech

Michael's talk focuses on the pragmatic, real-world application of cybersecurity standards within complex OT environments, bypassing theoretical jargon to deliver actionable defense strategies. He plans on examining the operational realities and technical trade-offs of securing legacy versus modern controllers, ensuring safety and system availability remain paramount. The audience will walk away with a curated toolkit of specialized AI utilities designed to streamline risk assessments and automate standard-mapping workflows for immediate site use.

Biography:

Michael has 25+ years of experience in process-control engineering, functional safety engineering, and OT cybersecurity across industries such as chemical, oil and gas, biotech, pharmaceutical, and nuclear. At Exelon, he modernized gas distribution control systems and led NRC 73.54 cybersecurity compliance for the nuclear fleet. At Koch Ag & Energy Services, he oversaw a $2 billion modernization program, integrating IEC safety standards with OT security controls, later serving as Director of Industrial Control System Resilience to enhance manufacturing site reliability.

As CTO for a major automation distributor, Michael drove technology strategy, operational efficiency, and cybersecurity development. At MITRE Corporation, he advised critical sectors, contributed to NIST SP 800-82 Revision 3, and co-authored cybersecurity profiles for LNG, EV charging, and semiconductor manufacturing. He holds a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Outside work, Michael practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu and enjoys hiking in Bella Vista, Arkansas, with his wife Cindy and sons Leonidas and Alexander.