Recognizing Top 40 Industry Influencers & Thought Leaders
Celebrate
Join us in congratulating the Top 40 Thought Leaders in Security & Life Safety for 2026, and their ongoing commitment to share their strategic perspectives within our industry!
The recognized contenders represent the entire industry, from physical security and life safety to cybersecurity, risk and crisis management, and occupational health and safety. Honorees comprise practitioners, technology and service providers, researchers, and academics from 13 countries across six continents.
2026 candidate scores were determined using a proprietary algorithm that considered various factors, including conference speaking engagements, webinar and podcast appearances, authored articles and mentions, academic instruction, awards and honors, board and volunteer leadership positions held, among others, from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026. Among the new categories added this year were expert witness and legislative and regulatory testimony.
Download our press announcement, or read our blog.
See the list of 2025 Top 40 Global Thought Leaders.
See the inaugural list of 2024 Top 40 Global Thought Leaders.
Want to showcase your 2027 achievements?
 Top 40 Global Thought Leadersin Security & Life Safety |  Prof. Obadare Peter Adewale | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderFounder and Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode Limited (Nigeria) |  Fayadh AleneziProfessor and Consultant, Jouf University (Saudi Arabia) |
|---|---|---|
 Dr. Anmol AgarwalSecurity Product Manager, Nokia (USA) |  Dr. Arian AvilaVP Technology & Security Operations, Capital One (USA) |  Farah Benis | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderManaging Director, FFA Security Group (UK) |
 Garry Bergin | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderCommercial Director & Security Consultant, Manguard Plus (Ireland) |  Bonnie ButlinExecutive Director, Security Partners' Forum (Canada) |  Eric Sean Clay | 2024 & 2026 Thought LeaderVice President, FMOL Health (USA) |
 Shawnee Delaney | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderCEO, Vaillance Group (USA) |  Jane Frankland MBE | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderCEO, KnewStart Limited (UK) |  Michael Gips | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderManaging Director, Kroll (USA) |
 Alex Goldenberg | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderFounder, Silent Index (USA) |  Yolanda (Yoyo) Hamblen | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderThe Security Circle Podcast, IFPO (UK) |  Kasia Hanson | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderVice President, Alcatraz (USA) |
 Tannu JiwnaniPrincipal Security Engineer, Microsoft (USA) |  Eduardo Jany | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderCSO, LinkedIn (USA) |  James JunkinCEO, Mariner-Gulf Consulting & Services (USA) |
 Marcel LehnerCSO, Wiener Stadtwerke GmbH (Austria) |  Kirk MacDowell | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderPresident & CEO, MacGuard Security Advisors (USA) |  Bruce McIndoe | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderPresident, McIndoe Risk Advisory LLC (USA) |
 Don Morrow | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderFounder & CEO, HighlandTech (USA) |  Madhuri NandiCISO, Nuvei (Till Payments), and Australian Women in Security (AWSN) Board Chair (Australia) |  Drew NeckarPrincipal Consultant, COSECURE Enterprise Risk Advisory LLC (USA) |
 Fredrik Nilsson | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderVP Americas, Axis Communications (USA/Sweden) |  Dr. Fene OsakweAdvisory Board Member (Penetration Testing), EC Council (UK) |  Kevin Palacios | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderCEO, HELPS Latam (USA/Ecuador) |
 Henrik ParkkinenCybersecurity Leader, HenrikParkkinen.com (Sweden) |  Elizabeth Parks | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderPresident & CMO, Parks Associates (USA) |  Kavya Pearlman | 2024 & 2026 Thought LeaderFounder & CEO, XRSI (USA) |
 Jon Polly | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderChief Solutions Officer, ProTecht Solutions Partners (USA) |  Matthew Porcelli | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderSecurity Manager, Harvard Protection Services (USA) |  Paul Sarnese | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderOwner, Secured & Prepared Consulting (USA) |
 Dr. Gavriel Schneider | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderGroup MD and Chair / Founder, Risk 2 Solution Group / Institute of Presilience (Australia) |  Bruce Schneier | 2024 & 2026 Thought LeaderChief of Security Architecture, Inrupt (USA) |  Vandana Verma SehgalSecurity Leader, Snyk (India) |
 Jeffrey A. Slotnick CPP PSP | 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderPresident, Setracon Enterprise Security Risk Management Services (USA) |  Confidence Staveley | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderFounder, Cybersafe Foundation (USA/Africa) |  Christopher StittCEO, CrisisLead® (USA) |
 Scott TaylorManaging Director, Praesidium (Australia) |  Fernando VaccottiConsultor, FV Consulting (Uruguay) |  Alfredo Yuncoza | 2024, 2025 & 2026 Thought LeaderPresident, Smart Management, C.A. (Venezuela) |
Pre-register now to be evaluated for our 2027 list (accomplishments during May 1, 2026 - April 30, 2027) by completing the form below. Updated criteria and additional details will be available later in 2026.
*Please note that if you do not respond or provide any profile information after registering, LSA may conduct research based on our criteria using publicly available information. It will be up to the discretion of LSA whether you will remain in contention. We may not compile your information if preliminary research indicates that it is unlikely you will score among the top candidates.