Edna Conway, CEO of EMC ADVISORS and an ultimate change agent, ensures security and resiliency are built in an enterprise and across its third-party ecosystem. With over 40 years of experience, she served as Microsoft’s Chief Security & Risk Officer for its Intelligent Cloud business, Cisco’s Chief Security Officer for its Global Value Chain, and Assistant Attorney General for New Hampshire. Recipient of over 40 awards from government, industry and academia, Edna seeks out and harnesses the power of diversity of thought, exemplified by her collaborative authorship in four books spanning areas such as Securing IOT, Designing Digital Strategy, Practical Cybersecurity Architectures and Security Careers Beyond Hacking.
Most notably, she brings energy, astute observation of dynamics, genuine caring and a healthy dose of humor to build lasting camaraderie and respect while delivering resiliency and security that “just works”.
- Governance, Risk and Compliance (including Third-Party Risk Management)
- Reporting & Metrics (Cyber Resiliency)
- Executive and Board Communications
- Cloud Security (Azure) | Network Security
- Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestures (including IP Protection)
Achievements & Contributions
- Former Chief Security & Risk Officer, Microsoft Cloud
- Former Chief Security Officer, Cisco Global Value Chain
- Former Assistant Attorney General, State of New Hampshire
- Co-Author, ISO 20243
- Author NATO Technical & Implementation Directive on Supply Chain Security for COTS CIS Security Enforcing Products
- Experienced Board Director
- Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University CISO Program
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering Cyber Fellows Advisory Council
- Recent Awards: 2023 Institute for Critical Infrastructure Pinnacle Award, 2023 Top 25 Women in Technology (Mission Critical), 2021 Executive Women’s Forum Executive of the Year, 2021 Information Systems Security Association Hall of Fame, 2021 Top Cybersecurity Leaders (Security Magazine), Named #5 in The Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS (The Software Report, 2020), Who’s Who in Cybersecurity (Onalytica, 2020), Fed 100 Award, CSO of the Year Award at RSA, Machine to Machine and IoT Trailblazer Award (Connected World Magazine), and Reboot Leadership Award (SC Media).
Certifications & Credentials
- AB, Columbia University
- JD, University of Virginia
- Executive Certifications: MIT, Stanford University, NYU, Carnegie Mellon
Hobbies & Fun Facts
The product of an Italian immigrant family, Edna is engaged in ongoing debate with her chemist son regarding the quintessential test of their heritage: Whose Tomato Sauce is Better? She contends it is hers, hands down.