November 17, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
The Westin Washington D.C. City Center
Washington DC
2025 Agenda
Time
Session
Speaker
Sponsor
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Welcome Address
Gary Merrill, Group Publisher, Security magazine or Rachelle Blair-Frasier, Editor in Chief, Security magazine
9:15 - 10:00 AM
Keynote Address
Securing a Giant: Reinventing Security at Mall of America
Will Bernhjelm, Vice President, Security Mall of America
Sponsored by
10:00 - 10:30 AM
Networking Break
10:30 - 11:15 AM
Panel:
Bridging the Gap: Public-Private Partnerships for Community Security and Resilience
ModeratorMatthew Horace, Pretium LLC and Progress Residential Panelists:Jay Gruber, Assistant Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police , American University in Washinton, D.C. Dr.Yogananda Pittman, Chief of Police for the UC Berkeley Police Department
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Panel:
The New Metric for Security Leaders: Measuring and Moving the Perception of Safety in the Workplace
ModeratorBob Hayes, Founder, Security Executive Council Panelists:Ed Parkinson,President, Public Sector, RapidSOS Larry Wansley, Director of Corporate Security, Dallas Cowboys Greg Sanders, Senior Security Specialist, Global Corporate Security Engineering, World Bank
Sponsored by
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Panel:
Building Resilience: Critical Issues Shaping Enterprise Security
ModeratorRachelle Blair-Frasier, Editor in Chief, Security magazine Panelists: Tamara Byers, VP - Customer Success, samdesk Sara Pratley, SVP of Global Intelligence, AlertMedia
12:15 - 1:15 PM
Networking Luncheon
1:15 - 2:00 PM
Afternoon Keynote Address
Protecting the Arches: How McDonald’s Secures an Iconic Brand Across Multiple Countries and Cultures
James Weston, Director, Security Liaison, Strategy & Alignment, Global Impact, McDonalds
Sponsored by
2:00 - 2:45 PM
Panel:
Crisis Leadership in the Age of Polycrisis
ModeratorMichael Gips, Principal at Global Insights in Professional Security, LLC, former executive at ASIS International, and Security magazine columnist. Panelists:RC Miles,Global Director of Security, BRP Arlin Pedrick, Vice President, Security and Safety, Four Seasons Phil Walker, Head of Risk Assessment, Analysis, C4 in the Safety and Security Department, FIFA26
2:45 - 3:15 PM
Networking Break
3:15 - 4:00 PM
Panel:
Would You Rather Security Edition: Tough Calls, Ethical Dilemmas, and Impossible Trade-Offs
Panelists: J. Nicole McDargh, Vice President Corporate Security, Delaware North Shannon Fariel-Mureithi, Director Sr., Global Safety & Security at ChildFund International Tammi Morton, Founder and Primary Consultant for HaloPoint Investigations and Security Solutions.
4:00 - 4:05 PM
Closing Remarks
Gary Merrill, Group Publisher, Security magazine and/or Rachelle Blair-Frasier, Editor in Chief, Security magazine
4:05 - 5:30 PM
Networking Reception
Sponsored by
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Securing a Giant: Reinventing Security at Mall of America
In this keynote address, discover how Mall of America, the largest retail and entertainment destination in North America, is elevating security from a priority to a mission-critical operation. Vice President of Security Will Bernhjelm will share insights into the Mall’s dynamic, industry-leading security strategy, highlighting how cutting-edge technologies are seamlessly integrated with proven practices to stay ahead of evolving threats.
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Bridging the Gap: Public-Private Partnerships for Community Security and Public Safety Resilience
In today’s complex threat environment, public safety risk management and security strategy meet at the intersection of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility. Our panelists today represent both public and private sectors and bring a wealth of experience in building partnerships that work. We’ll explore how they’ve leveraged innovation, overcome challenges, and created sustainable models for community safety, corporate security modeling and strategy and resilience.
Moderator
Panelists
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Building Resilience: Critical Issues Shaping Enterprise Security
Moderator
Panelists
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The New Metric for Security Leaders: Measuring and Moving the Perception of Safety in the Workplace
This session will begin with key findings from the research, highlighting the growing gap between how safe employees are and how safe they feel. From there, an interactive panel will explore how security leaders can turn these insights into action. From lone workers in the field to employees on the road, at job sites, and in corporate workplaces, panelists will discuss how evolving perceptions of safety are redefining the role of corporate security and GSOC teams and share practical strategies, rooted in data, technology and culture, to strengthen both the reality and perception of safety across the modern workforce.
Moderator
Panelists
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Protecting the Arches: How McDonald’s secures an iconic brand across multiple countries and cultures
McDonald’s Global Security is focused on protecting the Golden Arches, the symbol of the Brand found in more than 100 countries around the globe. In this keynote session, James Weston, Director, Global Security will share how the team uses innovative security solutions to protect their communities, crew and customers across varying cultures, shifting risks, and dynamic geopolitical challenges. James will share five strategies he has developed for protecting large or small brands in any industry.
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Crisis Leadership in the Age of Polycrisis
In a world defined by overlapping crises — from geopolitical instability and global health threats to supply chain disruption and climate emergencies — security leaders are being tested like never before. This panel brings together seasoned professionals who have led through uncertainty to discuss what effective crisis leadership looks like in today’s interconnected risk landscape.
Moderator
Panelists
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Would You Rather: Security Edition: Tough Calls, Ethical Dilemmas, and Impossible Trade-Offs
In security leadership, the toughest decisions often come with no perfect answer — only trade-offs. In this provocative and interactive panel, senior security executives face a series of high-stakes "Would You Rather" scenarios designed to reflect the real-world dilemmas they navigate every day