On 17 July 2025, 158 senior security professionals from across the Americas gathered in Chicago for the inaugural SJA Leaders in Security Conference, hosted in association with Platinum Partner Ambient.ai.
Set against the iconic backdrop of the Windy City, this landmark event brought together the brightest minds and boldest voices in security – creating an unparalleled opportunity for leaders to collaborate, reflect and innovate.
This wasn’t just another industry conference. It was a convergence of strategy, foresight and inspiration.
Security decision-makers came together not just to share insights – but to shape the future of the profession.
Delegates at the SJA Leaders in Security Conference praised the event, calling it inspiring, insightful and unmatched in quality.
Attendees commented on the high-caliber of speakers, the impactful strategies shared and powerful networking with industry pioneers on the day.
We know many people weren’t able to get tickets for the day itself due to the maximum capacity of the conference room, but all conference sessions were filmed and will be available to watch on our YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
Once released, they will also appear in our newsletters so keep an eye out!
Although we’ve wrapped up the SJA Leaders in Security Conference, its impact is far from over.
These videos will be shared with our wider audience and community of more than 173,000 security professionals, who can discover the key themes, expert perspectives and discussions that took place during the event.
You can also catch our behind-the-scenes content, speaker quotes and community reactions using the hashtag #SJALEADERS2025.
After Ian Stokes, CEO of Centurian Media Ltd, alongside Conference Chair, Michael Gips, Managing Director – Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), at Kroll welcomed the delegates to SJA Leaders in Security, Keynote Speakers Brett Freedman, Senior Director for Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology and Opher Shweiki, Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, set a thoughtful tone – emphasizing the power of leadership in a time of transformation.
In a panel debate session, Brett and Opher continued their conversation alongside other expert speakers, discussing how policy changes are impacting corporate security departments across the country.
After this, the discourse quickly pivoted, with Peter Oelschlaeger from Platinum Partner Ambient.ai offering a compelling reflection on AI, urging leaders to understand how this technology can improve physical security operations in his Presentation “AI in Physical Security: From Hype to High Impact”.
The theme of AI continued in the next panel “The Right Tools to be a Leader: Staying Ahead in a World of Accelerating Risk”, where speakers tackled the question of how to evaluate new tools and systems in a world where security threats, and the technologies designed to combat them, are evolving faster than ever.
Following a morning networking break, the session “The Cerebral Leader: Why You Need to Strengthen Your Position as a Security Thought Leader” saw panelists explore why being a security leader means more than just managing your team.
A standout voice, Danielle Weddepohl, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, George Brown College, brought a fresh and thoughtful perspective to the importance of mentorship in security in a Fireside Chat “The Right Way to Mentor – How Do We Guide Young Leaders?”
Another panel session entitled “The Ripple Effect: How Can We Prepare for Supply Chain Disruption?” questioned how security leaders can best prepare for economic changes that impact workforces, leading to fraud, theft and protest from external and internal sources.
After a buffet-style networking lunch, the conference continued with the themes of collaboration, representation and leadership.
In the next panel, “From Representation to Readiness: Building High-Performing Security Teams”, industry experts examined how diverse, well-coordinated teams are critical to delivering results – especially in a hybrid, high-risk working environment.
Next, the attendees heard from Dean Vaknin, Head of Global Security and Workplace Services, TIME who spoke about “Protecting Your People: Managing the Risks Facing Your Employees in the Field”.
The last Panel Discussion highlighted executive protection and why these programs need to evolve. In this session, “Are You Truly Keeping Your Executives Safe? Stepping Up Your Strategy”, the panelists focused on why you cannot assume that the threats your CEO or executives faced five years ago are the same as today.
A final Presentation “The Power of Partnerships: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in the US” saw John Kellerhals, President, InfraGard Chicago Members Alliance discuss how new threats against critical infrastructure in the US are emerging and why solutions to combat them must keep pace, before attendees enjoyed a post-event networking drinks reception, kindly hosted by Ambient.ai.
Throughout SJA Leaders in Security, what stood out most was the depth of conversation and diversity of perspective.
Attendees consistently noted how valuable it was to hear from professionals across corporate, legal, government and nonprofit sectors all speaking candidly about the risks they face and the strategies they employ.
As the sun set on Chicago, one thing was clear: the conversations started here will echo across boardrooms, campuses and operation centers long after the event.
For those in attendance, it wasn’t just a conference. It was a turning point.
Register your interest in attending the SJA Leaders in Security Conference 2026 here.
