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Associate Vice President, IT Services · University of Windsor
Marcin Pulcer is the Associate Vice-President, Information Technology Services at the University of Windsor, providing strategic leadership for the University's technology, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and enterprise systems portfolios. He leads the delivery of technology services that support the University's academic, research, and administrative priorities. Marcin oversees enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and analytics, client services, classroom technologies, and project delivery. He is responsible for aligning technology investments with institutional goals while ensuring the secure, reliable, and effective operation of the University's digital environment. Under his leadership, the University has advanced major digital transformation initiatives, strengthened its cybersecurity posture, modernized enterprise systems, and expanded the use of data-driven decision-making.
Director, Technology Services · Windsor Police Service
Matt Caplin has been the Director, Technology Services for the Windsor Police Service since 2017. Prior to joining the Windsor Police Service, Matt held various positions with the City of Windsor, including Deputy Chief Information Officer, Manager of Applications and Project Management, and Manager of End User Support. Provincially, Matt is an active member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and served on the Municipal Information Systems Association (MISA) Board of Directors and various committees for twenty years. His efforts were recognized through several provincial awards including the Roy Wiseman Award for provincial leadership and the John Cushing Award of Merit for exemplary service to MISA Ontario. Matt has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor and holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
CIO/Executive Director of Information Technology · The Corporation of the City of Windsor
Alex Vucinic is a senior executive leader with extensive experience in technology strategy, governance, risk management, procurement, and organizational transformation. As Chief Information Officer for the Corporation of the City of Windsor, he provides strategic leadership for enterprise technology services supporting one of Ontario's large municipalities, overseeing cybersecurity, digital transformation, enterprise applications, infrastructure, project delivery, and emerging technology initiatives. He is responsible for advancing a multi-year technology modernization agenda, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation, artificial intelligence governance, digital service delivery, data strategy, and cybersecurity resilience. Throughout his career, Alex has successfully led complex public-sector initiatives involving more than $1.8 billion in procurement, contract negotiations, capital projects, and strategic investments. Known for his ability to align technology and business objectives, he has built governance frameworks, executive decision-making structures, and cross-functional partnerships that improve organizational performance, manage risk, and deliver measurable outcomes. Alex holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is recognized for his collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and community impact.
Francis Mailloux is a seasoned ICT leader with 35 years of professional experience, currently serving as the Head of the ICT Department for the CscProvidence in Southwestern Ontario. Throughout his 30-year career with the board, Francis has transitioned from a hands-on school technician to WAN administrator, assistant manager, and now department head. He has utilized this extensive ground-level and administrative insight to transform his department into a high-performing, data-driven team. He holds CISSP, ITIL, and COBIT certifications, and merges rich technical skills with business acumen and process-driven strategies. Francis serves as Board Chair of Connecting Windsor-Essex (CWE), Board Secretary & Director of ECNO, and a member and past president of CCTIC. He continues to focus on driving collaborative best practices and promoting cybersecurity awareness throughout the broader Ontario public education landscape.
Tal Czudner is the Chief Executive Officer of the Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corporation and Windsor Detroit Borderlink. A champion for Windsor-Essex in many ways.
Darrel is the Director of IT for the County of Essex. He has been at the County for two years and is excited to contribute to the Defend the North Windsor Project. Having worked in automotive, higher education, and municipal government, Darrel evangelizes secure systems, processes, and employee education. Darrel holds an Electrical Engineering degree, Education degree, and Masters in Business Administration. Additionally, he is a licensed Professional Engineer.
CISO
Ian Chun is a technology executive with a strong background in enterprise IT leadership, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and transportation technology. As the Head of IT at Windsor Detroit Borderlink Ltd., he oversees the technology systems that support the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, providing strategic leadership for infrastructure, security, operational resiliency, and innovation initiatives. He regularly advises the board of directors and stakeholders on technology investments, risk management, and digital transformation strategies. Drawing on his experience as a Computer Systems Technology Professor at St. Clair College, Ian combines strong technical acumen with a dedication to mentorship and continuous learning.
VP CISO · Equifax Canada
Recognized as one of the 2022 Top 20 Women in Canada, Octavia Howell has spent her career protecting some of the world’s largest financial institutions from cyber-attacks. Today, she serves as Equifax Canada’s Chief Information Security Officer and is the Founder and CEO of Augustus Redefined, an organization focused on the advancement of Black Women in Cybersecurity. Octavia believes that a security leader should mentor, motivate trust, and lead their teams to act with integrity and openness. She often says, “A team is only as strong as their leaders and each leader casts a shadow that they will be held accountable for.” Octavia received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Spelman College and holds CISSP, GISP, GCWN and GSLC GIAC certifications. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), Women in Technology (WiT), Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys), (ISC2), ISACA, ISSA, and serves on the Board of Directors for Cyversity.
Chair · Operation Defend the North
Ali has over 15 years of experience in developing and leading teams at various stages of the IT development lifecycle. He spearheaded the growth of Durham College’s Cybersecurity Innovation Center along with their AI and Cybersecurity labs – he led the deployment of applications and infrastructure in line with ISO 27001 and NIST frameworks and prepared processes for SOC 2 level clearances. Ali held senior roles at the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network ( ORION ) in projects related to remote connectivity, the implementation of technical training, enhancing access to critical applications and more. Leading teams of up to 65 staff members, Ali has demonstrated leadership in the cyber domain and has established a reputation province wide for his expertise and initiative. Ali is the host of various tech shows including Power Hour, a panelist for numerous forums including the CISO Forum Canada and a highly acknowledged lecturer at many institutions across Canada. As well as being a seasoned member of the Cyber community, Ali has led the deployment of tabletop exercises for the province of Ontario and is consistently invited to deliver cyber training programs across various sectors. Most recently, Ali was retained to lead the cyber training division of the Youth Employment Services and lead programming to train and enhance skillsets of learners in cyber. Along with pursuing his PhD, Ali enjoys lecturing at related courses at Seneca College, Georgian College, Toronto School of Management, University of Fredericton, and Algoma University to name a few.
Amar Singh serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at St. Clair College, where he oversees the institution's IT infrastructure, cybersecurity operations, and information security governance. With 28 years of experience in information technology, he has led initiatives that strengthen technology services, enhance security posture, and support organizational innovation. In addition to his leadership at St. Clair College, he serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Connecting Windsor-Essex, contributing to regional technology and connectivity initiatives. He is also an active member of the Ontario Colleges CIO Group, collaborating on strategic technology priorities across the post-secondary sector.
Joanne Soave is the Chief Executive Officer of Connecting Windsor-Essex (CWE), a regional organization focused on advancing broadband connectivity, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and collaborative innovation across public sector. A University of Windsor graduate with more than 25 years of leadership experience in telecommunications, operations, and organizational strategy, Joanne has built a reputation for bringing organizations together to address complex challenges, build strategic partnerships, and turn ideas into practical, sustainable outcomes. Her experience spans telecommunications, critical infrastructure, organizational leadership, governance and community collaboration. A strong advocate for relationship-driven leadership and regional resilience, Joanne believes progress happens when the right people come together around shared challenges and a common purpose.
Mohsen Azari is a seasoned Cyber Security executive with more than 25 years of experience leading cyber security, technology, infrastructure, and risk management programs across financial services, retail, healthcare, and media industries. Currently serving as Director, Cyber Defence at goeasy Ltd., Mohsen leads the enterprise cyber defence portfolio, overseeing security operations, incident response, cyber resilience, regulatory compliance, and risk management initiatives. He is recognized for aligning security strategies with business objectives, enabling organizations to innovate while maintaining strong risk management and governance practices. A strong advocate for emerging technologies, Mohsen spearheaded the implementation of enterprise AI security guardrails and plays a key role in governing responsible AI adoption within his organization. Prior to goeasy, Mohsen held senior leadership positions at Walmart Canada, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, and Pfizer. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from McMaster University and maintains CISSP and CISM certifications. He serves as a Gartner Evanta and SiberX Advisory Board Member.
Chief Innovation Officer · Mirai Security
Over the past two decades, Alex has worked within three mission-critical security operation centres (SOC), including the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics SOC, has established Vancouver’s cyber security community and in 2017 co-founded one of Western Canada’s leading cyber security consultancies. Alex is a community builder. In 2013 he established Vancouver’s cyber security community through the founding of the BSides Vancouver cybersecurity conference. In 2017, frustrated with how broken cyber security consulting had become, forged Mirai Security from within the community. Mirai Security has quickly become the centre for cyber security excellence in Western Canada by attracting cyber security professionals who want to do cyber security better. Alex is an innovator. Over the years, he has focused on balancing risk by pragmatically improving situational awareness and incident response capabilities through business-enabling security architectures. Today, Alex is the Chief Innovation Officer at Mirai Security. Mirai, Japanese for the future, focuses on the “future of cyber risk” by helping enterprises securely digitally transform through innovative governance, secure AI adoption and maturing software development practices. Alex is a thought leader. With a passion for knowledge and giving back to the community, Alex loves public speaking, teaching, contributing to cyber security books, advising higher-education, facilitating immersive tabletop experiences and now documents his experiments and learnings on Substack and Youtube.
Chief Executive Officer / Chief Education Officer · Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
With 35 years of service to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, John currently serves as Chief Executive Officer / Chief Education Officer. His extensive career path—spanning roles from classroom teacher to Senior Administration—provides him with a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape. John is particularly passionate about student success, having spearheaded the expansion of information technology as well as specialized skilled trades and sports academies. By collaborating with the Board of Trustees, Senior Administration and community partners, the WECDSB has been instrumental in addressing regional labour shortages through innovative program pathways.