Behnam Dayanim

Global Chair, Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice

Behnam Dayanim is based in Paul Hastings’ Washington, DC, office where he serves as global chair of the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice, chairs its Advertising & Gaming practice, and is a member of the firm’s Fintech & Payments and National Security practices. His work in cybersecurity and privacy includes regulatory counseling and compliance and breach and regulatory investigations. He regularly practices before the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general and financial services regulators on cybersecurity matters.

Aaron Charfoos

Partner, Litigation Department, Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice

Aaron Charfoos is an accomplished privacy and data protection trial lawyer. He regularly guides clients through high profile incident response, privacy litigation, regulatory enforcement actions, coordinates crisis communications and advises on Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosures. Aaron litigated his first privacy case in 2010, building on a decade of experience in patent and technology cases. Aaron also translates this experience into pre-breach preparation and consultation.

Phil Gardner

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Having built IANS’ end-user research offering, Phil now oversees all strategic and operational decisions at IANS. Phil began his career in security with seven years with the U.S. Navy as a Strike Fighter Pilot & Ordnance Requirements Officer. After receiving a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, he joined Goldman, Sachs & Co. in Mergers & Acquisitions and later became an associate with McKinsey & Company in Boston, MA. In 1996, Phil became one of the founders of Provant, Inc., a publicly traded training company serving the Fortune 1000 and Federal Government. He left Provant in 2000 to launch IANS. He graduated at the top of his class in US Navy Flight School.

Brendan Leary

McChrystal Group, Senior Principal

Brendan Leary is a Senior Principal at McChrystal Group, where he works as part of our Advisory Services team. Brendan has supported companies in several industries and is currently advising an international wealth management company.

Brendan has deep experience in leadership, team building, planning, crisis and deliberate decision-making, and operational execution. He has driven organizational transformation and achieved results at the executive-level in every organization in which he has served. Recently transitioned from the Naval Special Warfare community, Brendan has 21 years of experience leading SEALs and other special operations units. His diverse military career has included counterterrorism, undersea operations, contingency operations in Liberia, combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and counter-insurgency and stability operations in Africa.

Prior to joining McChrystal Group, Brendan was the Deputy Commander of an 1,800-member special operations organization with nine subsidiaries and regional responsibilities on three continents. He has led, mentored and improved high-performing teams to execute sensitive missions, build strategic relationships, and develop effective technical solutions in complex, dynamic, and high-risk environments.

Brendan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College and a Master of Science degree in Military Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps University.

Rich Mogull

IANS Faculty

Rich is the CEO and an Analyst for Securosis, an information security research and advisory firm, in addition to Founder and Vice President of Product at DisruptOPS, a cloud environment monitoring platform. Prior to founding Securosis, he was Research Vice President for Gartner’s security team where he also served as Research Co-Chair for the Gartner Security Summit. Additionally,Rich has served as an independent consultant, web application developer, software development manager, and a systems and network administrator.

Steven Martano

The Caldwell Partners, Consultant, Cyber Security Practice

Steven Martano is a consultant in Caldwell Partners’ Cyber Security Practice. He recruits across the information security function, including CISOs, CSOs, cyber advisory board members, and cyber leaders in professional services.

Steven spent seven years at Russell Reynolds Associates, where he helped build the Cyber Security and Supply Chain functional practices, serving as a member of the global Corporate Officers practice.

Earlier in his career, Steven worked at Sikorsky Aircraft (then part of United Technologies Corporation), where he led operations and financial planning for multi-billion contracts for the U.S military and key international customers in the Middle East, Asia and South America.

In addition to his professional career, Steven serves as an editor and featured writer at Beyond the Box Score, SB Nation’s baseball analytics platform, and is a contributing columnist to FanGraphs’ The Hardball Times. He holds a BA from The Catholic University of America and a master’s degree in economics & finance from Trinity College.

William Houston

Washington DC, Egon Zehnder

Will Houston, based in Washington, D.C., has more than 20 years of experience in the industrial and technology sectors, the military, and federal government. He is active in Egon Zehnder's Technology and Industrial practices and leads the Cybersecurity/CISO practice.

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Will was a Head of Strategic Partner Development in Google's Emerging Business Development group. Previously, Will served as the Director of Policy and Planning for Customs and Border Protection in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as a consultant with Diamond Technology Partners, where he advised Fortune 500 clients on digital strategy. Will began his career as an Army Intelligence Officer, serving four years on active duty, and recently helped US Cyber Command establish a Reserve unit in Silicon Valley.  He currently serves as a Colonel in the Army Reserve working on disaster preparedness and response.

Will earned an AB from Princeton University, an MBA from the Wharton School, and a Master's in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He was also a Fellow with the Robert Bosch Foundation in Berlin and serves on the advisory board of the Alumni & Friends of Princeton University ROTC. He is a passionate outdoorsman who loves duck hunting and long distance running.