CompTIA Announces Advisory Councils Executive Board Members for 2021

Downers Grove, Ill. (Feb. 16, 2021) — Influential leaders from seven fast-growing sectors of the technology market have been selected to serve on the CompTIA Advisory Councils Executive Board in 2021, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce announced today.

"We are fortunate to have so many industry leaders willing to share their expertise for the betterment of the entire industry," said Annette Taber, CompTIA's senior vice president, industry and public sector outreach.

CompTIA has seven industry advisory councils that help shape the association's strategic direction for addressing critical issues in the IT industry. Senior level executives representing a broad spectrum of technology companies and from diverse backgrounds serve on the invitation-only councils. The chairs and vice chairs of each of the seven councils, elected by their respective peer groups, make up the membership of the executive board.

Members of the CompTIA Advisory Councils Executive Board for 2021 include:

• Artificial Intelligence – Rama Akkiraju, distinguished engineer and IBM Fellow, IBM Watson; Lloyd Danzig, chairman and founder, International Consortium for the Ethical Development of Artificial Intelligence; and Uday Tatiraju, tech lead and principal software engineer, Oracle.
• Blockchain – Adam Lesh, technologist, AL Consulting; Deborah Kestin-Schildkraut, blockchain and global alliances ecosystem marketing leader, IBM; and Elena Dumitrascu, chief technology officer, TerraHub Technologies.
• Business Applications – Angus Robertson, chief marketing officer, Chief Outsiders; Jason Eberhardt, head of global cloud and MSO, Bitdefender; and Ryan Burton, vice president, product strategy, Pax8.
• Channel Development – Jason Bystrak, vice president, cloud business unit, D&H Distributing; Juan Fernandez, vice president, managed IT services, ImageNet Consulting, LLC; and KimCesena, global director of channel marketing, Intermedia.
• Cybersecurity – Kevin McDonald, chief operating officer and chief information security officer Alvaka Networks; Tracy Holtz, director of security solutions, Tech Data; and Kevin Nikkhoo, CEO, XeneX.
• Drone – Jeff Powell, CEO, American Unmanned; Dave Krause, co-owner, Influential Drones; and Kimberly Penn, founder and CEO, Professor Drones.
• IoT – Robert Forget, chief technology officer, Aware360, Brandon Fuhr, co-founder, XReps; and Jill Klein, senior leader, IoT and healthcare, Sirius Computer Solutions.

"The variety of experience, knowledge and skill these individuals bring to the conversation is why our industry advisory councils are so impactful in the work they do," Taber said. "This is true whether they are providing insights on industry dynamics, developing educational resources or championing CompTIA within their individual networks."

The industry advisory councils work in concert with other groups at CompTIA, including the association's member communities, to collaboratively shape the future of our industry. Visit https://www.comptia.org/membership/communities-and-councils for more information.

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org.