What We Think

Steven-Paul Walker is a seasoned risk and regulatory compliance expert with over 32 years at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, where he served as a National Bank Examiner and Senior Payments Policy Analyst. Currently Risk and Regulatory Compliance Practice Expert at Reference Point, he specializes in operational risk management, technology audits, and FinTech supervision. Steve holds multiple certifications including CISA, CGEIT, and CICA, with expertise in payment systems, blockchain, and cryptocurrency policy development. He developed the OCC’s first formal cryptocurrency and blockchain training program, delivered to over 2,300 personnel. With an Executive MBA from Emory University, Steve has guided major financial institutions through complex regulatory challenges and helped establish compliance frameworks that significantly enhanced their franchise value and earnings performance.

Sheryl Root is Associate Professor of the Practice at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley, where she directs the Master’s in Technology Ventures program and teaches courses merging technology with entrepreneurship. With over 20 years at Hewlett-Packard as a Director and 13 years as Vice President at Bank of America, she brings extensive executive experience in strategy, marketing, and product development. Sheryl founded RootAnalysis, her consulting firm specializing in business strategy and organizational alignment. She holds advanced degrees from Stanford Graduate School of Business and UC, and was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame. A 2021 Grace Hopper Conference speaker, she champions bringing women to the forefront of technology leadership in Silicon Valley

Frank Wood is a seasoned security and operations executive with over 20 years of experience building resilient enterprises across global corporate landscapes. As founder of Hawkeye Resilience Advisors, he specializes in comprehensive risk management solutions, achieving an average 77% reduction in security challenges for clients. Frank previously served as Chief Security Officer at GE Digital and Deputy Chief Security Officer at GE Power, overseeing global security programs for businesses ranging from $3B to $36B in revenue. He holds CPP, PMP, and CBCP certifications and has managed $30M+ construction programs while leading crisis management through events like COVID-19. A Rensselaer Polytechnic graduate with Wharton executive education, Frank combines technical expertise with strategic leadership, having
recovered over $1MM in assets through investigations and delivered significant cost reductions across enterprise programs.

John Levonick is a seasoned executive, attorney, and fractional counsel with over 20 years in financial services, FinTech, and regulatory compliance. As Senior Partner at Garris Horn LLP, he specializes in bridging traditional laws with emerging technologies including blockchain, A, and cryptocurrency. John co-founded and scaled Canopy, an RMBS due diligence firm, from concept to $10M revenue in 26 months before successful exit. He previously held leadership roles at Clayton Holdings, Accenture, and major law firms. A University of Miami Law graduate, he serves on multiple FinTech advisory boards and is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner. John’s expertise spans consumer finance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and helping companies safely commercialize innovative financial products while navigating complex regulatory requirements.

Theo Mourouzis, PhD is CEO & Partner at Electi and a world-renowned cryptographer with academic credentials from Cambridge (BA/MA Mathematics, MSc Advanced Mathematics) and UCL (PhD Cryptography). Winner of the UK Cyber Cipher Security Challenge, his research is cited by NIST and NSA. He serves as Expert in Residence at London Business School, Industry Associate at UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, and Cybersecurity Advisor at The Alan Turing Institute. Dr. Mourouzis has advised major clients including the US Navy, European Central Bank, European Commission, and Lloyds Banking Group. Author of two books on emerging technologies, he holds patents in cryptographic key generation and leads digital transformation initiatives across AI, blockchain, and information security for global enterprises.

Andrew ‘Flip’ Filipowski is Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of Fluree, PBC, a blockchain graph database platform. A legendary tech entrepreneur, Flip was CEO/COO of Cullinet (largest software company of the 80s) and founder/CEO of Platinum Technology, the 8th largest global software company when sold to CA for $4 billion. Named to Upside Magazine’s Top 100 most influential people in IT, he’s won E&Y and Merrill Lynch Entrepreneur of the Year awards. As Managing Partner of SilkRoad Equity and Founding Partner of Tally Capital, Flip brings decades of expertise in blockchain, cryptocurrency, M&A, and global technology scaling. He serves on multiple boards including Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Lincoln Park Zoo.

Wilfredo Lassalle Jr. is a strategic global CIO/CISO with expertise across Healthcare, Financial Services, Government, and Gaming industries. Currently CISO at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance managing a $20M cybersecurity budget, Wilfredo has built a Top 50 Managed Security Services Provider and co-founded Simplix, a SaaS AI compliance platform. He holds CISSP certification and has led digital transformation initiatives achieving $2.2B in run rate savings at Citi. A recognized Top 20 Social CIO for 3+ years, Wilfredo specializes in AI, cloud computing, risk management, and regulatory compliance including HIPAA, PCI, SOX, and
GDPR. His extensive experience in program management, cybersecurity excellence, and strategic technology leadership provides invaluable guidance for Netswitch’s growth and security initiatives.

Annie Skariah is a cybersecurity governance leader with 15+ years of experience in GRC initiatives across global operations. Currently Privacy & Security Engagement Officer at Centene Corporation, Annie specializes in implementing security frameworks including NIST CSF, ISO 27001, GDPR, HITRUST, and PCI DSS. She holds CISSP and HCISPP certifications and earned her MS in Information Management from Arizona State University. Annie has provided remediation support to 40+ enterprises as a lead security consultant and directly supported IT security initiatives for companies in the Global 2000’s top 15%. Her expertise in healthcare privacy, enterprise security, and international compliance frameworks makes her a valuable strategic advisor for Netswitch’s governance and risk management initiatives.

Carter Schoenberg brings extensive cybersecurity expertise as Chief Cybersecurity Officer at SoundWay Consulting, where he leads their CMMC program and achieved Cyber-AB C3 PAOstatus. A former homicide detective turned cybersecurity leader, Carter has managed teams of 60+ cyber practitioners and overseen programs supporting hundreds of thousands of mobile devices. He holds CISSP, CISM, and Lead CMMC Assessor certifications, and has authored NIST publications on cyber supply chain risk management. Carter’s unique background translating technical threats into business risk, combined with his expertise in CMMC, NIST frameworks, and compliance assessments, provides invaluable strategic guidance for Netswitch’s security initiatives.

Alex Sharpe is a cybersecurity and risk management leader with over 35 years of experience spanning intelligence, consulting, and technology sectors. As founder of Sharpe LLC, Alex specializes in cyber governance, digital transformation, and complex program management. He’s a recognized thought leader (#3 in Cybersecurity, #1 in Risk Management) who has participated in 20+ M&A transactions and served clients across 30 countries. Alex co-founded two startups including a successful IPO, led P&Ls up to $60M, and currently serves as Adjunct Professor at NYU teaching cyber resilience. His expertise in emerging technologies, zero trust architecture, and AI security governance provides critical strategic value to Netswitch’s technology initiatives.

Donald Laughlin brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience to Netswitch’s Advisory Board. As CEO/CFO specializing in scaling organizations and raising capital, Donald has led companies across diverse industries including biotech, aerospace, manufacturing, and economic development. He currently serves as President/CEO of White Mountain Economic Development and holds board positions with Integro Bank and Financial Executives International. A CFO of the Year finalist, Donald earned his Executive MBA from USC Marshall School of Business and holds Series 65 certification. His expertise in organizational innovation, capital management, and sustainable growth strategies makes him invaluable to Netswitch’s strategic direction and scaling initiatives.

Dr. Stylianos Kampakis, is CEO of The Tesseract Academy and a pioneering AI expert with 15+ years of experience since 2009. He has helped businesses raise over $50M through AI strategy and implementation, collaborating with top institutions including London Business School, Cambridge, and UCL. A tokenomics pioneer since 2017, Dr. Kampakis was first to propose agent-based modeling for crypto economics and set industry standards in tokenomics auditing. He serves as Research Associate at UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, worked with The Alan Turing Institute on LLM cyber-defense research, and is a 3x published author on AI, Data Science, and Web3. A 2017 US State Department YTILI Fellow, he transforms organizations through cutting-edge AI, data science, and blockchain solutions.