Security Awareness Training Advocates

Roger A. Grimes is a Data-Driven Defense Evangelist at KnowBe4. He is a 30-year computer security professional, author of 12 books and over 1,000 national magazine articles. He frequently consults with the world’s largest and smallest companies, and militaries, and he has seen what does and doesn’t work. Grimes was a weekly security columnist for InfoWorld and CSO magazines from 2005 - 2019. He regularly presents at national computer security conferences, and has been interviewed by national magazines and radio shows, including Newsweek magazine and NPR’s All Things Considered. Roger is known for his often contrarian, fact-filled viewpoints.

Language: English

Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, is a veteran information security professional with over 20 years’ experience in the medical, aerospace manufacturing and defense fields. He is the former security manager for the US Army's 2nd Regional Cyber Center and holds CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, MCITP and ITIL v3 certifications, among others. Mr. Kron has worked with information security professionals around the world to provide the tools, training and educational opportunities to succeed in information security.

Language: English

James McQuiggan is a Security Awareness Advocate for KnowBe4. Prior to joining KnowBe4, McQuiggan worked for Siemens for eighteen years where he was responsible for various roles, including his most recent as Product & Solution Security Officer for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. In this role, he consulted and supported various corporate divisions on cybersecurity standards, information security awareness and securing product networks. In addition to his work at Siemens, McQuiggan is also a part-time faculty professor at Valencia College in the Engineering, Computer Programming & Technology Division.

James is a CISSP and within the central Florida community, he is the President of the Central Florida (ISC)2 Chapter where he supports cybersecurity professionals with education and networking opportunities. Working with the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, he has taught the Safe and Secure Online education and awareness program to over 7,000 students, parents, teachers and the “life-experienced” (seniors) to ensure they understand the dangers of the internet.

Language: English

Perry Carpenter (author of, "Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors" from Wiley Publishing) currently serves as Chief Evangelist and Strategy Officer for KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness and simulated phishing platform.

Previously, he led security awareness, security culture management, and anti-phishing behavior management research at Gartner Research, in addition to covering areas of IAM strategy, CISO program management mentoring, and technology service provider success strategies. With a long career as a security professional and researcher, Carpenter has broad experience in North America and Europe, providing security consulting and advisory services for many of the best-known global brands.

Carpenter holds a Master of Science in Information Assurance (MSIA) from Norwich University and is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO).

Language: English

Lecio De Paula currently serves as the Director of Data Privacy for KnowBe4, where he focuses on navigating the global privacy landscape and ensuring data protection standards are met. He began his privacy career at a privacy tech company where he became an expert in all things U.S. privacy, with a specific focus on HIPAA compliance. De Paula has extensive expertise in many European and United States privacy laws, such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. He is currently a Fellow of Information Privacy, certified by the IAPP and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Canada, Europe, and the United States.

Language: English. Portuguese

Joanna Huisman is Senior Vice President of Strategic Insights and Research at KnowBe4. She is a marketing, training and communications professional with over 20 years of experience in strategic, internal and customer-facing engagements in the financial services/tech industries with added experience in sales, operations and organizational development. Huisman was previously senior research director at Gartner in the areas of security awareness, education, behavior management, culture, crisis communications, security and risk program management. Prior to that, she was senior director of global security communications, training and awareness for ADP. 

Language: English

Rosa L. Smothers has over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity. She is currently Senior Vice President of Cyber Operations at KnowBe4, where she is responsible for leading KnowBe4’s Federal Practice efforts, including providing cybersecurity advisory services to civilian and military agencies within the U.S. federal government. Smothers is also responsible for providing analysis for KnowBe4’s cybersecurity research and cyber threat intelligence efforts. Having served for over a decade in the Central Intelligence Agency, she is a highly decorated national security professional with extensive experience leading the planning and execution of cyber operations against terrorist and nation-state targets as well as the adoption of cutting-edge computer technology.

Smothers served as a cybersecurity analyst and technical intelligence officer in the Center for Cyber Intelligence and the Counter Terrorism Mission Center and on multiple overseas tours, to include extensive service in Iraq. She holds a B.A. in Information Studies from Florida State University and an M.S. in Computer Network Security from Capitol Technology University. Smothers is a mentor to women and young people in cybersecurity and is a member of Infragard and Women in Defense.

Language: English

Jelle Wieringa has over 20 years of experience in business development, sales, management and marketing. In his current role as Security Awareness Advocate for EMEA for KnowBe4, he helps organizations of all sizes understand why more emphasis is needed on the human factor, and how to manage the ongoing problem of social engineering. His goal is to help organizations and users increase their resilience by making smarter security decisions. Previously, Wieringa was responsible for building an AI-driven platform for security operations at a leading managed security provider.

Language: Dutch, English, German

Javvad Malik is a security awareness advocate for EMEA at KnowBe4. A security professional of 20 years, Malik has began his career as an IT security administrator. He’s since worked as a consultant, an industry analyst, and a security advocate. Malik is well-known within the information security industry, having spoken at many events and conferences around the world in addition to being a YouTuber, podcaster, blogger, and researcher. With a distinctive style, he takes a fresh and often innovative look at even mundane topics and presents them in an entertaining and informative light. Tackling the most complex issues with ease in this witty style is Malik’s forte.

Language: English

Kai Roer (author of “Build a Security Culture” by publisher IT-Governance) has over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, with much of his expertise centered around security culture. He is currently managing director of CLTRe, a KnowBe4 company, and managing director of KnowBe4 Research where he is responsible for security culture research. Prior to founding CLTRe, Roer created the global de-facto standard Security Culture Framework. His groundbreaking research into security culture metrics provides organisations worldwide with deep insights into the human factors that influence risk and security. Roer is an award-winning specialist on security behaviors and security culture as well as a best-selling author. He is the host of the videocast Security Culture TV and an avid blogger. Roer keynotes at events around the world. He belongs to the Norway Chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance.

Language: Norwegian, English

Detlev Weise is a security awareness advocate and ambassador in the DACH region for KnowBe4. Weise is a cofounder of exploqii in Berlin, Germany, which has been a wholly owned subsidiary of KnowBe4 in the DACH region since 2018. Early on, he served as managing director of the Berlin team, and he recently joined the advisory board. Weise has developed concepts for security awareness and compliance education formats used by an array of stakeholders internationally since 2014. The multi-lingual, multicultural security education content that Weise and his team developed has received multiple international awards.

Before founding exploqii, Weise was the managing director responsible for video producers and online marketing agencies in Germany and abroad. He worked for globally active companies such as Alcatel, Reuters and Dow Jones. In the role of advisor and as a member of the supervisory board, he supported young technology and media firms during their growth process and international expansion.

Languages: German, English

Christine Kipke is a security awareness advocate and ambassador in the DACH region for KnowBe4. She has over seven years of security experience and is a cofounder of exploqii in Berlin, Germany, which has been a wholly owned subsidiary of KnowBe4’s DACH region since 2018. Early on, she served as managing director of the Berlin team, and she recently joined the advisory board. Kipke has developed concepts for security awareness and compliance education formats used by an array of stakeholders internationally since 2014. The multi-lingual, multicultural security content has received multiple international awards, and Kipke is now a member of the exploqii advisory board.

Before exploqii, Kipke held various positions in the IT and media industries and acquired experience in theatre and television production. While working in front of and behind the camera, she became familiar with the challenges and opportunities of digital media. For more than 10 years, the communications and creative expert worked in the field of explanatory video communication.

Languages: German, English

Jacqueline Jayne (JJ) currently serves as Security Awareness Advocate for the APAC region for KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness and simulated phishing platform. With over 20 years’ experience as a conduit between people and technology, she has mastered the art of communication and influence. Previously, Jayne led a successful cybersecurity education and awareness program that changed behavior and culture. Her insights on the human condition and how to engage at all levels in this space are invaluable. Jayne is also a renowned speaker and is giving engaging and thought-provoking talks at conferences around the world.

Language: English

Anna Collard is currently Managing Director of Popcorn Training, a KnowBe4 company where she drives security awareness across the African continent. She has been working in the cybersecurity field as a security architect and consultant for 18 years, where she has assisted organizations across South Africa, Europe and the U.S. Collard founded security content publisher Popcorn Training, now part of KnowBe4, which is a South African company that promotes cybersecurity awareness by using innovative, story-based techniques and gamification to make complex content simple to understand and easy to remember. She won the Women in Tech Innovations Throughout Africa 2020 Award for Southern and Central Africa. Collard holds various security certifications, such as CISSP, CISA, ISO 27001 lead auditor, CIPP/IT and used to be a Visa/Mastercard PCI DSS QSA.

Language: English, German