Speaker – Ms Kemba Walden
Ms Kemba Walden
President
Paladin Global Institute
Biography
Kemba Walden stands at the forefront of cybersecurity, combining a wealth of government and private sector experience with a vision for a secure digital future. As the Acting United States National Cyber Director from February to November of 2023, our nation’s highest-ranking leaders looked to her to shape the national cybersecurity policies and strategies that protect our critical infrastructure and make cyberspace safer for the organizations and individuals who depend on its stability and security. Walden, who has also served as assistant general counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, is one of the most respected figures in cybersecurity circles, as well as one of the most sought-after thought leaders for organizations seeking to better understand how they can maximize the security of their businesses in a constantly evolving cyber landscape.
Today, she is the president of the Paladin Global Institute, which was founded to bring the private capital voice into technology policy. At the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), her tenure was marked by the implementation of innovative initiatives that bolstered the nation’s cyber defence capabilities, as well as a refreshingly collaborative approach between the private and public sectors to secure critical technology from increasingly complex cyber threats. Among various roles of influence throughout her career, Walden also served a decade at the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — most recently at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Following her tenure at DHS, she was the primary cybersecurity legal advisor for election security. Between the DHS and ONCD, she was at Microsoft for three years, advising on advancing its cyber practices and promoting responsible innovation, attacking the scourge of ransomware crime, and providing legal counsel to the Defending Democracy Program for the 2020 election cycle.
Since 2019, Walden has been an adjunct professor of information security law and regulatory compliance at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, which she balances with her duties as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council Board of Directors, and a Member of the Board of Managers for Endgame Systems, LLC as well as co-chair of the Aspen Digital U.S. Cybersecurity Group. She was also appointed as an inaugural member of the Cyber Safety Review Board. Holding a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, her academic background, coupled with her extensive professional experience, has equipped her with a unique perspective on the intersection of law, policy, and technology.
In addition to cybersecurity and emerging technology, Ms. Walden is an accomplished CFIUS and Team Telecom attorney. She started her professional career in international development, which led to her living and working in Mali, Switzerland, the Bahamas, and the former Soviet country of Georgia. She and her husband Matthew Walden have two children and live in Kensington, Maryland.