Connecting Pittsburgh's IT Community
Scroll down to find the best group for you. Apply today to start connecting with top IT leaders from the Pittsburgh region.
2024 CIO & CISO of the Year Awards
Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners of the 2024 CIO/CISO of the Year Awards!
On April 18th, nearly 600 people gathered at the Westin Pittsburgh to honor and celebrate some of the Pittsburgh region's most dynamic Chief Information Officers, Chief Information Security Officers and Tech Executives working at the highest level. The Pittsburgh Technology Council partnered with the Greater Pittsburgh CIO Group to create an evening of celebration, mindshare and camaraderie! Read the full article on the winners and finalists by visiting the PTC website at https://www.pghtech.org/news-and-publications/2024CIOY_Winners. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!
CIO Choice Award– (winner) Chuck Bartel, Duquesne University
Rising Stars– (winners) Chris Belasco, City of Pittsburgh / Madison Oliver, GitHub | (finalists) Daniel Elliot, The Wilson Group / Chris Kosek, K&L Gates / Clayton Mathis, Seegrid / Jon Oeler, Reed Smith / Brian Stein, Koppers
Tech Trail Blazers– (winners) Janeen Peretin Baldwin-Whitehall School District / Julie Prough, UPMC | (finalists) Rachael Afolabi, Google Fiber / Ebony Dendy, Univ of Pgh / Jorge Guajardo Merchan, Bosch Research / Sondra Hunter, Tech Savvy / Crystal Morgan, UPMC / Frank Pascoe, Koppers
CIO Megabyte– (winner) Scott Angelo, Ingersoll & Rooney | (finalists) Paul Allison, PennWest Univ / Jim Dye, Cochran / Adam Gunnett, Busy Beaver / Larry Trenga, Wesley Family Svcs
CIO Gigabyte– (winners) Jack Smith, Federated Hermes / Tushar Lovalekar, Koppers | (finalists) Lisa Biondi, System One / David Reed, Maxim Crane / Eng Tan, Automated Health
CIO Terabyte– (winner) Bhaskar Ramachandran, PPG | (finalists) Chris Carmody, UPMC / Christine Johns, PNC / Kathleen Lovett, VSP Vision
CISO Gigabyte– (winner) Dennis Carson, PennWest Univ | (finalists) Brian Abercrombie, Teletracking / Tony Krance, Seton Hill Univ
CISO Terabyte– (winner) John O’Rourke, PPG | (finalists) Derek Brown, EQT / Sam Merrell, Kennametal / Pete Zwieryznski, Koppers
Attention: Networking Group Re-Launch!
We are making exciting changes to the CIO and CISO Groups!
Beginning January 1, 2024, the Greater Pittsburgh CIO and CISO Groups begin a new chapter in their long and successful history. The Advisory Boards of each group met last year and determined it was necessary to reestablish the Charter / Purpose in order to meet the needs of today's IT executives. We are moving toward a more organized and member run operating model that will increase the group's usefulness and participation.
To continue the re-launch of the CIO and CISO Groups, we are requiring all past, present and future members to reapply for membership so that we are reaching out to the people who are most interested in keeping these valuable networks prospering in the future.
Below are the links to the CIO and CISO membership forms - please apply to be included in the 2024 communications:
Our Purpose:
The Greater Pittsburgh CIO Group (“CIO Group”) was established to connect technology leaders from various organizations in the region and establish a forum to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices in the field of information technology. The forum aids to foster networking, learning, and innovation, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of IT within the participating organizations.
Our Objectives:
- Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate the exchange of ideas, insights, and experiences related to IT management, strategy, and execution.
- Best Practice Sharing: Encourage CIOs to share successful strategies, methodologies, and approaches that have proven to be effective in their respective organizations.
- Problem Solving: Collaborate on solving common challenges faced by CIOs in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business.
- Innovation Promotion: Foster an environment that encourages innovation and creativity in IT leadership and operations.
- Community Service: Serve the community through specific initiatives to support the development of the next generation of IT leaders and recognize existing technology leaders within our community.
Membership:
To be considered for membership, candidates must represent an entity in the surrounding Pittsburgh Region (Central Ohio, West Virginia, Central PA). Representatives from divisions of national or international companies with a significant local presence are also eligible for membership. Vendor membership will be limited to internal positions that support the company. Membership is limited to the most senior individual in charge of technology for the organization, or autonomous division, regardless of actual title (e.g., CIO, CISO, CTO, CDO, Director of Information Systems, Director Cybersecurity etc.). Prospective members must demonstrate a genuine interest in knowledge sharing, active participation, and service to the Greater Pittsburgh IT community. The number of members may be limited to ensure effective participation and meaningful interaction. Prior technology leaders retired or those who may have held the role and moved into other position(s) are still welcome members or candidates of the group.
Members must attend 50% of the scheduled meetings/events to stay active.
Key Activities and Events:
The CIO and CISO Groups will meet bi-monthly at rotating locations based on active members. Members are encouraged to host a meeting as part of the rotation. Every other meeting will be followed by a networking event, initiated by the hosting member. The purpose of these meetings is decision making/any business relative to the charter, and knowledge sharing. Meetings may include presentations by members, guest speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and roundtable discussions. In addition to the six yearly meetings, the CIO and CISO Groups will sponsor the following activities:
- Leadership Development Program (LDP): Each member is expected to contribute as a mentor to the program and attend networking events with the broader community.
- PTC CIO/CISO of the Year awards: The CIO and CISO Group Advisory Boards are the voting body for the CIO and CISO of the Year Awards. The GP CIO and CISO Groups should actively seek nominations and provide input to the Advisory Boards.
- Other knowledge sharing and educational events (such as the NCFTA/FBI debrief) as determined each year.
If you have any questions, please contact
Matt Siconolfi
CIO/CISO Group Advisory Board Chair
CTO
ivision