Why adaptability is key in today's AI-driven world?

In an era defined by unprecedented technological acceleration, cybersecurity leaders must rethink how they respond to threats that now evolve faster than human decision‑making. In this keynote, Fred Streefland, Global Field CISO for Check Point (EMEA) and former intelligence officer specializing in Russian weapons systems, unveils a powerful, historically proven decision-making framework—the OODA Loop—re‑engineered for the age of AI‑driven cyber warfare. Drawing on firsthand military intelligence experience and modern cybersecurity research, the presentation delivers a compelling narrative: the organizations that survive will not be the strongest, nor the largest— but the fastest to adapt.

Fred Streefland is a proud father of two sons, an experienced cybersecurity thought leader, C-level trusted advisor and well-known keynote speaker, living in The Netherlands.

He graduated in 1992 from the Netherlands Royal Military Academy and served 16 years as an Intelligence Officer (LtCol) within the Royal Netherlands Air Force. During this period, he was a military intelligence specialist on Russian weapons systems and advised F-16 pilots, Airbase commanders and the Secretary-General of NATO. He accomplished several NATO missions abroad.

In 2008, he transferred to the private sector and started to work as a public safety & security consultant for IBM, followed by a senior manager security position at Accenture. After these years, Fred became a CISO for several Dutch companies like ENCS, Exact Software and Leaseweb. Then he moved to Palo Alto Networks as the Chief Security Officer (‘Field CISO’) for North and East Europe, followed by a CEO position at Secior BV, a Dutch startup company, specialized in OT Security for datacenters. After this, he worked as the security portfolio manager for Solvinity, a secure managed cloud provider.

Currently, Fred works as the Global Field CISO for Check Point Software Technologies, responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In this role, he acts as the trusted cybersecurity advisor for C-executives with a focus on Defense and Critical Infrastructure.

Besides several industry certifications, Fred holds an Executive Master of Security & Defense (EMSD) of the Netherlands Staff College and a Bachelor (Bc.) title of the University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam.