Theresa Szczurek, PhD, is a cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) expert based in Colorado. Most recently, Szczurek served as the state of Colorado’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, overseeing all IT/cybersecurity for the state. She received the first-ever Colorado CIO of the Year ORBIE Award in the public sector category for leading digital transformation in the state. As a serial technology entrepreneur and global C-level executive, Szczurek consults as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC®) through her firm Technology and Management Solutions. She helps clients implement IT/cybersecurity/AI solutions, drive market growth and profits, strengthen talent and optimize productivity. Previously, Szczurek was a Bell Labs engineer who improved systems performance, and an AT&T International product line manager who opened global markets. Szczurek has extensive board experience including at Radish Systems, Western Colorado University, and Statewide Internet Portal Authority. She is a certified board director (NACD.DC) and holds the NACD CERT Certificate in Cyber-Risk Oversight. A life-time Girl Scout and leader, Szczurek also works to attract more girls and women to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Szczurek – a native of the Chicago area – earned a PhD and MBA (both in Business Administration) from the University of Colorado Boulder; an MS in Operations Research from Stanford University; and a BS in Mathematics from Western Illinois University.