Collegiate Conference at NYU

Chloe Demrovsky is a globally-recognized, award-winning expert in risk and resilience and serves as the youngest and first female President and CEO of Disaster Recovery Institute International. She is a senior Forbes contributor, has been interviewed on all the major TV news networks, and has served as a source for The Associated Press, BBC, USA Today, The Financial Times, ABC News, and others. She has presented at 150+ events across five continents and briefed government bodies including the US Congress, the European Commission, and was a member of the Business and Industry Delegation for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. She is a professor at NYU and the first Executive in Residence in the Global Affairs Master’s Program Global Economy Concentration, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Crain’s New York 2023 Notable Leader in Sustainability, a US-Japan Foundation Scott M. Johnson Fellow, a French-American Foundation 2019-22 Young Leader, a British-American Project Fellow, and a Board Director for DRI Foundation, Bard College at Simon's Rock Board (Vice-Chair), the French-American Foundation, Plastic Omnium, and formerly for United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) ARISE. She speaks four languages, has traveled to 50+ countries and lives in New York with her husband and son.

Kelly McKinney, CBCP, Assistant Vice President of Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience, NYU Langone Health As the former Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Office of Emergency Management and Chief Disaster Officer for the American Red Cross in Greater New York, Kelly McKinney has had a leadership role in every major disaster in New York City for more than 20 years, from the 9/11 attacks to Superstorm Sandy to Covid-19. He teaches crisis management at NYU and was recently appointed to FEMA's National Advisory Council. Nationally known for his writing and speaking on the principles and practice of disaster management, he is the author of "Moment of Truth, the Nature of Catastrophes and How to Prepare for Them." He is a professional engineer with a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas and an MPA from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Rouz Hashemi is a DRI Cyber Resilience Instructor as well as a Senior Manager at Accenture leading the Cyber Attack Resilience practice. He specializes in secure architecture, cyber resilience, ransomware resilience, and risk management. Hashemi has over 10 years’ experience working in the risk management, physical/asset security, business continuity, cloud operations, and crisis management spaces across a multitude of industries such as healthcare, utilities, finance, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. Hashemi holds a Bachelors of Science in Biology from George Mason University, a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Masters in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a DRI-Certified Cyber Resilience Professional (CCRP), a DRI-Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) as well as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). He holds the SABSA Chartered Security Architect – Foundation Certificate.

Panel Discussion: Emerging Technology – Opportunities and Threats

Moderator: Dr. Christopher Ankersen, Clinical Professor and Interim Academic Director of the MS in Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs. This panel discussion will explore the impact of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain, on critical infrastructure, transnational security, and disinformation. The panelists will discuss the potential benefits and risks of these technologies, as well as the challenges of mitigating their negative impacts. 

Prior to joining NYU, Dr. Christopher Ankersen worked at the United Nations from 2005 to 2017. He held a number of posts, including that of Security Advisor for the United Nations system in Thailand, as well as other appointments at the UN Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; the UN Offices in Geneva and Vienna; and at the Department of Safety and Security in New York. He has taught at the LSE, the London Centre for International Relations, King’s College London, Carleton University, the Royal Military College of Canada, the Harvard Extension School, the University of Victoria, and the University of Pireas in Athens, Greece. He has lectured at staff colleges in Canada, Australia, and Denmark.

About DRI International

Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) is the nonprofit that helps organizations around the world prepare for and recover from disasters by providing education, accreditation, and thought leadership in business continuity and related fields. Founded in 1988, DRI has certified 20,000+ resilience professionals in 110+ countries and at 95 percent of Fortune 100 companies. DRI offers 15 individual certifications, including the globally-recognized CBCP certification, and certifies resilient enterprises. DRI offers training programs with specialties in multiple languages, continuing education, an annual conference, and supports charitable activities through the DRI Foundation. DRI is an ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization, an ISO/TC 292 Liaison, a NICCS Training Provider, a UNDRR ARISE Partner, and is recognized by the U.S. Federal Government via the Montgomery GI Bill and the GSA Schedule.