Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Enterprise Security Tech Cyber Leader of the Year Awards

In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, effective cybersecurity leadership demands more than technical expertise. It requires vision, resilience, and a relentless commitment to protecting people and organizations alike. The Enterprise Security Tech Cyber Leaders of the Year awards honor the executives shaping the future of cybersecurity through innovation, advocacy, and influence.

These leaders have demonstrated outstanding achievement across key pillars: visionary leadership, industry impact, innovation, community advancement, and dedication to fostering trust within the cybersecurity ecosystem.

The 2025 Cyber Leaders of the Year are:

🏆 Rekha Shenoy – CEO, BackBox

Rekha Shenoy, CEO of BackBox, has redefined how enterprises approach network cyber resilience. With a distinguished background that includes leadership roles at Tripwire, Belden, and BMC Software, Shenoy has championed automation as the foundation of modern cybersecurity — addressing one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: overreliance on manual remediation.

Under her guidance, BackBox has achieved record-breaking growth and launched groundbreaking advancements in network automation and resilience. Shenoy is also a vocal advocate for women in cybersecurity and a recognized thought leader featured in major industry publications. With more than 25 years of experience driving innovation and leading transformative initiatives, she continues to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity executives.

🏆 Denny LeCompte – CEO, Portnox

As CEO of Portnox, Denny LeCompte exemplifies visionary, data-informed leadership that merges scientific insight with strategic execution. With a background in cognitive science, LeCompte brings an analytical approach to solving the growing complexity of network access and identity management.

Under his leadership, Portnox has expanded rapidly and secured significant new investment to accelerate innovation in cloud-native Zero Trust access solutions. His transparent and collaborative leadership style has fostered one of the most trusted and engaged company cultures in the industry — one that emphasizes openness, debate, and shared purpose. LeCompte’s approach serves as a model for leaders striving to blend authenticity with innovation in cybersecurity.

🏆 Richard Bird – Chief Security Officer, Singulr AI

Richard Bird, CSO of Singulr AI, is redefining digital trust and identity for the AI-driven era. With more than 30 years of experience — including senior leadership at global enterprises like JPMorgan Chase — Bird integrates deep technical knowledge with a people-first mindset. At Singulr AI, he has been instrumental in developing adaptive risk models and identity-centric security frameworks that scale with evolving threats.

Widely recognized as one of the industry’s most authentic voices, Bird has delivered hundreds of keynotes worldwide and contributed to leading media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNN. As a Senior Fellow at the CyberTheory Zero Trust Institute and executive member of CyberEdBoard, he mentors emerging leaders, advocates for diversity, and drives ethical innovation. His leadership continues to shape the global conversation around trust, AI, and the human element of cybersecurity.

In an era where cyber threats evolve daily, leaders like Rekha Shenoy, Denny LeCompte, and Richard Bird represent the resilience, creativity, and conviction driving the cybersecurity industry forward.

Congratulations to the 2025 Enterprise Security Tech Cyber Leaders of the Year for their extraordinary contributions to global security and innovation.