As RSAC conference week kicks off in San Francisco next week, a quieter, more focused event is capturing the attention of cybersecurity’s top brass. Launched four years ago, the Piper Sandler Cybersecurity CEO Summit is an invite-only event that gathers 500 senior leaders—CEOs, CISOs and investors—for a day of meaningful dialogue that cuts through the noise.
I sat down with Brian White, global head of technology investment banking at Piper Sandler, to learn more about the RSAC offshoot and what attendees can expect. “RSA has become a conference of conferences,” he explained. “What we felt was missing was a space where executives could truly engage with content—hear from their peers, learn from others in the industry and not just run from meeting to meeting.”
RSAC Conference remains the marquee gathering for the cybersecurity world—drawing tens of thousands of attendees and playing host to the year’s biggest product launches and keynotes. But as the event has grown, so has the appetite for more focused, content-rich side events. The Cloud Security Alliance Summit, B-Sides San Francisco and now the Piper Sandler Security CEO Summit have emerged as essential satellite conferences. These events offer niche communities—from practitioners and DevSecOps pros to boardroom decision-makers—a chance to dive deeper into the topics that matter most to them outside the buzz of the main expo floor.
A Curated Gathering for Security’s Power Players
The Piper Sandler summit is designed specifically for the decision-makers shaping the future of cybersecurity. The attendee list includes about 500 individuals, carefully split among CEOs, CISOs and top-tier investors—each group bringing a unique perspective and set of expectations to the table.
The event has earned credibility through a string of high-profile keynotes. “Year one, we had General Keith Alexander. Year two was Chuck Robbins. Then George Kurtz. This year, it’s Charlie Bell,” said White, highlighting the summit’s tradition of attracting executives with both insight and influence.
That track record has created growing demand. “We’re seeing more and more people ask to speak,” White added. “There’s a real hunger for a platform where executives can move beyond surface-level talking points.”
Key Themes for 2025
This year’s discussions are expected to gravitate around a few key topics. First, navigating a security market that remains challenging despite early-year optimism. Second, how identity has fully emerged as the new cybersecurity perimeter. And third, how AI is driving both innovation and consolidation within the industry.
“Operating in this market requires clarity and agility,” White said. “Companies can’t just sit back and wait for the tide to turn. They need to create their own destiny—whether that means focusing on profitability, finding the right acquirer or even building their own platform.”
He sees AI as a particularly disruptive force. While new AI startups are launching weekly, most won’t survive on their own. “They’re building cool features, not full companies,” he said. “They’ll either fold or get acquired—and we’re going to see a lot of AI M&A over the next year.”
On identity, the consensus is clear: the perimeter is gone. Everyone is effectively their own edge. The summit will feature several identity-focused leaders including Bob McKinnon, Matt Caulfield and Sachin Nayyar, reflecting a broader trend of investment in identity as the foundation of modern security architecture.
Charlie Bell and the Platform Debate
Kicking off this year’s event is Charlie Bell, executive vice president of security at Microsoft—a move that reflects not only Microsoft’s growing presence in the cybersecurity space but also a deeper shift in how organizations view their security stack.
“Microsoft is now the largest security vendor in the world,” said White. “Charlie brings this rare combination of having led AWS’s cloud division and now shaping Microsoft’s security vision. I’m hoping he shares how Microsoft views itself versus Google, AWS and the best-of-breed approach that’s long defined our industry.”
That question—platforms vs. best-of-breed—looms large over nearly every enterprise security decision today. “Are we seeing a shift from assembling dozens of specialized tools to adopting more integrated platforms? I think that’s a question a lot of leaders are grappling with.”
Cybersecurity’s Geopolitical Crossroads
Closing the summit are Jen Easterly, former director of CISA, and Nicole Perlroth, journalist and author of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends. Their discussion is expected to dive into the geopolitical undercurrents shaping global cybersecurity.
“It’s a fascinating way to close,” said White. “Unlike most areas in software, security remains critical because the threat is always evolving. And unlike your average market force, threat actors are often state-backed. In particular, we know China represents one of—if not the—biggest cyber threats to the U.S.”
That tension—between threat and innovation, between global competition and interdependence—will serve as a fitting end to a summit designed to elevate the discourse beyond quarterly results and product demos.
The Room That Matters
While RSA continues to grow in size and spectacle, Piper Sandler’s summit has quietly become one of the rooms that matter for those tasked with steering the industry forward. For executives who want clarity over chaos, substance over sizzle, this is where strategy happens.