Laurie Pezzente

A champion for women and girls in cybersecurity, Laurie Pezzente is RBC’s Senior Vice-President and Chief Security Officer of Global Security. Through her leadership, RBC became a founding partner of TMU’s Cybersecure Catalyst, forging a collaboration among academia, government, and industry to address critical cybersecurity challenges. Laurie has been instrumental in shaping training initiatives and expanding access to cybersecurity careers through the Catalyst, influencing a whole generation of cybersecurity professionals in Canada. With over 35 years of experience in IT, her knowledge, authenticity, and standard of excellence continue to pave pathways for underrepresented groups in cyber. Laurie has been honoured as one of “Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women” by the Women’s Executive Network (2018), “Top Women in Cyber Security” by IT World Canada (2020), and “Top Women in Cyber” by Deloitte (2023).