The Ontic Connected Intelligence Podcast

What gives corporate security lasting influence: the responsibilities it owns or the decisions it helps shape? Rachel Briggs, CEO of The Clarity Factory, joins Manish Mehta to unpack insights from the CSO Annual Survey and explore security’s evolving role as an enterprise integrator. They discuss why sustained influence requires more than access to the CEO, and how participation in cross-functional decision-making can strengthen security’s contribution. Rachel explains how to move beyond activity counts to meaningful KPIs and deliver intelligence built around business needs. The conversation also explores practical approaches to stakeholder engagement, multidisciplinary talent, and communicating security’s value in plain language.
You'll learn
• How to build lasting influence through cross-functional collaboration
• How to connect security metrics and intelligence to business decisions
• How to develop multidisciplinary security talent through broader recruiting and internal mobility
Download the 2026 Annual CSO Survey.
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More data and more technology don’t automatically translate into better security decisions. Host Manish Mehta speaks with Bill Udell, CEO of Control Risks, and Luke Quanstrom, CEO and Co-founder of Ontic, about why technology and human expertise must work together to turn intelligence into action. They explore how disconnected systems and organizational silos slow decision-making, and why AI needs human judgment and a more complete picture of risk. The conversation also examines the convergence of physical and digital risks, rising expectations for security teams, and the growing importance of AI fluency. Throughout the discussion, they connect these changes to a larger challenge: translating security insights into business-relevant decisions that resonate with the C-suite and board.
You'll learn:
• Why better security requires technology and human expertise working together
• How disconnected systems limit AI insights and slow decisions
• Which skills security teams need as physical and digital risks converge
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Keeping a major event safe means protecting more than the stadium. Robert Gummer, Deputy Chief of Emergency Management and Security at LA Metro, joins Fred Burton to discuss lessons from the World Cup and how they’re informing preparations for the 2028 Olympics. He shares how integrating security across business units and strengthening partner relationships helped support safe transportation and fan events. The conversation explores how teams cut through threat-reporting noise, prioritize resources across transit hubs and fan zones, and connect intelligence to operational decisions. Looking ahead to the Olympics and Paralympics, Gummer explains why security deployments must become more flexible as the event footprint expands.

You'll learn:

Scale event security beyond stadiums to transit hubs and fan zones
Build the partnerships and coordination that major events demand
Use actionable intelligence to prioritize event security resources

Learn more about Connected Intelligence for the public sector here.

Cyber threats don’t stay online—and insider threats don’t stop at the employee roster. Former FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate joins Fred Burton to explore what these shifting boundaries mean for corporate security. Drawing on nearly three decades at the FBI and his advisory work at FTI Consulting, Paul discusses cyber-physical convergence, the expanding scope of insider threats, and the importance of connecting intelligence across teams. He shares why building trusted relationships before a crisis, getting security fundamentals right, and turning information into action are essential to protecting people and organizations.

Listeners will:

• Learn how compromised systems, exposed personal information, and online surveillance can turn digital threats into real-world harm

• Understand how remote work, contractors, and supply chain partners are expanding insider risk beyond the traditional employee model

• Explore how collaboration across security, human resources, legal, and leadership helps teams connect intelligence and take preventive action

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Protection is most effective when it enables the mission rather than simply restricting it. In this episode, Fred Burton speaks with Jonathan Wackrow, managing director of Sentinel Resource Group, former U.S. Secret Service special agent, CNN law enforcement analyst, and co-author of The Protector’s Edge. Drawing on his experience with the Presidential Protective Division, Jonathan explains how leaders make consequential decisions with imperfect information, adapt plans as threat conditions change, and establish clear thresholds before a crisis. He also explores the shift from tactical protection to strategic leadership, including the importance of trust, cross-functional coordination, and understanding the principal’s objectives. The conversation closes with a powerful view of Connected Intelligence as the link between people, functions, context, and decisions that creates real decision advantage.
You'll learn:
• How protective leaders make consequential decisions with imperfect information
• Why adaptability, predefined thresholds, and trusted relationships matter in volatile environments
• How Connected Intelligence turns siloed information into decision advantage
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