2011 Speaker List

Val Rahmani, CEO of Damballa, has over 25 years of customer-driven business and technical leadership. Val became the CEO of Damballa in November 2009. Prior to that, she served as General Manager of IBM's Internet Security Systems (ISS) division after leading IBM's $1.3 billion acquisition of the company.

Prior to ISS, Val held several general management roles within IBM, including multi-billion dollar hardware, software and services businesses. Her IBM experience includes UNIX, mainframe, storage, green IT, business continuity and security. She led teams focused on government, telecommunications, wireless and media markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She also ran a strategy unit, where she focused on emerging markets, global alliances and services business models. Val was born in the United Kingdom and first came to the United States as Executive Assistant to Lou Gerstner, soon after he became Chairman and CEO of IBM.

Val is an accomplished speaker, keynoting security industry events such the RSA conference. Val holds an MA and a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from Oxford University in England, and is a member of the British aerobatics team. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.