Omdia Analyst Summit at Black Hat USA

Senior Director, Cybersecurity

Maxine Holt leads the Omdia cybersecurity research group and is the lead architect of the Omdia Cybersecurity Ecosystem. Her team delivers a comprehensive cybersecurity research program to support vendors, service providers, and enterprise clients. Maxine also leads the Omdia Analyst Summit at the high-profile Black Hat event series.

Maxine has spent her entire career as an IT and security professional. She has been at Omdia since 2018, following a spell at the Information Security Forum (ISF), developing thought-leading security research for ISF members. Before ISF, Maxine spent 15 years in research at Ovum, starting her career as a software developer in the financial services industry and consulting for the financial services and internet sectors. Maxine is a regular event speaker and contributes articles to high-profile publications in cybersecurity.

Research Director, Cloud and Data Center

Vlad is responsible for the cloud and data center research practice’s expanding roadmap, focused on disruptive trends such as the shift to edge computing, the evolution of compute silicon, and the need for efficiency improvements and sustainability in the data center industry.

Vlad joined Omdia, formerly IHS Markit Technology, in 2016. He developed many of our unique, industry-leading analyses including our flagship open computing equipment research and our three-way server market reconciliation process. He’s held senior positions at Intel and Ciena, where his data-led insights served as a central input into the companies’ strategies. Key market models he developed include an in-depth analysis of telecommunications network operations costs, a PC inventory tracker, and an actionable IOT market forecast. Vlad’s work has even facilitated decision-making in the British Parliament. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and management from Aston University, UK.

Senior Principal Analyst, Digital Enterprise Services

Adam is part of Omdia’s global Digital Enterprise Services practice. He leads international research, advisory, and analysis for cybersecurity and cloud B2B services. A regular speaker at industry events and executive roundtables, Adam thrives on driving deep insight through custom engagements with clients.

Adam joined Omdia in 2020, bringing more than two decades of experience as an executive at some of the world’s largest telecoms and IT services vendors. His experience spans corporate strategy, product marketing, technical operations, market intelligence, sales, and strategic alliance roles. Adam holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and an MBA from Deakin University (both in Australia). In 2022, he was awarded the 2021 Brookes Medal for outstanding academic achievement.

Principal Analyst, Data Security

Adam Strange is responsible for delivering a comprehensive analysis and insight program focused on data security within the Omdia cybersecurity research function, supporting vendor, service provider and enterprise clients. Adam brings comprehensive experience of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a series of UK-based channel and global vendor organisations.

Adam has spent his career working in enterprise IT and cybersecurity. He joined Omdia in Feb 2023, from data classification vendor Boldon James where he ran the marketing communications function. Prior to that, Adam worked within the cybersecurity business at BAE Systems, where he specialised in managed security, fraud prevention and anti-money laundering services in UK government and the Financial Services industry. Previously, Adam spent 8 years at Oracle UK promoting secure database solutions both directly and with partners. Before Oracle, he lead the enterprise solutions marketing team at Computacenter. Adam has an MSc in corporate management from Cranfield University.

Principal Analyst

Hollie Hennessy Hollie provides insight into the fascinating and fast-moving domain of IoT cybersecurity.

Hollie has a range of experience in research. She began her career in the legal sector, writing and researching for expert witness reports on the labor market. She then moved into product testing, with a consumer protection focus. In this role, she was responsible for managing comparative tests of various technology products, as well as regular testing and investigative work into the security of these products.

She has published articles in Which?, one of the UK's largest subscription magazines, produced by the country's largest consumer organization; and Computing magazine.

Principal Analyst

Andrew supports Omdia's Cybersecurity Operations (SecOps) Intelligence Service research practice, guiding vendor, service provider, and enterprise clients. He provides thought-leading analysis on technologies, trends, and innovations in enterprise security operations centers (SOCs), and specifically on the proactive technologies used to avoid breach such as vulnerability management and attack surface management.

Andrew has been covering, researching, and speaking on topics related to enterprise information technology for approximately 20 years. Prior to joining Omdia (formerly Ovum) in 2022, Andrew spent five years at NSS Labs where he led the analyst group and worked closely with the company’s security product testing team.

Prior to NSS, Andrew spent more than a decade at GlobalData (formerly Current Analysis), where he managed the enterprise team and was the firm’s principal security analyst. Over his career, Andrew’s coverage has ranged from endpoint protection suites to network security appliances and solutions for protecting cloud-based assets.

Analyst, Cybersecurity

Elvia is an experienced analyst in Omdia’s cybersecurity team covering various market areas with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry. Her specialized coverage includes SecOps and enterprise awareness training. Elvia has been creating databases and analyzing market trends for over three years in media and entertainment, ICT, and cybersecurity.

Elvia previously served as a research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, where she researched a full range of markets in the following industries: enterprise storage, broadcasting, cinematographic cameras, VR, and 360° video. Before entering the research industry, Elvia was engaged in a variety of roles in project management, sales, and public relations.

Senior Analyst, Identity, Authentication, Access

Don Tait Don is Omdia’s Senior Analyst for the cybersecurity team, bringing more than 20 years of research, consulting, and insights experience to his role as a lead analyst in the area of identity, authentication, and access.

Don has provided analyses on smart cards, payment and banking cards, near-field communications (NFC), and contactless credentials. He has presented the findings from his reports at many events and has written feature articles on his areas of expertise for leading journals and publications. Prior to joining Omdia, Don was a telecoms research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, responsible for the firm's broadband services subscription. He was also a marketing consultant at MSI Reports Limited, where he wrote industrial, healthcare, and telecommunications reports. Don has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in business studies from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. He is based in the UK.

Practice Director, Cybersecurity

Practice Director Melinda Marks leads ESG’s analyst team focused on cybersecurity. Melinda covers technologies that help organizations scale safely while adopting faster cloud-native development cycles.

With more than 20 years of experience in technology marketing and strategy, Melinda is passionate about conveying product value and differentiation and driving revenue.

Prior to joining Enterprise Strategy Group, Melinda was chief marketing and strategy officer for Soluble, a startup focused on automating application security testing for developers (acquired by Lacework). She was also VP of Marketing at Armorblox, VP of Marketing at Styra, and head of marketing for StackRox (acquired by Red Hat). Her experience includes running competitive/market intelligence and product marketing teams at Tenable and running global communications for four years at Qualys. She also spent many years at VMware, where she built its original customer reference program, led product PR, and was on the core planning team for VMworld since its inception.

Melinda is a Synopsys Outreach Foundation board member. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley.

Principal Analyst, Network Security & Web Application Security

Principal Analyst John Grady uses his nearly 20 years of IT vendor and analyst experience to help clients identify and understand key market trends, refine their messaging, and be more successful in the marketplace.

Prior to joining Enterprise Strategy Group, John spent four years at Symantec, where he was responsible for market insights and analytics supporting product, go-to-market, and executive stakeholders.

Previously, John worked as an analyst at IDC covering network, web, and email protection and leading initial research initiatives on then-emerging areas such as advanced threat prevention and DDoS protection. As an analyst, he has also focused on infrastructure channels, advising clients on indirect go-to-market strategies.

John has written for Dark Reading and has been quoted in Network World, CSO, eWeek, CRN, Silicon Angle, ITPro, SDX, HelpNet Security, and TechTarget, among others. He holds a BA in History from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island.

Principal Analyst, Ransomware, SecOps & Services

Principal Analyst Dave Gruber helps product marketing and management leaders develop winning strategies in highly competitive markets.

Prior to joining Enterprise Strategy Group, Dave held executive leadership roles at successful endpoint and application security companies. Most recently, he was the VP of Product Marketing at Carbon Black through its IPO, and previously he was VP of Products at Black Duck Software (acquired by Synopsys) where he led product marketing and product management.

In his current analyst role, Dave researches CISOs' and security teams' most pressing needs, working together with security vendors to develop successful product and go-to-market strategies, positioning, and messaging. Building on a strong technical background with early roles in enterprise application development, Dave became interested in figuring out why some products were more successful than others, which eventually led him to senior roles in software product management and product marketing.

Dave has appeared in Cybersecurity News, SC, InfoSecurity, TechRepublic, Dark Reading, RSAC, and ITPro Today, among others. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maine in Orono.

Principal Analyst, Risk & Vulnerability Management

Principal Analyst Tyler Shields is a veteran market analyst with more than 25 years of experience in cybersecurity technologies and markets.

At Enterprise Strategy Group, Tyler helps cybersecurity vendors define their product strategies, identify market opportunities, and achieve optimal customer fit. He also leverages his extensive knowledge to guide companies in developing and positioning their cybersecurity solutions effectively. Tyler’s expertise is particularly valuable in the rapidly evolving landscape of vulnerability management, risk analysis, threat identification, and offensive security technologies.

Prior to joining ESG, Tyler held several high-profile positions in the cybersecurity sector, including Vice President of Marketing at Traceable.AI, Chief Marketing Officer at JupiterOne and Signal Sciences, and Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Sonatype. He is a respected thought leader in cybersecurity, business strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Tyler holds a Masters of Computer Science from James Madison University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor.

Principal Analyst, IAM & Data Security

Principal Analyst Todd Thiemann has over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity marketing and strategy. Todd helps clients understand emerging market trends, refine messaging, and distinguish themselves in the marketplace.

Todd has spent most of his career leading cybersecurity marketing and product marketing at category leaders including ReliaQuest, Arctic Wolf Networks, Vormetic (now Thales), Nok Nok Labs, and Trend Micro where he helped articulate compelling messaging and executed successful go-to-market strategies. He holds a BS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles.