Donnie Wendt

Dr. Wendt is a cybersecurity expert with over two decades of experience navigating the ever-evolving security landscape by committing to pioneering advancements in cybersecurity strategies. He is the author of "The Cybersecurity Trinity: AI, Automation, and Active Cyber Defense" and was named among the "Most Expert Leaders in Cybersecurity – 2025" by CIO Business World.

A recognized thought leader in cybersecurity, Dr. Wendt is a sought-after speaker on securing machine learning, generative AI, and security automation. He is a vCAIO at WhitegloveAI, where he leads clients in safely and securely adopting AI in alignment with their business objectives. Dr. Wendt retired from Mastercard in 2024, where he was a Principal Security Researcher. In that role, he researched the latest security innovations and threats to drive the long-term security strategy. In addition, Dr. Wendt is an adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Utica University.

Dr. Wendt's certifications include CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and AIGP (Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional). He earned a Doctorate in Computer Science with a concentration in Information Security from Colorado Technical University. He also holds a Master's in Cybersecurity from Utica University.