Profile
Brenda Gooshaw Samson is currently the director of cyber security governance and culture at Flowers Foods (think Dave’s Killer Bread, Nature’s Own, Wonder, Tastykake). This role has provided the unique, highly rewarding opportunity to build a security culture program from scratch within a 100+ year old company. Five years on, evidence of a strong culture can be seen in 65% - 75% report rates for simulated phishing, employees regularly reporting incidents to the Cyber Security Team, an annual, month-long Cyber Challenge, and fantastic executive support for the program. Brenda co-leads a robust cyber security apprentice program that gives college students a twelve-month, hands-on experience to bolster their careers upon graduation. She enjoys bringing people together and working toward common goals. She volunteers as president of an intergenerational employee resource group, is an advisory board member for Utica University, volunteers with local human services, and serves on the board of her local library. Brenda’s cyber career began over ten years ago with a position at PhishMe (now Cofense) after pivoting from roles in both public and higher education. She has a bachelor’s degree in business and holds CISM, SSAP, and CRISC certifications.