Kimberly Cheatle, the 27th Director of the U.S. Secret Service, will deliver the keynote address at the SECURITY 500 Conference in Washington, D.C. this November.

For 15 years, the SECURITY 500 Conference by Security magazine has brought together top security executives and government leaders for a day of engaging keynote presentations, panels and networking events.

In her keynote address, Secure Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Secret Service, Cheatle will share her experiences successfully executing the agency’s integrated mission of protection and investigations by leading a diverse workforce composed of more than 7,800 Special Agents, Uniformed Division Officers, Technical Law Enforcement Officers, and Administrative, Professional and Technical personnel.

Prior to her appointment, Cheatle served as Senior Director in Global Security at PepsiCo, where she was responsible for directing and implementing security protocols for the company's facilities in North America. Her role at PepsiCo involved developing risk management assessment and risk mitigation strategies.

Before joining PepsiCo, she served with distinction for 27 years in the U.S. Secret Service, most recently as Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Operations.  In this position, Cheatle managed a $133.5M budget and collaborated with ten operational divisions and the Technical Security Division to research, develop and deploy technologies that reduce risks to protectees, protected facilities and protected events.  

Prior to serving as Assistant Director, Cheatle was the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office, providing oversight for all mission related investigations, protective intelligence and protective visits in the state of Georgia.

Cheatle was appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in February 2016 as the Special Agent in Charge of the James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC). There, she directed and coordinated all aspects of training and career development for the organization, later serving as the Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Training.  

Prior to her SES appointment, Cheatle was the Special Agent in Charge, Office of Strategic Planning and Policy, where she developed and deployed an innovative web-based communication platform designed to promote open and transparent communication within the organization.

The 16th annual SECURITY 500 Conference will unite high-level security executives and their direct reports in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 2023. This one-day leadership conference is free to attend, and attendees are limited to security executives, senior management and their direct reports in both private and public sectors.

Read the full conference agenda to discover our full list of expert security speakers and register for the SECURITY 500 Conference today!