Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Merisa Lee (Okta (former), US), Brooke Pearson (Alphasense, US), Melanie Ensign (Discernible, US)
Most incident response plans are designed for disasters, but these comprehensive frameworks often gather dust until a crisis strikes. Security incidents aren't rare catastrophes; they’re daily realities that occasionally escalate. This creates a dangerous paradox: IR plans that only activate once the business panics can become self‑fulfilling prophecies, broadcasting chaos through sudden behavioral changes and leaving teams unprepared.
This panel reunites four leaders who forged their IR philosophy in the trenches at Uber and have since operationalized it at Okta, Google, Cisco Meraki, and across Web3 security. We’ll share hard‑won lessons on embedding incident‑response methodologies into daily operations so teams practice constantly, build organizational trust before crises hit, and establish decision‑making authority in advance.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to collapse the distance between daily ops and incident response, turning resilience from an aspiration into organizational muscle memory.
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Merisa Lee is a seasoned security professional with over 27 years of experience in technology, including more than 15 years in cybersecurity. She has served as an engineer, people manager, and technical program manager, leading defensive operations and major incident response efforts at global companies such as Amazon, Meta, Cisco Meraki, DoorDash, Uber, Dell, and Okta.
Merisa specializes in building sustainable security programs, developing confident and empathetic leaders, and improving communication between security teams and executive stakeholders. Her experience across technical and leadership roles has shaped her practical approach to managing crises, fostering psychological safety, and guiding organizations toward long-term operational resilience.
Brooke Pearson is a Security TPM Director at Alphasense focused on adaptive security strategy, cross-functional risk management, and improving organizational response capabilities. Her background spans security and privacy incident response, operational resilience, and large-scale coordination across global teams. Brooke frequently works at the intersection of engineering, policy, and human factors, and has a strong interest in building trust, shaping governance, and aligning diverse teams during high-pressure events.
Melanie Ensign is a renowned communications strategist specializing in security, privacy, and risk. As founder and CEO of Discernible, she advises some of the world’s most recognized brands on incident communication, stakeholder trust, and organizational transparency. Previously, Melanie led global security, privacy, and engineering communications at Uber and served in key security communication roles at Facebook and AT&T. She brings deep expertise in navigating high-impact incidents, communicating uncertainty responsibly, and guiding executives through complex security crises.
Merisa Lee (Okta (former), US), Brooke Pearson (Alphasense, US), Melanie Ensign (Discernible, US)
Most incident response plans are designed for disasters, but these comprehensive frameworks often gather dust until a crisis strikes. Security incidents aren't rare catastrophes; they’re daily realities that occasionally escalate. This creates a dangerous paradox: IR plans that only activate once the business panics can become self‑fulfilling prophecies, broadcasting chaos through sudden behavioral changes and leaving teams unprepared.
This panel reunites four leaders who forged their IR philosophy in the trenches at Uber and have since operationalized it at Okta, Google, Cisco Meraki, and across Web3 security. We’ll share hard‑won lessons on embedding incident‑response methodologies into daily operations so teams practice constantly, build organizational trust before crises hit, and establish decision‑making authority in advance.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to collapse the distance between daily ops and incident response, turning resilience from an aspiration into organizational muscle memory.
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Merisa Lee is a seasoned security professional with over 27 years of experience in technology, including more than 15 years in cybersecurity. She has served as an engineer, people manager, and technical program manager, leading defensive operations and major incident response efforts at global companies such as Amazon, Meta, Cisco Meraki, DoorDash, Uber, Dell, and Okta.
Merisa specializes in building sustainable security programs, developing confident and empathetic leaders, and improving communication between security teams and executive stakeholders. Her experience across technical and leadership roles has shaped her practical approach to managing crises, fostering psychological safety, and guiding organizations toward long-term operational resilience.
Brooke Pearson is a Security TPM Director at Alphasense focused on adaptive security strategy, cross-functional risk management, and improving organizational response capabilities. Her background spans security and privacy incident response, operational resilience, and large-scale coordination across global teams. Brooke frequently works at the intersection of engineering, policy, and human factors, and has a strong interest in building trust, shaping governance, and aligning diverse teams during high-pressure events.
Melanie Ensign is a renowned communications strategist specializing in security, privacy, and risk. As founder and CEO of Discernible, she advises some of the world’s most recognized brands on incident communication, stakeholder trust, and organizational transparency. Previously, Melanie led global security, privacy, and engineering communications at Uber and served in key security communication roles at Facebook and AT&T. She brings deep expertise in navigating high-impact incidents, communicating uncertainty responsibly, and guiding executives through complex security crises.
