ProActive CxOs | The Hackers Meetup Vadodara - 22 February 2026
PROACTIVE CXOs CYBER LEADERSHIP FORUM
Date: 22 February 2026
Location: Vadodara, Gujarat
Duration: 4 hours
Format: Closed-door, invite-led, moderated
Purpose Cybersecurity in 2026 is a leadership and decision-making problem, not just a technical one. This forum is designed to bring CXOs, security leaders, hackers, founders, and a limited number of curated students into one room to discuss how cyber decisions are made under real pressure.
This is not a conference. This is not a sales or networking event. This is a working forum focused on outcomes.
KEY THEMES
Cyber Resilience – Moving from prevention to survival and recovery – Operating the business during ransomware or data breach – What resilience actually means at the board level
DPDPA Implementation (India) – Translating law into operational controls – Board, CXO, and personal accountability – Readiness gaps across enterprises and startups
GRC for Tech Startups and Scale-ups – Building governance without slowing growth – Investor, customer, and regulatory expectations – Practical GRC frameworks for early and growth stages
Personal Security in the Era of Cyber Warfare – CXOs and founders as direct targets – Digital identity, reputation, and privacy risks – Personal cyber hygiene beyond corporate security
AI Governance and Responsible Use – AI-driven threats and misuse – Governance, oversight, and accountability – Decision transparency and risk ownership
TENTATIVE AGENDA AND SESSION SCHEDULE
Tentative plan
Proactive CXOs Meetup| The hackers meetup Vadodara 2026
Theme: Cyber Leadership Matters
Date: 22 February 2026
Time: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Capex -50 Industry leaders and delegates from gujrat
9:30 – 9:50 | Registration & Networking
Check-in and informal introductions
Setting the tone for a closed, peer-driven forum
9:50 – 10:00 | Saraswati Vandana
Invocation for wisdom, clarity, and responsible leadership
10:00 – 10:15 | Welcome, Introductions & Theme Setting
Welcome note from organizers
Introduction of participants
Framing the theme: Why cyber leadership—not tools—defines outcomes
10:15 – 10:30 | Cyber News Bytes & Reality Check
Top 5–6 recent cyber incidents and leadership failures/successes
What boards missed vs. what leaders did right
Setting context for the sessions ahead
10:30 – 11:00 | Session 1 – Cyber Leadership at the Board Level
Focus: Decision-making under uncertainty
Role of CXOs during cyber crises
Accountability, ownership, and escalation paths
From compliance-driven security to leadership-driven resilience
11:00 – 11:30 | Session 2 – Leadership in the Age of AI & Regulation
Focus: Judgment over automation
AI risk, trust, and governance responsibilities
DPDPA readiness as a leadership issue, not an IT task
Aligning innovation, ethics, and business velocity
11:30 – 11:40 | Break
Informal discussions and peer interactions
11:40 – 12:20 | Panel Discussion – “When Cyber Becomes a Leadership Test”
Real-world experiences from CXOs and security leaders
Crisis moments, tough trade-offs, and lessons learned
Audience-driven questions and challenges
12:20 – 1:00 | Group Discussion & Debate
Format: Small groups + open floor
“Who owns cyber risk: CIO, CISO, CEO, or Board?”
“Is your organization truly breach-ready?”
Capturing diverse leadership perspectives
1:00 – 1:15 | Vote of Thanks & Future Direction
Key takeaways from the day
Announcements for upcoming Proactive CXO initiatives
Call to action for community-driven leadership
1:15 – 1:30 | Networking & Peer Connect
Open conversations
Relationship building beyond the conversation
Bytes (January 2026 Edition) – Recent breaches, AI misuse, ransomware trends – Regulatory and enforcement developments
01:00 – 01:45 Live Tabletop Exercise (CXO-Led) – Ransomware and data breach scenario – Business, legal, operational, and reputational decisions
01:45 – 02:00 Tabletop Debrief – What failed, what worked, key leadership gaps
02:00 – 02:30 Group Discussion and Debate Battle – CXO vs Hacker perspectives – Topics covering DPDPA, AI governance, and resilience
02:30 – 03:
PARTICIPATION
– Invite-led and approval-based registration – Strict no-sales, no-recruitment policy – Chatham House Rule applies – Students limited to 50–60, curated and moderated – Photography and recording restricted