Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Keynote speaker

Sara Schmidt
SVP, Chief Information Security Officer at US Foods

In her nearly 20-year career in Information Security, Sara Schmidt has established her reputation as an inclusive, proactive leader focused on delivering the highest-value security outcomes for business partners. In her current role, Schmidt serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at US Foods, where she leads the organization’s cyber defense strategy, responsible for ensuring the information and cybersecurity of the organization’s systems, processes and people.

Schmidt began her career as a cryptography analyst with the National Security Agency (NSA), learning best practices and tactics to be an effective hacker and defender. After eight years with the NSA, she transitioned for the first time into the private sector, joining PerrigoCompany in 2011. She later joined Farmers Insurance, where she was promoted to CISO in 2019. During her tenure there, Schmidt helped the company transition to a security-minded organization with a focus on risk reduction and data privacy. She then joined US Foods in 2022.

Schmidt is passionate about advocating for women in Innovation and Technology, especially Information Security. She co-founded the Farmers Insurance Women in Cyber Security affiliate program and mentors through the Council of Women in Technology. She also engages in Summer STEM programs, where she encourages youth to develop the skills for advancement in the IT industry.

Schmidt holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and a Master of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University.

Beyond work life, Schmidt is a busy mother to four kids, ages ranging from 6 to 16 years old. She is also an avid fan of professional cycling and a reader of historical fiction and sci-fi books.  

(Open to current students and faculty/staff)  

Updating your social media for cybersecurity jobs or internships? Get your free professional headshot. 

When: October 17 | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Donald W. Maine College of Business on the W.A. Lettinga campus

No appointment necessary!

Explore the program, learn about scholarships you qualify for and the admissions process.

When: October 17 | 4:00 pm
Where: Virtual

Save your seat

Walk through the common denominators among schools that lead the pack in cybersecurity education. 

What do you think of when you hear the words "corporate cybersecurity"? Many think an organization’s cybersecurity is handled by a room full of frazzled anti-social IT wizards who hover over laptops in a dimly lit room. The truth is, today’s cybersecurity could not be more different. 

There are 310,000+ job openings in cybersecurity in the United States. Learn more about cyber jobs and what you can expect in the future. 

A woman in her 50s reimagines her career opportunities with a new degree in cyber defense and a guaranteed job with the federal government.