Featured Speaker(s)

Sue Carenbauer is currently the Senior Director of eCommerce Product Management & Technology at Giant Eagle Inc. In this position, Sue has responsibility for bringing engaging customer experiences to life across Giant Eagle's web and mobile platforms, while supporting the uniqueness of Giant Eagle's individual formats and business strategies.

Prior to joining the eCommerce team at Giant Eagle, Sue has worked across a variety of Supply Chain, Technology, Customer Loyalty, and Change Management roles.

Sue is a lifelong Pittsburgher and resides in Oakmont with her husband and two children. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Business Logistics.

Leona Mitchell is a Professor of Practice at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information. She brings with her 30+ years of business, entrepreneurial, technical, sales, and leadership expertise. Leona began her career at IBM in Pittsburgh as a Systems Engineer. During her IBM tenure, she held various executive leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, Project Management, Channel Management and Sales Transformation.

In 2014, Leona was the recipient of CRN's "2014 Women of the Channel Award" that recognizes the top female IT channel executives for their expertise, vision and impact to the industry.

Leona received the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences in recognition of her professional and personal achievements in the field of information technology.

Leona is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (MSIS). She has served as a guest lecturer for the University of Pittsburgh, as a member of the School of Information Sciences Board of Visitors, and as an Industry Advisory Council member.

Julie Prough is Director of Enterprise Data Quality at UPMC. She joined UPMC in April 1989 and has held a variety of positions in their Human Resources and Information Technology Departments. She began her IT efforts in the mid-90s as a business analyst with the implementation of the UPMC's Peoplesoft HR and Finance platforms and moved into project management during its late 90s merger and acquisition phase. In 2000, she moved over to co-lead their Patient Matching/ID Management efforts with the UPMC's Enterprise Master Person Index (EMPI) implementation in support of the organization's Electronic Medical Records program efforts. Since then, she has had exposure to most parts of the organization (Health Plan, Urgent Care efforts, Cancer Centers, etc.) as the UPMC has expanded its applications/toolset & Identity Matching strategy.

In 2012, she moved into her present role as Director of Enterprise Data Quality overseeing the ID management and Clinical data quality teams, EMPI and Microsoft Dynamics CRM in addition to other duties/efforts. In this capacity, her primary responsibility is to act as a change agent and liaison to divisions within the UPMC, ensuring the smooth and timely identification/coordination and remediation of the enterprise's data quality challenges, target process improvement opportunities and grow the patient matching/ID management strategy in support of the UPMC's diverse and growing Health Plan member and patient populations.

Julie received a bachelor's degree in business with a minor in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She also received her MBA, with a concentration in leadership, from the University of Pittsburgh. She is the current chair of the UPMC's Women in IT �" External Outreach Subcommittee whose efforts include inspiring and supporting the technological creativity of middle and high school girls to equipping women re-entering the workforce with resources to find employment in healthcare IT.
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Since 2007, Audrey Russo has served the technology business sector for southwestern PA as President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council (www.pghtech.org), the oldest (1983) and largest technology trade association. In this role, Russo facilitates strong interaction across all sectors of the regional economy. With a background in information technology, operations and finance, Russo previously worked for large multi-national Fortune 500 companies (Alcoa, Reynolds Metals), as well as at MAYA Design, and in an adjunct faculty and project role at Virginia Commonwealth University. She loves the complexity of Pittsburgh's physical, literal and metaphorical terrain and believes the city will succeed and grow through technology innovation and commercialized disruptions across every platform and experience. Pittsburgh's technology roots are essential and imperative in achieving competitive, diverse and vibrant economies.

Russo earned her Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University. She also has a Master's in Public Administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Public Affairs.

Russo is a previous Board Chair for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, as well as serving as a board member of the following organizations; Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC), Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Pittsburgh, CityLab, Highmark Business Advisory Board, and the Power of 32. Russo also co-hosts TechVibe Radio every Friday at 7pm on KDKA 1020 AM or FM 93.7 HD2 to explore technology companies and entrepreneurial issues. She also serves as the President of the newly formed nonprofit Fortyx80 which serves to ensure that Pittsburgh's vitality will be sustained through education for entrepreneurs, education for the next generation of the economy and development of newer collisions of innovation.

Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis
Barbara Lazarus Professor in Information Networking
Director, Information Networking Institute
Founding Director, Education, Training and Outreach, CyLab
Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis has led Carnegie Mellon University's Information Networking Institute (INI) as director since 2004. Her efforts have prepared the next generation of information networking, security and mobility professionals. She joined the university in 2000, serving first as the INI's associate director in 2002 before assuming the role of director in 2004.

A student advocate and mentor of women in technology, Dena is passionate about increasing diversity in STEM fields. In 2005, she co-founded the student organization, Women@INI (WINI), to address the unique challenges faced by women in the male-dominated field of engineering. 

Dena led efforts in Carnegie Mellon attaining three distinct federal designations as a National Center of Academic Excellence for its merits in information assurance and cyber defense, research and cyber operations. Through these efforts, Dena is the principal investigator on the National Science Foundation (NSF) CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) and the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP) and has been awarded approximately $28M in federal scholarships under these programs for students who serve our nation.

Currently, Dena is a member of the American College of Greece Board of Trustees. She also serves on the board of advisors for the RSA Conference, Executive Women's Forum, RedMarlin, Inc. and the Norfolk State University Information Assurance Research, Education and Development Institute. For her achievements in information security and education, Dena was named 2018 Woman in IT Security Power Player by SC Magazine and received the 2008 Women of Influence Award, presented by Alta Associates and CSO Magazine. Carnegie Mellon honored Dena with the 2012 Barbara Lazarus Award for Graduate Student and Junior Faculty Mentoring and in 2017, she was named as the first recipient of the endowed Barbara Lazarus Professorship in Information Networking at Carnegie Mellon.

Terry O'Leary
Executive Vice President
Randstad Technologies

Terry O'Leary is the Executive Vice President of Randstad Technologies, one of the largest providers of technology talent and solutions in the U.S. Terry oversees the company's Northeast region, a $243M book of business comprised of over 12 local branches. His long tenure spans 20 years with Randstad Technologies moving up the ranks from Branch manager to Regional Managing Director and Vice President and he is thrilled to be moderating the kickoff WITI Pittsburgh network kickoff event.