Our Everforth Apex Panelists/Speakers are all seasoned PCI experts with extensive experience guiding organizations through PCI compliance and risk management.

As Everforth Apex's Director of Cybersecurity Solutions, Amiel De Guzman delivers specialized expertise in GRC and cybersecurity advisory consulting encompassing security strategy, governance, risk management, compliance, internal controls, and technological solutions. Amiel is a strategic thought leader with over 25 years of IT Security experience in the areas of Incident Management, Vulnerability, Risk, and Vendor Management Program, Security Gap Analysis, PCI DSS Assessments and Remediation, Penetration Testing, Regulatory and Compliance Initiatives (SOX, GLBA, HIPAA, HITRUST, HITECH, FFIEC CAT, NIST CSF, ISO27001, 27002, GDPR, CCPA). Previous roles have included Cyber Security and IT Leadership, including a CISO for various organizations including a large children’s hospital in northeast Ohio, a drugstore chain based in Pennsylvania, and an organization based in Florida responsible for servicing and managing Walt Disney World Resort. Amiel has extensive experience in GRC and working with C-level executives and the Board to define cybersecurity strategies and establish risk-driven cybersecurity programs.

Armand Hernandez is a cybersecurity, privacy, and risk executive with 18+ years of experience leading enterprise security and compliance programs across highly regulated industries. A former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and seasoned vCISO, he has guided high‑profile global organizations in Healthcare, Utilities, Restaurants, Retail, and Manufacturing, designing pragmatic strategies that align security outcomes with business objectives. Armand’s expertise spans end‑to‑end program leadership—from governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) and privacy engineering to incident response, third‑party risk, and security architecture. He is adept at translating complex regulatory obligations into actionable controls and measurable results, with hands‑on proficiency across PCI, CMMC, HIPAA/HITRUST, FFIEC, GLBA, NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and SOX. Armand holds a comprehensive suite of industry credentials, including PCI QSA, PCIP, CCISO, CISSP, CISM, CIPM, CDPSE, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor, FAIR, CEH, and CHFI. His leadership style blends strategic vision with operational discipline, enabling organizations to meet regulatory demands, strengthen trust, and advance enterprise resilience.

Larry Boettger is an accomplished information technology and cybersecurity strategic leader and architect with more than 30 years of experience driving security initiatives across diverse industries. Larry has served as a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), security assessor/auditor, and cyber architect for organizations in healthcare, financial services, retail, and critical infrastructure sectors. His expertise spans a wide range of cybersecurity regulations and standards, including PCI, CMMC, HIPAA/HITRUST, FFIEC, GLBA, NIST, ISO 27001, SOX, and state-level privacy rules and regulations. Larry is recognized for his ability to design and implement robust security frameworks that align with compliance requirements while enabling business agility. Larry holds industry-leading certifications, including CISSP, CISA, and PCI QSA, underscoring his commitment to excellence and deep technical proficiency in information security.

As a leader at Everforth Apex, Ryan Meglathery leverages his extensive experience in information and cyber security to deliver subject matter expertise, strategic advisory and execution, and business/security integration. He ensures seamless integration of security solutions in business operations, helping clients meet compliance requirements, reduce or eliminate risk, and enhance enterprise security ensuring that solutions support business objectives and goals. Ryan supports clients with specialized expertise in vendor/third-party risk management, process automation and improvement, governance, risk, compliance (GRC), auditing and security assessments. Ryan’s experience spans multiple industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, and state and local government. He has served as both a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and a fractional CISO across various organizations at various organizations in these sectors. In his roles as a consultant and security leader, Ryan has led the development and revitalization of security programs, pioneered methodologies and tools for implementing, auditing, and assessing security measures and programs, and delivered executive briefings to boards of directors and other c-level executives. Ryan has been a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) for over 20 years, holds an MBA, is a PCI Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and a HITRUST assessor.