March TASK: The Cyber Hiring Pipeline - Who Gets Hired, and Why
Breaking into cybersecurity isn’t just about skills - it’s about understanding the system that decides which skills matter.
Join TASK this March for an evening of panels exploring how educators, hiring managers, and recruiters actually evaluate and select cyber talent.
Live and in-person at TMU + Live-Streamed on Discord
Date: Wednesday, March 25th, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
In-PersonLocation: DCC #208 Classroom at TMU'sDaphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex - 288 Church Street
Registration: Not required
Live-Stream: Although TASK is always best in-person, we will steam live again on Discord @ https://discord.gg/aXfY76xgVJ.
Panel 1: Educators - Shaping Cyber Talent at the Source
Cybersecurity careers don’t begin at the job posting - they begin in training programs, certifications, and projects where foundational skills are formed, and core principles are instilled.
From certifications to hands-on labs to academic theory, this panel explores how educators design programs, select curricula, and shape early signals of “qualified” talent—and where gaps exist between education and industry expectations.
Panelists:
Rob Chaykoski is a cybersecurity and information technology expert with over 25 years of experience across enterprise and small-to-midsize environments. His work spans cloud and on-premises architecture, engineering, and advanced analytics, supporting data-driven decision-making through the use of Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Rob is also an artificial intelligence researcher, educator, and mentor, collaborating with organizations to develop responsible, security-focused approaches to emerging technologies. His expertise includes the deployment and optimization of SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and cloud-native applications.
He specializes in compliance and regulatory frameworks, with a focus on implementing modern security models such as Zero Trust and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), along with Data Governance and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) initiatives to strengthen organizational resilience.
Panel 2: Hiring Managers - The Decision Behind the Offer
What separates candidates who get interviews from those who get offers? Hiring managers sit at the point where risk, performance, and team fit converge - and their decisions shape who ultimately enters the industry.
This panel breaks down how candidates are evaluated beyond the resume: what signals matter, how trade-offs are made, and what differentiates a strong candidate from a forgettable one in a competitive cybersecurity market.
Panelists:
Ciara P. is a communications professional within the Government of Canada, working at the intersection of public engagement and cyber security.
She began her career at Canada’s signals intelligence and cybersecurity agency, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), where she led creative content strategy for the organization’s social media channels.
Today, Ciara serves as a critical infrastructure ambassador at the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). In this role, she works with organizations across sectors to help them understand and use the CCCS’s cybersecurity guidance, products, and services.
Beyond her formal role, Ciara helped guide CSE’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) through a pivotal post-pandemic transition, supporting early-career public servants as they navigated burnout, impostor syndrome, and the realities of hybrid work.
Ciara is passionate about mentoring students and early-career professionals to find meaningful paths into public service, cyber security, and the intelligence community.
Rod Hynes is a strategic information security leader with nearly 25 years of experience advancing enterprise-wide security initiatives that protect critical assets and support business resilience. As Director of Information Security, he leads Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), security awareness programs, and identity governance, while also overseeing data governance, personnel security, and insider threat mitigation.
Rod works closely with government agencies and industry bodies to align organizational security practices with evolving regulatory requirements and industry standards. His expertise spans cybersecurity strategy and architecture, risk-based planning, and executive communication, enabling him to bridge technical priorities with business objectives.
He is committed to fostering a strong culture of security, championing initiatives that build organizational trust, empower teams, and drive innovation in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Panel 3: Recruiters - Connecting Talent to Opportunity
Between talent and opportunity sits a layer many candidates underestimate: recruiters. They are the ones navigating the market, sourcing candidates, and determining who gets seen - and who doesn’t.
This panel explores how recruiters interpret hiring needs, filter candidates, and move talent through the system. Learn how positioning, timing, and visibility influence outcomes—and how to better navigate this often opaque part of the hiring process.
Panelists:
Andre Tehrani is the Founder and CEO of Recrewmint, a cybersecurity executive search and recruitment firm focused on helping organizations hire and build high-impact security teams. Over the past decade, he has worked with startups, consulting firms, and enterprise organizations to recruit cybersecurity professionals ranging from senior engineers to Chief Information Security Officers.
Through his work, Andre has interviewed thousands of cybersecurity professionals and advises companies on what truly differentiates candidates in competitive hiring processes, where technical expertise, leadership ability, and sound judgment matter most. His perspective focuses on how security careers evolve, how organizations identify leadership potential, and how cybersecurity teams are intentionally built as companies scale.
Colin Rose is the Managing Director at Intercast Global, a niche staffing and recruitment firm specializing in cybersecurity, with additional expertise in Networking, IT, Data, and AI. Headquartered in Toronto, Intercast serves clients across Canada and the United States.
Colin has been with Intercast Global for eight years, progressing from Recruiter to Account Manager, and now to Managing Director. In his current role, he oversees the recruitment team, daily operations, and key client accounts. During his tenure, the firm has more than doubled in size and achieved revenue growth of 853% between 2018 and 2025.
He is based in Oshawa, where he lives with his wife, Logan, and their dog, Murphy. Outside of work, he enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee.
We look forward to see you all there!
The TASK Steering Committee
