This morning, Day 3 of the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, commenced with a keynote led by Stephen Semmelroth, Vice President of Cyber Resilience at AVANT. Our own Erik Linask (News - Alert), Group Editorial Director of TMC, introduced Semmelroth to the audience before the presentation began; it was titled “Cracking the Code: Solving Trusted Advisors’ Biggest Challenges.”
While we can’t share every shred of detail from the keynote, here’s the long-story-short rundown for y’all:
“Our AVANT team travels all over the world and meets you where you are so we can best help,” Semmelroth began, “and we bring with us best-in-class strategies and solutions for today’s trusted advisors.”
For context, as my colleague Greg Tavarez wrote (given we attended the keynote together), “Trusted advisors face great challenges in maintaining their credibility and effectiveness. Two challenges involve ‘getting that lead’ as well as building and sustaining trust with clients over time; trust is fragile, and any misalignment between advice and outcomes can lead to skepticism.”
This is precisely what Semmelroth dove into. “We’re with you in the trenches,” he assured. “Heck, I was once a trusted advisor, so I know what you go through. So, how exactly do we help you get your leads?”
“Well, it’s about doing the right thing,” he said, launching into a story about his time in Afghanistan with one of his mentors, whom he called a “great leader,” describing how “five minutes with him, and you’d change.” This mentor once stood atop a hill at an outpost they’d built outside a remote farming village, the eyes of both his friends and foes upon him in equal measure, as he repeatedly refused to step behind a protective barrier. He made it clear that he had the situation under control, and that he was sending a message — there would be no turning around or going back.
“Only forward.”
That’s the energy and mindset that Semmelroth now applies to his business ventures; doing the right thing, bravely, at the right time; for trusted advisors, other business partners and beyond.
From there, Semmelroth was joined onstage by three guests: Anthony Difuria of Secureonix, Alvaro Gonzalez of Thrive, and Stacey Osenburg of Expedient.
Together, the four talked about brave business approaches, new ideas, and how to really get that lead.
“How do you do it?” Semmelroth posed to the three execs. “What right things do you bring to the table at the right time?”
“What we’re leveraging most is a combo of targeted advertising and valuable web events that cover our capabilities and how we actively resolve the most complex problems for our partners,” Gonzalez replied. “We start conversations with trusted advisors and inject real-world insights straightaway. It’s not just promotional; it’s practical. Trusted advisors then lean on our team to establish their bona fides so they can strategically solve problems while generating incremental opportunities, in tow.”
Osenburg then took the mic. “We enter the conversation with a list of pre-researched questions and high-impact stories that help us dig deeper into what matters most to people,” she said. “Their networks, keeping their accounts secure, disaster recovery plans, meaningful AI solutions, you name it.”
Semmelroth turned back to Gonzalez. “And for the lovely people in the room right now, if you had to pick one thing to tell them that they can action tomorrow, what’s your top message?”
“Talk with them about what really matters; about the problems not getting solved and what you deliver. It really can be that simple,” Gonzalez said.
“And then double down on trusted advisors’ future needs, whatever their roadmaps look like,” Dilfuria added. “If they have multi-part problems, we provide a series of multi-point solutions. WE engage their business continuity issues, the state of their resilience. We make sure they don’t get too into their own weeds or paint themselves too far into corners. We support them as we know they’d support us, together on a mission to unlock the most value.”
The remainder of the discussion touched on segment hyperfocus, asset protection specifics, data guidance and governance, designated security operations centers (SOCs), and the “biggest litmus test” for a trusted advisor, as Semmelroth put it.
“Don’t inadvertently brew a recipe for heartache,” he concluded. “Give trusted advisors and yourself the right chance to succeed, at the right time.”
The four made it clear they’re all in; they play well in the corporate sandbox, so to speak, and — when it comes to being in or out — they’re very much all in.
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Edited by
Alex Passett
