Theresa Payton is a trailblazer in technology strategy, cybersecurity, and AI governance, having made history as the first woman to serve as White House Chief Information Officer under President George W. Bush. A U.S. patent holder in cybersecurity, she founded Fortalice Solutions in 2009, where she serves as CEO leading engagements in AI risk management, offensive security, red teaming, board advisory, and digital protection for high-value assets and national security events. She sits on the Boards of Directors for Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and SMBC Americas Division, bringing deep governance, risk oversight, and digital transformation expertise to corporate boardrooms.

Recognizing early the strategic risk and oversight gaps in corporate AI deployment, Payton and her team engineered the TRUST™ Framework (Transparency, Resilience, Upholding Accountability, Stakeholder-Centered Ethics, and Test & Adapt). Designed to bridge the gap between regulatory intent and operational execution, TRUST™ provides boards and C-suite leaders with a defensible, battle-tested blueprint to securely scale AI while maintaining strict risk, compliance, and governance controls. Fortalice actively briefs this framework to regulators in Washington, D.C., helping shape practical governance standards for modern enterprise risk management.