Christian Beckner

Christian Beckner
Christian Beckner
Vice President, Retail Technology & Cybersecurity
National Retail Federation
Christian Beckner is vice president of retail technology and cybersecurity at the National Retail Federation and executive director for the NRF Center for Digital Risk & Innovation. In this role, Beckner works with policy and industry stakeholders on critical technology issues that affect the retail sector, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and fraud prevention. He leads NRF’s CIO Council, Technology Leadership Council and IT Security Council, and co-leads NRF’s AI Working Group and Fraud Prevention Professionals Working Group. He also supports the development of technology and cybersecurity-related content at NRF’s conferences, and is a frequent speaker at cybersecurity and technology-focused events.

Beckner joined NRF in 2018 as senior director of retail technology and cybersecurity. Prior to NRF, he spent five years as deputy director of The George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, a think tank where he focused on cybersecurity, counterterrorism and homeland security. He was previously an associate staff director at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he was responsible for coordination of oversight and legislation on a broad range of homeland security and intelligence issues. He has worked on cybersecurity and homeland security issues for more than 20 years, including positions at IBM, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the O’Gara Company.

Originally from Washington state, Beckner has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. He obtained a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.

Speaking in:

Tuesday
July 16
12:45 pm1:15 pm
American Express Theatre
The rapid advancements in AI technology over the past two years are leading to growth in potential AI use cases for retailers, supporting a variety of business functions. These new capabilities create tremendous opportunities to improve customer engagement and operational efficiency, but also can lead to new risks, creating the need for consistent company-wide governance. In this session, AI… Read more
Wednesday
July 17
10:00 am11:00 am
Palos Verdes Terrace
Join our handpicked group of subject matter experts to discuss future-forward ideas. With four separate opportunities to engage, NRF’s Expert-Led Think Tanks allow attendees to dive deep into a single topic or explore three different topics for a broader perspective. Join your peers and be inspired during these insightful share-and-learn “group thinks” held on Terranea’s gorgeous lawn. Topics… Read more