Canada’s telecommunications sector underpins the country’s digital economy, supporting critical infrastructure, public services, and national connectivity. As networks expand, cloud adoption accelerates, and threat activity continues to target telecom environments, cybersecurity leadership has become central to operational resilience and customer trust. The following security leaders play key roles in shaping how Canadian telecom organisations manage risk, modernise security operations, and protect large-scale, highly regulated environments.
Mylène Lamarche — Director of Information Security, Vidéotron
Mylène Lamarche leads Vidéotron’s information security function, overseeing the full cybersecurity ecosystem, including governance, risk management, and information security. She has been responsible for implementing large-scale cybersecurity programs aimed at increasing organisational maturity and reducing operational risk. With more than 15 years of experience in cybersecurity and over 20 years in people and budget management across banking, insurance, and telecommunications, she brings a strong operational perspective. Her background includes data centre and colocation transformations, SOC implementations (both internal and outsourced), and the deployment of SaaS and hybrid security technologies, with a focus on consolidation, productivity, and retiring legacy platforms.
Carey Frey — Chief Security Officer and Chief Information Security Officer (Vice President), TELUS
Carey Frey is responsible for corporate security at TELUS as well as cybersecurity services delivered to hundreds of Canadian customers. He leads a security organisation of more than 500 professionals, protecting TELUS’s people, assets, and information while supporting managed security offerings nationwide. Prior to TELUS, Carey held senior technology, intelligence, and cybersecurity leadership roles within the Government of Canada at the Communications Security Establishment. He is an active contributor to Canada’s cybersecurity ecosystem, having chaired and co-chaired national industry and government advisory bodies, and continues to support innovation through industry forums, investment committees, and security-focused networks.
Nicholas Payant — Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Bell Canada
Nicholas Payant serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Bell Canada, working at the intersection of network innovation, service reliability, and security. He operates alongside teams focused on advancing telecommunications technologies while ensuring that security remains embedded in the design and delivery of Bell’s networks and services. His role supports the development and implementation of robust security controls aligned with the scale and complexity of one of Canada’s largest telecom providers. Through this work, Nicholas contributes to strengthening the resilience and trustworthiness of critical communications infrastructure used by consumers, enterprises, and public-sector organisations across the country.
Ken Bessant — Director of Security and Privacy, Information Security Officer and Privacy Officer, Xplore Inc.
Ken Bessant is a bilingual security and privacy leader with more than two decades of experience in Canada’s telecommunications sector. At Xplore Inc., he oversees cybersecurity, privacy, lawful access, PCI compliance, and fraud management, with a strong emphasis on governance maturity and regulatory alignment. He has previously established enterprise security programs and led organisation-wide remediation efforts to address compliance gaps. Ken is known for aligning NIST-based security frameworks with business priorities, launching security awareness initiatives, and embedding privacy impact assessments into operational processes. His work regularly bridges technical rigor with executive and regulatory expectations.
Mandeep Gill — Director of Cyber Security, Cogeco Connexion
Mandeep Gill leads cybersecurity at Cogeco Connexion, bringing over 15 years of experience across IT service management, security operations, and service delivery. His background spans incident, problem, and change management, as well as the development of security operations capabilities in complex, high-pressure environments. Known for building and leading high-performing teams, Mandeep focuses on pragmatic security processes that align closely with business objectives. His work emphasises operational resilience, effective technology evaluation, and strong internal and external partnerships, helping ensure that cybersecurity initiatives deliver measurable value across the organisation.
Nathan Kirkham — Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, SaskTel
Nathan Kirkham serves as both Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at SaskTel, where he leads IT strategy, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and cloud management. A key aspect of his role is translating security drivers into business- and customer-focused initiatives, ensuring board-level concerns are effectively integrated into operational portfolios. With more than 25 years in the IT industry, including prior leadership roles at CGI, Nathan brings experience across enterprise delivery, architecture, and innovation. He is actively involved in cross-government IT collaboration and local industry boards, contributing to shared security and technology outcomes across Saskatchewan.
Shaping Cyber Resilience Across Canada’s Telecommunications Networks
As Canada’s telecom providers continue to modernise networks and expand digital services, cybersecurity leadership remains critical to protecting national connectivity and customer trust. These CISOs and security leaders are helping their organisations navigate regulatory complexity, legacy infrastructure, and evolving threat landscapes. Their work reflects the growing importance of security as a foundational capability within Canadian telecommunications, supporting both operational resilience and long-term digital growth.