Minnesota’s cybersecurity leadership strength shows up across agriculture, banking, local government, and public-sector technology. The women in this feature reflect a leadership bench shaped by enterprise security operations, risk management, compliance, resilience, and service delivery in environments where trust and continuity matter every day. Some are securing large and complex organizations with national or global reach, while others are leading cyber programs that support essential public services and regional financial institutions. Together, they show how cybersecurity leadership in Minnesota extends well beyond one sector or title path. It is a state where operational discipline, governance, and people-centered leadership continue to define the next generation of cyber influence.
Sarah Engstrom — Chief Information Security Officer & Vice President, IT Security, Compliance and Quality Assurance & Engineering, CHS Inc.
Sarah Engstrom serves as Chief Information Security Officer & Vice President, IT Security, Compliance and Quality Assurance & Engineering at CHS Inc., where she leads security with a scope that reflects both executive responsibility and enterprise-wide operational reach. Her background at CHS includes earlier CISO and IT leadership roles, and before that she spent more than a decade at Target in positions spanning security awareness, information protection, security architecture, infrastructure, and large-scale technology programs. She has led global teams, established new programs and processes, and driven work across risk, compliance, training, and secure technology enablement. What stands out in her profile is the combination of strategic leadership, program-building experience, and a people-first management style grounded in trust, communication, and mindful leadership.
Stefanie Horvath — Chief Information Security Officer, City of Saint Paul
Stefanie Horvath is Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Saint Paul, where she leads cybersecurity for one of Minnesota’s key municipal environments. Her experience spans government, military, and enterprise technology leadership, including roles as Chief Business Technology Officer at Minnesota IT Services and J6/IT Director at the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, where she led secure network and data services across dozens of sites serving more than 1,500 personnel. She also served as Brigadier General and Assistant to the Director of Operations at U.S. Cyber Command, adding strategic and operational depth to her leadership background. Her profile stands out for its blend of public-sector service, command-level responsibility, and experience managing secure, high-reliability technology operations at scale.
Kristy Livingston — Senior Manager, Cybersecurity Operations, Sunrise Banks
Kristy Livingston is Senior Manager, Cybersecurity Operations at Sunrise Banks, bringing a background rooted in incident response, vulnerability management, digital forensics, investigations, and security operations. Before joining Sunrise Banks, she held senior cybersecurity operations roles at Jostens and Sleep Number, and earlier led information security and forensic work at MoneyGram, Best Buy, and Mayo Clinic. Alongside her industry leadership, she has also served for years as an Adjunct Professor in Digital Forensics at Century College, where she develops curriculum and teaches students entering the field. She stands out for the way she combines technical depth, operational leadership, and mentorship, with a career that has consistently focused on helping organizations identify risk, strengthen response capabilities, and improve security outcomes.
Gretchen White — Chief Information Officer, Metropolitan Council
Gretchen White is Chief Information Officer at the Metropolitan Council, bringing a background strongly rooted in information security, infrastructure, operations, and risk management. Before becoming CIO, she served as Director of Security Operations at RSM US LLP and previously held the role of Director Infrastructure, Operations, and Security at the Metropolitan Council. Her earlier experience includes serving as Chief Information Security Officer and Cyber Security Manager for the Minnesota Judicial Branch, as well as leading security risk engineering and regulatory-facing work at Bremer Bank. What makes her profile notable is the continuity of her security leadership across financial services, the judiciary, consulting, and public infrastructure, paired with deep experience in vulnerability management, third-party risk, compliance, and board-level security communication.
Where Minnesota’s Cyber Leadership Gets Its Strength
Minnesota’s cybersecurity leadership story is defined by range, discipline, and real operational responsibility. The leaders in this feature work across sectors that demand resilience, regulatory awareness, and strong execution, from agriculture and banking to city government and regional public infrastructure. Their careers also show that effective cyber leadership is not limited to one route, but can be built through enterprise security, military service, digital forensics, risk engineering, and executive technology oversight. That breadth is part of what makes Minnesota an important state to watch as cybersecurity continues to shape how essential institutions operate, grow, and earn trust.
Explore more profiles of the amazing women shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our Women’s Month collection.