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.