Christian Beckner is senior director of retail technology and cybersecurity at the National Retail Federation.  In this capacity, Beckner leads NRF’s CIO Council, Technology Leadership Council, IT Security Council, and cybersecurity program, including the NRF Cyber Risk Exchange.  He is responsible for developing strategies, programs and activities to maintain NRF as the technology leader and convener in the retail sector.

Prior to NRF, Beckner 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 close to 20 years, including positions at IBM, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the O’Gara Company.

Originally from Washington, Beckner has a B.A. from Stanford University.  He obtained his Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

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