Merisa Lee
Security Leader & Public Speaker
San Francisco, California, United States
Actions
Merisa Lee is a seasoned security professional with over 27 years of experience in technology, including more than 15 years in cybersecurity. She has served as an engineer, people manager, and technical program manager, leading defensive operations and major incident response efforts at global companies such as Amazon, Meta, Cisco Meraki, DoorDash, Uber, Dell, and Okta.
Merisa specializes in building sustainable security programs, developing confident and empathetic leaders, and improving communication between security teams and executive stakeholders. Her experience across technical and leadership roles has shaped her practical approach to managing crises, fostering psychological safety, and guiding organizations toward long-term operational resilience.
Links
Badges
Area of Expertise
Topics
Finding Your Flow: Composing a Perinatal Career That Thrives
Returning from parental leave isn't just about regaining your rhythm, it's like stepping onto the podium to find toddlers with tambourines in place of an orchestra. The tempo's off, the sheet music is lost, and somehow, you're both the conductor and the one being conducted.
Beyond Hero Mode: Strategic Leadership and AI Integration to Prevent Team Burnout
Security incidents are faster, louder, and more complex than ever. For smaller or high-pressure teams, “hero mode” once felt like the only way to keep up — but endurance is not a strategy. The real challenge for today’s leaders is building teams that can perform under pressure without burning out.
This session explores the leadership and cultural factors that keep responders healthy and effective during sustained crisis operations. Attendees will learn how to design fair rotations, manage cognitive load, build psychological safety, and communicate clearly under stress. We will also discuss how automation and AI continue to evolve these same challenges, helping reduce context switching, streamline reporting, and free people to focus on critical thinking rather than repetitive tasks.
SANS Leadership Summit 2026
BSidesSF 2026 Sessionize Event Upcoming
SANS Leadership Summit 2026 Upcoming
Beyond Hero Mode: Strategic Leadership and AI Integration to Prevent Team Burnout
Day of Shecurity: Leadership
Talk 1 - Leading Through Crisis: How to Show Up When Everything Is on Fire
Talk 2 - Human + Machine: Evolving Cyber Defense with AI in the Modern SOC
ISACA SF Fall Conference
Human + Machine: Evolving Cyber Defense with AI in the Modern SOC
FIRST Conference 36
Help! My CISO is Visibly Bored When I Present IR Metrics!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBAUUhONOrO_yBBGmJTFlr3ekKRE8SSLQ
Day of Shecurity
How To Succeed In A Security Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkbwnYnGwVQ
Grace Hopper
Code Blue: How to Reset Your Comms Incident Response Plan
Day of Shecurity
Rescuing The Rescuers: Protecting IR Teams From Burnout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovFhxGNdLQ
Merisa Lee
Security Leader & Public Speaker
San Francisco, California, United States
Links
Actions
Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers. If you suspect this profile to be fake or spam, please let us know.
Jump to top