Nicole Darden Ford is a distinguished cybersecurity executive and transformational strategist with over 25 years of experience leading enterprise security, digital trust, and business enablement across global organizations. As Vice President and Customer Security Officer at Microsoft, she heads the Global Customer Security Program, partnering with enterprise clients to navigate complex security, regulatory and compliance challenges while driving secure digital transformation. Her leadership spans critical sectors including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, technology, and government, and is grounded in her service in the U.S. Army. Prior to joining Microsoft, Nicole served as Chief Information Security Officer at Nordstrom, Rockwell Automation, Carrier Global Corporation and Baxter Healthcare where she led large-scale security transformations and pioneered security-as-a-service initiatives. She is widely recognized for aligning cybersecurity with business strategy, building high-performing diverse teams, and championing inclusion in tech. Her accolades include the CISO Connect Trailblazer Award, CSO50 Hall of Fame induction, and multiple Top 100 CISO Awards. Nicole also contributes to the industry through board service and mentorship, shaping the future of cybersecurity leadership.  Nicole holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix and a Master's Degree from the University of Virginia. She lives with her family in Jupiter, Florida.