Scar Tissue and Silver Linings: Leading Your Team Through a Cyberattack—And Emerging Stronger

Step inside the war room during the Okanagan College 2023 ransomware attack as IT leaders from across the organization share firsthand accounts of the crisis, the chaos, and the comeback. In this raw and unfiltered session, we’ll take you behind the scenes—how we navigated the relentless pressure, the sleepless nights, and the emotional toll of leading through a crisis. You'll hear about the mental and physical exhaustion, the weight of responsibility, and how we found the resilience to keep going.

But this isn’t just a story of survival. It’s about transformation. We’ll share the defining moments—the breakthroughs, the bonds forged under fire, and the opportunities we seized to drive meaningful change. From rebuilding trust to reshaping strategy, from team cohesion to personal growth, the attack left permanent marks—but also pushed us to become better leaders, stronger teams, and a more resilient organization. Because in every cyberattack crisis, there’s a chance to rebuild—not just systems, but people, culture, and the future itself.

Panel:

  • Jordan Perrey, CIO
  • David Birch, Manager IT Security
  • Natalie Hordichuk, Manager Business Transformation
  • Ryan Ebner, Manager Client Services
Jordan Perrey

Jordan Perrey

CIO, Okanagan College

Jordan Perrey is an accomplished IT professional with over 20 years of experience. He has spent close to a decade with the BC Government before working in a private technology company. There he worked with a number of NHL, NBA and NFL teams. Over the last 6 years he had been the CIO at Okanagan College.

David Birch

David Birch

Manager, IT Security, Okanagan College

Dave has been at Okanagan College for over 7 years, has a B.Sc. in Computer Science accompanied by CISSP and Associate C|CISO security certifications, and brings over 30 years of diverse IT industry experience from private and public sector to the College.  
As the Manager, IT Security, Dave leads the IT Services cybersecurity team to oversee the Security Operations Center (SOC) and overall IT Security program.  Dave is also an active member of several BCNet Higher Education Security committees and working groups and was a lead member of the incident response team during the Okanagan College ransomware event in January 2023

Natalie Hordichuk

Natalie Hordichuk

Manager, Business Transformation, Okanagan College

Born and raised on the prairies, Natalie has called the Okanagan home for 10 years. With over a decade of experience in project management and higher education, she leads Business Transformation and IT Services at Okanagan College. Specializing in digital governance and process optimization, she’s driven initiatives like the college’s first AI-powered chatbot, an AI-driven “Contact Us” form, and an internal student inquiry tracker—all focused on enhancing services and gathering insights. In 2023, she earned her Master of Education in Digital Education, underscoring her passion for improving the student experience through innovation and technology

Summit Speaker

Ryan Ebner

Manager, Client Services and IT Operations, Okanagan College

Technology Track