Chris Ward
Chris is the CEO of Fire Mountain Labs, leading the company’s mission to advance safe and assured AI. Under his direction, Fire Mountain Labs delivers pioneering AI assurance solutions to enterprise and government clients, ensuring AI systems are deployed with security, integrity, and accountability.
With over a decade of experience in AI and AI Security, Chris has coauthored 23 publications in the field and brings deep technical and operational expertise. A veteran of Active Duty U.S. Navy service, Chris also brings deep expertise from Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific, the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC), the MITRE Corporation, and several successful AI startups. His background spans operational technology, national security, and cutting-edge AI innovation.
As a trusted voice in the AI ecosystem, Chris operates as an honest broker, bridging government, industry, academia, and small organizations. He advocates for AI adopters navigating a crowded and hype-driven landscape, championing pragmatic, secure, and trustworthy solutions.
Before founding Fire Mountain Labs, Chris held senior leadership roles in AI security research and red teaming, where he shaped industry standards in AI risk assessment, penetration testing, secure AI governance, and adversarial threat modeling.
Sessions
AI systems can fail dangerously without ever “breaking.” This talk introduces a systems-theoretic method for identifying and mitigating hidden hazards in AI-enabled environments—especially those involving generative and predictive models. Learn how STPA-Sec reveals systemic risks arising from misaligned recommendations, inadequate feedback loops, and interface ambiguity—plus how to control them before they cause harm.
As AI systems become integral to enterprise operations, effective governance is essential to mitigate associated risks. This hands-on workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to AI governance, focusing on AI system lifecycle oversight, alignment with frameworks like the NIST AI RMF, and compliance with regulations such as the EU AI Act. Participants will engage in a guided tabletop exercise simulating a real-world AI incident, fostering collaborative response strategies and practical risk mitigation planning. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable insights and tools to implement responsible AI governance within their organizations.