Speaker Biographies
IT INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT & CLOUD STRATEGIES – SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES – May 19, 2026
Nitesh Bhat, Enterprise Architect, Service Delivery Manager, HCL America Inc.
Bio to Come!
Dan Horwich, President & Executive Director, CAMP IT Conferences
In 2001, Dan Horwich earned the title of President and Executive Director of CAMP IT Conferences. Prior to joining CAMP IT, Dan held sales and sales management positions at U.S. Robotics, 3Com, Mercantec, Spring Tide Networks, and Lucent Technologies, winning several sales and professional development awards.
An active networker, focused on making a difference in the professional lives of IT practitioners, Dan has built a win-win climate for CAMP IT’s attendees, speakers, and sponsors. He’s a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Marketing and lives in Glenview, IL with his wife and two daughters.
Shashi Kachale, IT Program Manager, Alight Solutions
I am a seasoned IT program/project manager with 20+ years of experience specializing in the delivery of large-scale, end-to-end software programs. Throughout a diverse career spanning complex enterprise initiatives, I have successfully led cross-functional teams, managed large stakeholder ecosystems, and driven transformation programs from strategy through execution.
Known for a results-oriented mindset and strong leadership approach, I am passionate about enabling business value through technology, operational excellence, and effective delivery governance. With deep expertise in program execution, release planning, risk management, and organizational change, I bring practical insights and real-world experience to discussions on large-scale IT delivery, agile transformation and infrastructure updates.
Faiz Khaja, Network Engineer, Ulta Beauty
Faiz is a technology professional, problem solver, and speaker known for blending technical expertise with real-world practicality. With a background spanning enterprise technology, infrastructure, operations, and business strategy, he brings a grounded perspective on how people, systems, and innovation intersect in fast-moving environments.
Passionate about simplifying complex topics, Faiz speaks on leadership through technology, operational efficiency, modern networking, emerging trends, and the human side of working in high-pressure industries. Faiz has been working in technology space for well over a decade and lives in Wheaton, IL with his wife and daughter.
Patrick Kinard, Head of Cloud & Infrastructure, Chicago Public Schools
Patrick Kinard is a Senior Server Enterprise Operations Manager at the Chicago Public Schools. He has more than 30 years of information technology management experience in the private and public sectors. Today, Patrick has a senior role in managing the data service centers for one of the world’s third-largest school districts. He is responsible for all central data center, cloud, and on-premise school-based server operations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and has earned multiple information technology management certifications.
Bob Langys, Senior Solutions Engineer
Bob Langys is a Senior Sales Engineer at Netskope, where he helps organizations navigate the intersection of networking, security, and emerging technologies like agentic and generative AI. With a background spanning Zero Trust architecture, SASE, and cloud security, Bob focuses on helping teams enable innovation without losing control of data, users, or risk.
Outside of work, Bob enjoys flying small airplanes, “mosquito fogging” on his two-stroke enduro bike, and occasionally burning through his own money as AI agents loop through “learning experiences” during real-world testing.
Bernard Malkov, It Operations Manager, Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Bio to Come!
Thomas Nicholoff, National Account Executive, Vector Security Networks
Thomas Nicholoff is an accomplished technology sales and infrastructure professional with over 25 years of experience helping organizations design, secure, and optimize their IT environments. His expertise spans managed network services, cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and cloud solutions, with a strong focus on multi-site and enterprise organizations.
He has built his career on driving results through consultative engagement with executive leadership, aligning technology strategies to business objectives. Thomas has a proven track record delivering scalable managed services solutions—including NOC/SOC operations, network transformation, and cloud enablement—while consistently exceeding revenue goals.
Thomas currently serves as a National Account Manager at Vector Security Networks, where he partners with organizations across the Midwest to modernize infrastructure, enhance operational performance, and strengthen cybersecurity posture.
Nikhil Pancholi, Associate Director of Information Technology, Crowe
Nikhil is a technology leader focused on bridging enterprise architecture, platforms, and business strategy to drive scalable, business-aligned transformation. At Crowe, he works across architecture, infrastructure, and application teams to translate strategic priorities into modern operating models, resilient platforms, and practical execution roadmaps. His experience spans hybrid cloud strategy, global delivery models, and emerging areas such as AI-enabled operations and governance. Nikhil is particularly interested in how organizations can balance decentralization with control—enabling product and business teams while maintaining reliability, security, and cost discipline. He brings a practitioner’s perspective to navigating real-world trade-offs across technology, operations, and business outcomes.
