Cybersecurity: A Critical Investment Theme for a Secure Future

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While uncertainty and volatility have gripped financial markets, long-term secular trends in technology and connectivity continue to gain momentum around the world.  As the world becomes more connected, the need for robust cybersecurity to help keep the digital world secure grows as well.  Recent survey data and commentary from industry leaders during the 2Q’22 earnings season reinforce a fundamentally strong story of robust growth and improving profitability, even in the face of recessionary pressures and broad-based weakness across Thematic Tech.

Join us as representatives from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Nasdaq, and First Trust discuss ongoing trends in the cybersecurity industry as well as updates to the cybersecurity investment theme.  The Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index (NQCYBR) is tracked by the world’s largest cybersecurity ETF, the First Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR).

Topics covered will be: 

• Why cybersecurity is a vital component of your investment strategies
• How Nasdaq partnered with CTA to develop a unique methodology for tracking the cybersecurity industry
• What are the fundamental drivers behind the index's performance, and how can it outperform in an unfavorable macroeconomic environment

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Speakers

MacKenzie Gilmore
Senior Manager
Nasdaq Investment Intelligence

Over the last 18 years, MacKenzie has moved through the financial services value chain beginning as a client-facing financial advisor and district manager to internal wholesaler and marketer with a large asset manager before moving to Nasdaq in 2020. In her role as Sr Marketing Manager, MacKenzie works with ETF Issuers to refine their go-to-market strategies and maximize the benefits of their Nasdaq partnership across both the Index Licensing and ETF Listings businesses. MacKenzie holds the FINRA Series 7 and Series 24 licenses, CA Life/Health license, CRPC designation, a Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Certification, and a Digital Assets Certification.

Mark Marex, CFA
Director, Index Research & Development
Nasdaq Investment Intelligence

Mark Marex works as a Director in Index Research & Development, splitting his efforts between producing original content in support of existing index products, as well as developing new indexes for launch and commercialization. Before joining Nasdaq Global Indexes in 2019, Mark was an emerging fund manager of a systematic long/short US large-cap equity strategy, and co-founded Roundtree Capital Management in 2016. Prior to that, Mark spent eight years at Citigroup in New York, working as a Product Manager of FX in the Investor Services business; as a Vice President of Client Strategy & Analytics in the Investment Banking division; and when he first started in 2008, as a Product Controller in Structured Credit.

Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University in 2008, and has been a CFA charter holder since 2012. He is passionate about innovation in the world of indexing, ETFs, and quantitative investing. He resides in New Jersey with his wife.

Andrew Hull
Vice President, ETF Strategist
First Trust

Andrew Hull is a Vice President and Exchange-Traded Fund Strategist with First Trust. As an ETF Strategist, Andrew provides in-depth analysis and commentary related to ETF investing, including tracking industry trends and communicating ETF strategies to financial professionals. Andrew also contributes to the First Trust Investment Insights blog and helps author the quarterly Inside First Trust ETFs newsletter.

Previously, Andrew was an Economic Analyst for First Trust, where he was responsible for analyzing economic indicators and providing economic commentary and research.

Andrew holds a BA in Business Economics from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL.

Brian Comiskey
Director of Thematic Research
Consumer Technology Association

Brian Comiskey is the Director of Thematic Research at the Consumer Technology Association. Brian is responsible for the thematic indexes developed and maintained by CTA and Nasdaq as a part of a more than decade long partnership. Covering a variety of sectors including cybersecurity, cloud computing, robotics and video gaming, Brian and his team manage a portfolio of 15 thematic indexes with 20 products tracking these indexes across listings in more than a dozen countries.

Prior to joining CTA, Brian consulted for the United States Coast Guard on digital transformation and cybersecurity policy.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the College of William & Mary.