NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Priyanka Aash is a strategic innovator at the forefront of AI in cybersecurity. As Co-Founder & CMO of FireCompass, she played a defining role in shaping the global understanding and adoption of Automated Penetration Testing & Red Teaming — one of the industry’s first autonomous platforms powered by generative AI.

While not directly involved in building the technology, Priyanka led analyst relations, go-to-market strategy, and global education initiatives that helped define a new cybersecurity paradigm. She worked closely with analysts to create the market category for Automated Penetration Testing and Red Teaming, also referred to as Continuous Automated Red Teaming (CART). Her efforts directly contributed to the platform’s recognition in Gartner’s Hype Cycle for four consecutive years, and it was featured in over 30 major analyst publications, including IDC, Forrester, GigaOm, and others.

By establishing and evangelizing this category, Priyanka helped disrupt the multi-billion-dollar traditional penetration testing and red teaming industry, introducing AI-powered automation to what had previously been a manual, point-in-time, and resource-heavy security model. Her vision helped position FireCompass as a leader trusted by Fortune 500s seeking to continuously test their attack surface..

Priyanka also co-founded CISO Platform, a global peer community of 40,000+ cybersecurity leaders. Through this initiative, she facilitated public-private knowledge sharing that elevated industry understanding of AI security. Her community efforts, educational campaigns, and market thought leadership helped drive real adoption and impact—not just awareness.

She has been featured in Authority Magazine, Financial Express, CXOToday, and YourStory, and served as a judge for the Top 100 CISO Awards alongside industry luminary Bruce Schneier. She also won at the NetApp ExcellerateHER Program, securing a paid PoC that validated the technology in real-world enterprise environments. Under her guidance, FireCompass was also selected for the RSAC Innovation Showcase and the Nascom Emerge 50 Awards.

Priyanka’s innovation lies in her ability to shape narratives, define new markets, and accelerate trust in AI-powered cybersecurity. Through vision, leadership, and execution, she has transformed the way security leaders approach automated pen testing & red teaming to continuously enhance their security posture. She is not just a supporter of innovation—she is an architect of market change.