Governor Brian Kemp

A native of Athens, Georgia, Brian Kemp started his first small business over 35 years ago with a pickup truck and a shovel. His experience as a small business owner has driven his mission to put hardworking Georgians first since taking office as Georgia’s 83rd governor in 2019.

Throughout his first term, the Peach State consistently broke economic records, with jobs and investments coming to every region of the state. Thanks to his decision to reopen Georgia’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic – the first state in the nation to do so – its unemployment rate remains at historic lows, there are more Georgians working than ever before, and the state has been named No. 1 for business for an unprecedented nine consecutive years.

In 2022, Governor Kemp was re-elected to serve a second term, running on a record of economic success in the Peach State and a plan to help Georgia families fight through 40-year-high inflation while strengthening public safety and improving education. He has championed legislation to crack down on violent crimes and street gangs, end human trafficking and support its victims, enact historic tax cuts for families, give teachers historic pay raises, and ensure Georgia’s K-12 education system puts students and parents first.

Governor Kemp will present the opening remarks at the Georgia Technology Summit

Monica Kaufman Pearson

Monica is a legendary When Monica moved to Atlanta in 1975, she became the first female and African-American to anchor the evening news at WSB-TV. After a storied career of 37 years as the station’s anchor, she left in 2012 and still continues her career as a storyteller at the AJC, Peachtree TV, and on the radio at KISS 104.1 FM.

Brian Benn,

Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Clark Atlanta University

Brian studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and has a Master of Business Administration degree from Belhaven University.  Brian volunteers as an Executive Ambassador for TechBridge, Incorporated, serves on the Executive Advisory Board for Atlanta Technology Professionals, the Advisory Board for the Government Technology Special Districts Program, the Greater Atlanta CIO Governing Body for Evanta and serves as Board Chair for the Technology Association of Georgia’s Southeastern Software Association.  Brian is a technology evangelist and has a passion for bridging the digital divide.

Ron McMurtrie

Chief Commercial Officer

Honeywell

Ron McMurtrie leads marketing across Honeywell Connect Enterprise, inspiring long-term relationships through creativity and innovation. McMurtrie aligns the strategic direction of brand, digital marketing and communications, public affairs, business operations and oversees key functional areas for new customer acquisition, ensuring customer success, and advancing Honeywell Forge.

Before joining Honeywell, McMurtrie was global Chief Marketing and Business Enablement Officer Sage Group. Previously, McMurtrie has over 20 years’ experience in similar roles for brands including VCE – the joint venture between Cisco, EMC and VMware – First Data, Verizon and MCI.