Vivek Kundra, the first CIO of the United States, will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 ACORD LOMA Insurance Systems Forum. Kundra will open the conference and describe how the best defense is a good offense in overcoming technology challenges.

"Kundra's visionary thinking makes him an ideal speaker for the Insurance Systems Forum. In difficult economic times, business and technology are working hard to balance cost containment with innovation. His experience will be inspirational for attendees who are facing the same obstacles he did," said Beth Grossman, chief learning officer, ACORD. K

undra will share with the audience how leaders and organizations must adapt to transformation in a change-averse environment, embrace action-oriented methodologies, and make tough decisions to succeed in today's marketplace. Among the topics Kundra takes on will be: Balancing innovation and cost leadership—how do you measure project performance and allocate IT investments accordingly?; how countries can architect a better future through building blocks of innovative technologies; replacing subjective judgments about projects with objective, data-driven analytics; how to evaluate IT projects for rescoping and cancelation; the increasing importance of cybersecurity in protecting our nation's critical infrastructure; and how technology companies can disrupt the public sector market.