Nishant Sonkar is a distinguished cybersecurity and AI governance leader, serving as Global Cloud Compliance Lead at Cisco, where he drives enterprise-wide alignment across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and AI governance frameworks (including ISO 42001). With more than a decade of experience bridging technology, regulation, and automation, he has led large-scale compliance transformations and built frameworks now adopted across Cisco’s global cloud portfolio. A Distinguished Scholar at the Scientific Cybersecurity Research Society (SCRS), Nishant’s publications on Google Scholar and ResearchGate explore the convergence of AI assurance, cybersecurity automation, and compliance governance. He is featured in various media outlets & is a recognized speaker for ISACA Silicon Valley and San Francisco Chapters. His thought leadership continues to advance the global dialogue on secure and responsible AI adoption.