Celebrating the Legacy of Three Industry Leaders

The security community recently lost three well-respected and well-loved analysts. We send our condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of Dale Gardner, Anna Belak, and Glenn O’Donnell, who were trailblazers in the world of cybersecurity, each leaving their mark through their leadership, kindness, and passion.

Dale Gardner was a respected Gartner analyst and technology vendor executive, renowned for over 30 years of expertise in software product-building and marketing. His career was marked by significant contributions to application security, vulnerability management, identity management, network security, and compliance issues, with a strong foundation in network and systems management. His exceptional skills in strategic analysis and planning, communication, product management, and technology marketing left a lasting impact on the industry. 

Throughout his career, Dale successfully launched numerous products and implemented stellar product development processes. His marketing expertise included designing integrated content-based programs and utilizing marketing automation systems like Marketo. With a profound understanding of technology, Dale specialized in market analysis, product strategy, competitive assessment, and various aspects of marketing and public relations.

Anna Belak was a former Gartner analyst, technical content creator, and public speaker with deep expertise in containers, Kubernetes, and cloud security. Throughout her career, she provided invaluable guidance to hundreds of clients across various sectors, both small and large, in the public and private spheres. She was instrumental in helping organizations refine their strategy and execution as they modernized their businesses. Anna specialized in addressing critical questions for organizations, such as adapting security practices for the cloud-native world, selecting and deploying appropriate tools and processes to meet business needs, and understanding emerging technology trends like threat deception, machine learning, and containers. Her insights and expertise left a lasting impact on those she worked with, empowering them to navigate the complexities of modern technology with confidence and foresight.

Glenn O’Donnell was a renowned leader at Forrester, heading research teams focused on technology infrastructure, automation, and IoT. He was a globally recognized authority on IT and IT operations, automation across various domains, edge computing, semiconductors, and infrastructure and application development. With extensive expertise in technology architecture, development, and operations, Glenn offered unparalleled insight into how technology can address business challenges. He co-authored the book The CMDB Imperative, which remains available from online booksellers. Outside of his professional achievements, Glenn enjoyed riding his beloved Harley to unwind and was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator, known by his call sign K3PP.

This post celebrates the remarkable legacies of Dale, Anna, and Glenn, whose contributions will continue to inspire those who had the privilege to work with them and benefit from their expertise.

We send our love to those who knew them and their friends and families.