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AITP-RTP Meeting | Military Leader’s Soft Skills – Lessons for Modern Corporate Leadership | February 12, 2026

  • 12 Feb 2026
  • 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
  • NC State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606

Registration

  • Included in Group: 5 Membership
  • Included in Annual Membership

Military Leader’s Soft Skills – Lessons for Modern Corporate Leadership

What can today's business leaders learn from military leadership? Drawing on real-world military and IT leadership experience, this talk explores essential soft skills—communication, empathy, adaptability, decision-making under pressure, trust, and mentoring—and demonstrates how they translate directly into modern corporate environments. Attendees will leave with practical, people-first leadership insights they can apply immediately in their own roles, regardless of title or industry.


Our Speaker:

Abel E. Tavarex


Abel is a retired U.S. Army IT & cybersecurity executive with more than 15 years of leadership experience supporting large, complex organizations. During his military career, he served in senior leadership and operational roles supporting Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), Military Intelligence Units, the 82nd Airborne Division, and numerous other joint and Army units. He held senior positions, including Deputy Chief Information Officer (Deputy G-6) for the 82nd Airborne Division, where he led enterprise IT operations, cybersecurity initiatives, and cross-functional teams supporting more than 18,000 troops.

Abel specializes in cybersecurity leadership, risk management, and aligning technology strategy with organizational mission and business objectives. He is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity at Duke University, focusing on bridging technical cybersecurity solutions with executive-level decision-making. He has earned multiple cybersecurity certifications, including executive education credentials from Duke.

He is passionate about developing future leaders, translating complex technical topics into practical, actionable insights, and helping organizations strengthen their security posture while reducing risk in an evolving threat landscape.


Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abeltavarez/

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:15pm: Check-in & Networking

6:15 – 7:00pm: Dinner & Networking

7:00 – 7:10pm: Opening Remarks

7:10 – 8:00pm: Program

8:00 – 8:30pm: Close and Additional Networking


Photography and Video Policy:

Attendees are permitted to take pictures of individuals or smaller groups as long as permission is given from the subject(s) of the photo. AITP-RTP board members may take pictures or a video recording of presenters and attendees for various purposes.  However, the use of any kind of video recording or video streaming device from attendees is not permitted.  Registration to the meeting implies acceptance of this policy.

Directions: 

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