Security leadership is security leadership, no matter where it’s practiced
Some might think that working at a security company limits your perspective of what’s out there in the broader industry, but I found the opposite to be true. I gained a deeper understanding of how organizations evaluate security solutions and what they truly care about. I saw firsthand the challenges customers faced when implementing security tools, and that experience gave me empathy, insight, and a renewed ability to speak their language.
Now that I’m back in industry, I’m bringing that perspective with me. The transition wasn’t a step “down” or a shift away from anything; it was just the next phase in my career. Security leadership is security leadership, no matter where you practice it. The challenges remain complex, the responsibilities remain vast, and the importance of aligning security with business outcomes remains paramount.
Reflecting on my time as a CISO at a security vendor, I’m grateful for what the role taught me. It forced me to hold myself and my team to a higher standard, knowing that our security practices were under constant scrutiny. It gave me the opportunity to shape the company’s value proposition through transparency and proof. And it reaffirmed that the role of a CISO, regardless of where you sit, is to be both a protector and a bridge-builder, driving trust within and outside the organization.