InformationWeek – American CISOs Need Broader Perspective to Go Global

Why are companies with a global reach wary of hiring US CISOs, asks Egon Zehnder consultant Kal Bittianda in an article for InformationWeek. Their rule-based approach is generally seen as too narrow to manage the challenges of different global environments, explains Bittianda. “Unfortunately, few American born-and-trained CISO candidates have the global perspective and adaptability that is increasingly becoming a must-have in today’s borderless economy,” he writes. In his experience, global players tend to prefer executives with a European, principles-based perspective. To stay in tune with global practices, Bittianda advises US cybersecurity leaders to be willing to relocate, get mentoring and look for ways to broaden their perspective. “The expectation that cybersecurity leaders can work across borders as do their counterparts in other functions is just emerging, but it will surely gather momentum,” he predicts.

Full story: Kal Bittianda: The Global CISO: Why U.S. Leaders Must Think Beyond Borders in InformationWeek (28 October 2015).