Defense in Depth What Makes a Successful CISO?
Jan 8, 2026
Ejona Preci, Group CISO at LINDAL Group and a leader in security teams, discusses the evolving role of the CISO. She emphasizes the shift from being a 'chief of no' to a valued business partner. The conversation touches on the importance of translating technical risks into business language and the credibility gap faced by CISOs lacking decision-making power. Preci also addresses the responsibilities CISO must take on concerning AI integrity and model explainability, advocating for clearer expectations during hiring to avoid mismatches.
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CISO Roles Are Contextual
- The CISO role is shifting from technical operator to multifaceted business leader with distinct purposes.
- Edward Contreras frames CISO roles as transformational, operational, compliance, steady-state, customer-facing, or post-breach.
Accountability Versus Authority
- CISOs often lack consequence authority and are held accountable without owning exposure-creating architecture.
- Edward Contreras emphasizes single accountability but collective responsibility for execution.
Go Ask For The Seat
- Don't wait to be invited to business discussions; proactively request board and executive engagement.
- Ejona Preci urges CISOs to translate security into business language to earn a seat at the table.