The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) as the Gatekeeper of Resilient Growth

Building a Culture Where Security Enables Innovation

At this year’s IT Director’s Forum, I had the opportunity to join a distinguished panel on “The CIO/CISO as the Gatekeeper of Resilient Growth.” Our discussion explored how technology leaders can enable innovation and resilience in a world increasingly defined by digital interdependence – and by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.

From my perspective, three key ideas stood out. Responsible AI adoption, cyber resilience through collaboration, and trust as the foundation of growth.

Shadow AI: From Threat to Opportunity

Shadow AI is perhaps the most fascinating – and dangerous – challenge we face today. It is not just a technical issue; it is a cultural one. People across the organization are eager to use new AI tools to become more productive, and that’s a positive instinct. This creates risk when people act outside a governance framework, potentially exposing the organization to data leaks or privacy breaches..

The most appropriate approach is not to respond with prohibitions but with partnership. The role of the CISO is not to say “no,” but to help the business innovate safely. Together with the IT and Digital teams, CISOs need to built secure experimentation environments – approved tools, internal LLMs, and clear usage policies. This approach gives people the freedom to use AI creatively without opening new attack surfaces.

CISOs need to also see Shadow AI holistically, as an issue that spans IT, Risk, and Compliance. That is why the development of an AI Governance Framework that defines roles, rules, and approval processes – ensuring that responsible AI is a shared organizational goal, is crucial.

Cyber Resilience as a Cultural Strength

In modern organizations, cyber resilience is a daily challenge, operating across multiple countries, factories, networks, and partners; so their ability to respond and recover is as important as their ability to prevent.

Through both simulations and real incidents, one can learn that resilience is built on culture and collaboration, not just technology. Quick, coordinated communication among IT, OT, legal, communications, and leadership teams is crucial. To support this, we established a unified incident response framework, tailored to our industrial operations, and strengthened our supply chain resilience through vendor risk assessments and local “cyber champions” in every country.

Just as importantly, security by design and DevSecOps principles need to be built into every project. Security should not be an afterthought or a compliance checkbox. it’ should be built into the design phase of every digital initiative and business continuity plan.

Trust: The Foundation of Resilient Growth

Ultimately, trust is the foundation on which everything else is built – with customers, partners, and our own teams.

From a CISO’s perspective, trust isn’t achieved solely through technology. It is created through transparency, consistency, and culture. In modern organizations, cybersecurity is should not just a technical concern; it should part of their quality and reputation. They should adhere to international standards, ensure compliance, and, most importantly, strive to be reliable and predictable in every relationship.

Modern organizations should invest heavily in their security culture, empowering every employee to take ownership of cybersecurity. The most effective firewall, after all, is people who care; people who feel informed and confident to speak up when something doesn’t look right. Culture is learned through example, not command.

In the end, I believe that security is not a cost; it’s a growth enabler. When you have strong foundations in governance and data protection, you can innovate faster and with greater confidence. Cybersecurity becomes not an obstacle, but a driver of trust, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.

Closing Thought

As technology leaders, our goal isn’t to control innovation; it is to enable it responsibly. Resilience isn’t built in isolation by the CIO, CISO, or any single function. It’s a shared journey, grounded in collaboration, trust, and a culture that sees security not as a barrier, but as the bedrock of sustainable growth. This is how, after all, CIO/CISO can act as the Gatekeeper of Resilient Growth