Top 25 Resilient CISOs to Watch in Cybersecurity

AuditBoard is proud to present our first annual list of 25 CISOs to Watch, a compilation of the most resilient, innovative cybersecurity industry leaders. In the wake of high-profile breaches and new SEC cybersecurity disclosure requirements, the role of a CISO has never been more complex. According to Gartner, regulatory pressure and attack surface expansion will result in a vast increase in responsibility for CISOs by 2027. 

To recognize and celebrate those at the forefront of addressing these challenges, we selected 25 CISOs based on the following criteria: recent development of unique security roadmaps; a focus on their communities in the face of a changing future; ability to integrate business ideologies with new ways of working; and demonstrable success in ensuring seamless operations. Now, meet 25 CISOs to watch in 2024.

• Diaa Abu-Shaqra
• Jonathan Agha
• Alex Attumalil
• Maryam Bechtel
• Geoff Belknap
• Deepali Bhoite
• Suha Can
• Hadas Cassorla
• Gary Eppinger
• Emilio Escobar
• Steve Hindle
• Shabnam Jalakian
• Prabhath Karanth
• Diana Kelley
• Jonathan Kennedy
• Dan Lohrmann
• Sanjay Macwan
• Tomas Maldonado
• Chaim Mazal
• Allison Miller
• Manju Mude
• Rishi Tripati
• Phil Venables
• Terrence Weekes
• Sounil Yu

Diaa Abu-Shaqra | Sunrise BanksAbu-Shaqra is on a mission to transform and simplify information security and risk management by breaking down organizational silos, increasing risk visibility, lowering costs, and promoting collaboration and accountability. He blends the direction of Sunrise Bank’s cybersecurity strategy with a focus on overseeing information security governance and policies.

Jonathan Agha | FanDuelTo drive impactful solutions, Agha focuses on mentoring future security talent. With the foresight to build a community that focuses on the potential of AI, Agha has a strong track record of empowering his organization to scale.

Alex Attumalil | Under Armour, IncAttumalil has an established track record of embedding security into business processes, with the strategic vision and risk tolerance necessary to succeed. In his spare time, he gives back by working with the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department!

Maryam Bechtel | AGL EnergyMaryam Bechtel has focused her career on collaboration, integrity, and open communication. As an active member of the Australian Women in Security Network, she’s focused on supporting women in the industry as a coach and mentor.

Geoff Belknap | LinkedInWith over 20 years of experience in security and engineering, Belknap pioneered security for the world’s largest professional network. Recently, Belknap pivoted to assist Microsoft with their security approach.

Deepali Bhoite | AnaplanWith a focus on mentoring women in leadership, Bhoite serves as an advisory board member at Cal Poly Pomona Enterprises and a governing body member at Evanta, a Gartner company. She demonstrates the tenacity and resilience necessary to protect Anaplan’s data, customers, and reputation.

Suha Can | GrammarlySecuring the data of over 30 million users is no small task. Suha Can is up to the challenge as he builds teams focused on scalable, provable security. This is especially critical in the age of AI with over 70,000 teams using Grammarly’s tools for business. 

Hadas Cassorla | Scale SecurityWhat’s the key to progress? Improv. Cassorla focuses on the most secure way to accomplish organizational needs by emphasizing improvisation–saying yes and figuring out how to adapt and move forward.

Gary Eppinger | CSXFor CISOs, productive and visionary teams are everything. With experience in global strategic planning and business alignment, Eppinger consistently aligns teams to ensure effective outcomes.

Emilio Escobar | DatadogEscobar’s focus is implementing strong security programs to empower organizations to operate and scale quickly. Part of this experience comes from his time driving information security at Hulu, where he is still a member of the Content Delivery Security Association.

Steve Hindle | CISO SocietyWhether it’s responding to the global pandemic crisis, addressing the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, or responding to the Arab Spring uprising, Hindle has led crisis management with a focus on cybersecurity, proactive solutions, and risk reduction for clients around the world.

Shabnam Jalakian | FATCO Holdings, LLCJalakian’s experience includes obtaining a Master’s in forensic sciences, lecturing at California State University, working at Deloitte, and more. Now, she specializes in information risk management and technology administration.

Prabhath Karanth | GreenlightPreviously from Adobe, Karanth built a special operations task force of security experts to implement best practices across 500+ teams. Now, he’s passionate about imparting financial literacy to kids and young adults.

Diana Kelley | Protect AIAs a 2023 Global Cyber Security Hall of Fame Inductee, a lecturer at Boston College’s Master’s program in cybersecurity, and an author of cybersecurity books, Kelley focuses on educating her community and developing knowledge around AI and cybercrime.

Jonathan Kennedy | InComm PaymentsKennedy’s path to becoming a CISO goes back to his service in the United States Marine Corps as a digital network warfare operator. Since then, he’s focused on malware analysis, cyber training, and computer forensics.

Dan Lohrmann | PresidioFrom advising leaders at the White House to addressing the Department of Homeland Security, Lohrmann has focused his career on government clients. Now, Lohrmann ensures Presidio’s cybersecurity and IT products meet government security requirements.

Sanjay Macwan | VonageAs virtual reality and AI continue to grow, Macwan is ahead of the curve. He co-created and led NBC Universal to incubate and accelerate technology innovations. He also serves as an adjunct professor who educates students on 5G and the Internet of Things.

Tomas Maldonado | NFL From an advisory board member for the U.S. Cyber Games to CISO for the NFL, Maldonado focuses on risk transparency and strategic relationships. In such a high-stakes industry, effective security management is key.

Chaim Mazal | GigamonMazal focuses on global security for Gigamon’s product offerings. He also attended the Rabbinical College of America, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Jewish law.

Allison Miller | Cartomancy LabsWith a master’s degree in applied economics, Miller blends her experience in academics and cybersecurity to protect consumers from online threats. As a CISO, she delivers strategy for internet-scale technology companies.

Manju Mude | OportunFrom leading security at Apple to working with Ernst & Young, Mude was previously named as one of the top 50 CISOs to watch. Mude has also obtained her FBI Citizens Academy certification!

Rishi Tripati | Mount Sinai Health SystemsPrior to focusing on the cybersecurity functions of Mount Sinai Health Systems, Tripati brought his experience in securing mission-critical systems to his role as SVP & CISO at the NBA. His experience spans sports, healthcare, finance, media, and more.

 Phil Venables | GoogleFrom in-depth engineering to board management, Venables’ career specializes in business resilience, risk, and cloud services. Venables also serves on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Terrence Weekes | Jack in the BoxWith a long track record of technical and business leadership expertise, Weekes excels in IT and information security program execution, budget administration, and staff management.

Sounil Yu | KnosticYu is best known for developing the DIE Triad and the Cyber Defense Matrix–mental models that help organizations optimize their security capabilities. Yu’s passion for advancing cybersecurity has contributed to countless cybersecurity careers.

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About the authors

Richard Marcus, CISA, CRISC, CISM, TPECS, is the CISO at AuditBoard, where he is focused on product, infrastructure, and corporate IT security, as well as leading the charge on AuditBoard’s own internal compliance initiatives. In this capacity, he has become an AuditBoard product power user, leveraging the platform’s robust feature set to satisfy compliance, risk assessment, and audit use cases. Connect with Richard on LinkedIn.