Defense in Depth How to Engage With a CISO When They Express Interest
Mar 26, 2026
Adam Palmer, CISO at First Hawaiian Bank, shares concise trade-show wisdom from running security programs. He explains how to spark interest in 30 seconds, why strategy beats feature lists, and what concrete next steps win follow-up conversations. Practical tales show what works at booths and what repels busy security leaders.
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Make Your Opening Pitch Interesting Not Important
- Do make your opening pitch interesting in 30 seconds to win a follow-up conversation rather than trying to make it important immediately.
- Steve Zalewski says an elevator pitch should give a reason to talk, not force the CISO to start a long task to validate importance.
Lead With Strategic Outcomes And Immediate Validation
- Do lead with strategic value and measurable outcomes, not features or generic fear statistics.
- Adam Palmer applauded a vendor who promised to cut MTTR by 60% within 30 days and immediately connected him with a field CISO for validation.
Booth Goal Is To Win The Next Conversation
- Insight: The booth's goal is not to close a deal but to win the next conversation and begin earning trust.
- David Spark and Adam Palmer emphasize trust is half the product and early interactions should focus on credibility.
