Business Security Weekly (Audio) Emergence of the Chief Trust Officer as CISOs Earn Business Respect and Agenda Shifts - Jeff Pollard - BSW #419
Oct 29, 2025
Jeff Pollard, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, dives into the emerging role of the Chief Trust Officer, highlighting its importance in today's business landscape. He explains how customer demands have driven this role's evolution from traditional CISO responsibilities, now encompassing ESG, resilience, and compliance. Pollard emphasizes the need for metrics that demonstrate trust's contribution to revenue, while discussing ideal CISO personas for this position. The conversation also touches on the balance between AI reliance and core security skills.
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Chief Trust Officers Often Emerge From CISOs
- Most Chief Trust Officers were CISOs first and view the role as an elevation, not a demotion.
- Elevation lets them mentor new CISOs and align security to revenue and business conversations.
Match Your Persona To The Role
- Seek roles that match your persona: customer-facing, transformational CISOs fit Chief Trust Officer best.
- If you prefer program-runner or compliance-focused work, cultivate a deputy CISO or BISO instead.
Clarify Reporting Lines And Role Intent
- Reporting line matters: evangelism roles reporting to CRO differ from running a security program under the CEO.
- Clarify whether you will be closing deals or leading the operational security program before accepting a role.