CISO Mentoring for a Household Name Brand
Guiding a New CISO to Strategic Leadership & Industry Visibility
Client Overview
A newly appointed CISO of a globally recognised household brand approached Cambridge Cyber Advisers for mentoring and strategic guidance. While they had deep technical expertise and extensive industry experience, stepping into a CISO role at a major organisation required a broader skill set—one that included executive presence, business strategy, and external influence.
The client needed an experienced, independent CISO mentor who could:
• Validate their strategic thinking and provide confidence in key decision-making.
• Share proven templates and methodologies that had successfully driven security transformations in other large organisations.
• Assist in shaping a three-year cyber security strategy, ensuring it aligned with both risk management priorities and business objectives.
• Develop executive presence, enabling them to engage with senior leadership and the board more effectively.
• Increase their external industry profile, positioning them as a thought leader beyond their organisation.
Our Approach
We designed a tailored mentoring programme, leveraging our experience as CISOs in some of the world’s largest brands. This was not a theoretical exercise—every session was focused on real-world, actionable insights that could be applied immediately.
To support the CISO in their strategic planning, we provided validated frameworks and methodologies that had been used successfully in similar organisations. This included risk assessment models, governance structures, reporting frameworks, and board engagement strategies, all tailored to the specific needs of the business.
A key part of the engagement was executive presence coaching. We worked closely with the CISO to refine their communication style, board reporting approach, and stakeholder engagement strategy. This ensured they could confidently present cyber security as a business enabler, rather than just a technical function.
We also focused on increasing their external industry presence, helping them establish a stronger professional brand through conference speaking opportunities, thought leadership pieces, and strategic networking. This elevated their visibility, reinforcing their credibility both within their organisation and across the wider cyber security community.
The Impact
The mentorship delivered tangible results:
• The CISO successfully developed and implemented a three-year cyber security strategy, which was fully aligned with business goals and risk appetite.
• Their executive presence significantly improved, leading to stronger engagement with senior leadership, better board-level conversations, and greater internal influence.
• They gained access to proven methodologies, reducing time spent developing processes from scratch and ensuring best practices were embedded from day one.
• Their external visibility increased, with keynote speaking opportunities, panel discussions, and published thought leadership content positioning them as a respected voice in the industry.
By the end of the programme, the CISO had not only grown into a confident, strategic security leader but had also cemented their place as an industry influencer—ensuring long-term career success and strengthening their organisation’s security posture.
Becoming a successful CISO requires more than just technical expertise—it takes leadership, strategy, and influence. Let’s make it happen.
