CISOs Connect™ Announces the Winners of the 2023 CISOs Top 100 CISOs (C100) Awards

CISO Peer-to-Peer Award Selects Winners Based on Transparent Criteria and Board, Making It the Leading Honor of Its Kind

NEW YORK, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CISOs Connect's™ Esteemed Board of Judges of its CISOs Top 100 CISOs (C100) awards has announced the 2023 winners of this pre-eminent peer-to-peer industry honor, recognizing the outstanding security leaders in the United States and Canada.

See the C100 winners here: https://tinyurl.com/2s3w28jz

CISOs work tirelessly to safeguard organizations across the globe, often without the recognition they deserve. The C100 award is meant to shine a spotlight on the Sisyphean work they do – while singling out the exceptional group of security and business leaders who are both dedicated to honing their craft, and to training the next generation of professionals to follow in their distinguished paths.

"Congratulations to the C100 winners," said Prologis CISO Sue Lapierre, a member of the CISO Board of Judges. "It was no easy task for us to whittle down such an eminent list of applicants. Ultimately, those who were chosen distinguished themselves not only by their exceptional professional accomplishments but also by their commitment to mentoring a successor generation."

What differentiates these awards from other industry honors is the transparency of the process, with defined eligibility criteria and a declared board of judges to choose the winners. There were over 700 nominations both self-submitted and submitted by third parties on behalf of CISOs who met the established criteria.

Key benchmarks for consideration included service in the role of CISO or its equivalent at an end-user enterprise or organization for at least five years; involvement and leadership roles in professional organizations; and security-related volunteering, mentoring and activism.

There is no fee or financial requirement at any point associated with the awards.

"CISOs operate in a relentless environment that is getting more complicated as attack surfaces broaden and malicious actors grow more sophisticated," said David Cass, President of CISOs Connect and GSR CISO. "Those who toil tirelessly to protect our institutions, but also take the time to share their expertise with others belong to an even more elite group. Their accomplishments and legacy of giving back deserve to be highlighted, and the C100 awards, untainted by financial considerations or personal bias, were created to do just that."

In addition to honoring the Top 100 CISOs in the U.S. and Canada, the Board of Esteemed Judges also paid tribute to three other peers.

Nicole Darden Ford,  Rockwell Automation Global VP & CISO, was recognized with the CISO Trailblazer Award, for forging new territories for professional growth. A critical and creative thinker, Nicole personifies the type of innovative business leader the security industry so urgently needs.

Colin Anderson, Ceridian CISO, was honored with the CISO Visionary Award for epitomizing exceptional foresight and vision and taking the CISO role to new heights. Colin is an evangelist for innovation and transformation, making him a true role model for young security practitioners.

Endré Jarraux Walls, CISOs Connect Advisory Board Member and seasoned CISO, was recognized with the Distinguished Leader Award for his creativity and critical thinking that is required to propel the CISO to the top ranks of their organization.

The following industry leaders served on the Board of Judges:

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association VP & CISO Chris Lugo
Carnival Corporation Global CIO Devon Bryan
ChristianaCare CISO Anahi Santiago
CISOs Connect Board Member Endré Jarraux Walls
CLEAR EVP & CISO Rick Patterson
CN CISO Vaughn Hazen
Driven Brands VP & CISO Kevin Morrison
First Quality Enterprises CISO Ariel Litvin
Marsh Global CISO Dan Bowden
McKesson SVP & Global CISO Michael McNeil
Otis Elevator VP & CISO Mario Memmo
Prologis VP, IT Governance & CISO Sue Lapierre.

"It is a weighty responsibility to be entrusted with securing the world's most sensitive information while helping to drive the success of our organizations," Esteemed Judge Endré Jarraux Walls said. "At the same time, we have no loftier professional goal than making our community stronger. I consider myself fortunate to belong to an industry with such a strong sense of community, and am keen on sharing my experience in the interest of an ever-stronger cyber ecosystem."

As a fundamental part of its mission to support and recognize the CISOs unceasing efforts to safeguard their enterprises and organizations globally, Black Kite, Inc. has partnered for the third year with CISOs Connect™ to fulfill that mission.

"We are excited to support the C100 which honors the extraordinary efforts and contributions of top CISOs," said Paul Paget, CEO of Black Kite. "CISOs are the unsung heroes and being able to make peer-to-peer recognition possible is an honor. Congratulations to this year's winners!"

The following organizations also partnered with CISOs Connect to make the C100 possible:
Forte Group
Mayfield Investments
Morgan Franklin Consulting
Uptycs

About CISOs Connect
CISOs Connect is an exclusive membership-only interactive community of trusted cyber peers and subject matter experts. Connected by common interests, this community allows cyber experts to share knowledge and expertise through proprietary content, research and analysis, while exchanging information and ideas, and collaborating with trusted colleagues to make informed business and technology decisions. 

CISOs Connect™ is part of Security Current™, known for its Security Shark Tank^® and lauded for its CISO-driven content, knowledge sharing and community ethos. It is purpose-built and led by the top CISOs in North America.

Media Contact:
Aimee Rhodes
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SOURCE CISOs Connect