Commvault and TIME Launch Inaugural CISO of the Year Award to Recognize Cyber Resilience Leaders

Award will spotlight Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) redefining cyber resilience in an era of relentless threats

TINTON FALLS, N.J., March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT), a leader in unified resilience at enterprise scale, and TIME today announced the launch of the inaugural TIME and Commvault CISO of the Year Award. The branded award, selected by Commvault and a panel of industry experts, recognizes enterprise security leaders who are not only defending against cyber threats but redefining resilience in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

As cyber threats intensify and regulatory pressures mount amid accelerated cloud and AI adoption in the enterprise, CISOs operate under immense pressure – balancing board accountability, regulatory compliance, and evolving threats. Today's security leaders are accountable not just for prevention, but for ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity, working in tandem with other members of the C-suite, including the CIO. To read more about the evolving role of the CISO, explore Chief Security Officer at Commvault Bill O'Connell's perspective on TIME.com.

The CISO of the Year Award recognizes leaders who are transforming cybersecurity into a driver of trust, operational strength, and long-term resilience. They embrace critical practices and emerging disciplines, including Resilience Operations (ResOps), which is rapidly becoming a core discipline for modern enterprise security. ResOps unites operations, security, and infrastructure teams around critical services, resilient design, and continuous validation, helping organizations better withstand disruption, recover within defined impact tolerances, and prove it with evidence.

"As cyber threats grow in frequency and sophistication in today's AI-enabled, cloud-first world, the role of the CISO has evolved into one of the most consequential leadership positions in the enterprise," said Bill O'Connell, Chief Security Officer, Commvault. "Through this award with TIME, we are proud to recognize the CISOs who are embracing a modern ResOps framework and shaping the future of cyber resilience."

"CISOs are among the most consequential leaders in enterprise today," said Mark Howard, Chief Operating Officer of TIME. "This partnership with Commvault is an opportunity to shine a light on the security leaders who are protecting their organizations and building a more resilient future."

Nominations for the CISO of the Year Award will be accepted by Commvault from March 23 through June 20, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts. The panel and Commvault will choose finalists and the winning CISO of the Year based on pre-defined criteria.

Criteria and Methodology 
Nominees must:

• Hold a CISO or equivalent C-level security leadership title
• Be employed in this capacity at the time of nomination
• Demonstrate leadership aligned with ResOps principles

Finalists and the winner will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Business Outcomes over Technical Defense: Ensuring security is a core enterprise capability, prioritizing the continuity of services that customers depend on most.
• Teams over Siloes: Bridge-builders who inspire security and IT teams to act as one, recognizing that true resilience demands a unified front.
• Proof over Promises: Building confidence through action – constantly pressure-testing their organization so when an attack or disruption hits, they are prepared.
• Readiness over Perfection: Designing for disruption, focusing on the ability to recover fast, rather than chasing flawless systems.
• Confidence over Fear: Turning resilience into a strategic advantage, giving their organization the freedom to innovate and embrace new technologies like AI without increasing fragility.

Finalists and Announcement of the Winner
Finalists will be announced by Commvault in July 2026. The winner will be announced by Commvault and TIME in September 2026 to coincide with TIME's inaugural Executives of the Year: Tech & Data list.

For more information and to enter a nomination for the CISO of the Year Award click here.

About Commvault
Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT) is a leader in unified resilience at enterprise scale. In a constantly evolving threat landscape, Commvault keeps customers ready by unifying data security, identity resilience, and cyber recovery, on one cloud-native, AI-enabled platform. Customers trust Commvault to conduct the fastest, most complete recoveries – not just their data, but their entire business. Purpose-built for the agentic enterprise, Commvault also enables organizations to safely embrace AI while protecting against AI-driven threats.

About TIME
TIME is the 103-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of over 120 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world's most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME's mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the award-winning branded content studio and Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios; a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families; and more.

SOURCE COMMVAULT