Matt Cockbill, Partner in the CIO & Technology Officers Practice at Odgers, examines the unprecedented evolution of the CISO role in the age of AI
Once cast solely as technology gatekeepers, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are now being asked to do something unprecedented: accelerate innovation. As artificial intelligence becomes an engine of enterprise growth, the CISO is no longer just defending systems, they’re helping to build them.
That means stepping into a new strategic role. Their remit now stretches far beyond risk management, touching product development, customer trust and revenue enablement. The most effective CISOs are not just securing the AI agenda, they’re shaping it.
AI: A New Frontier for Enterprise Risk and Value
AI introduces a new class of risks—data privacy, model integrity, algorithmic bias and regulatory scrutiny—that demand a fresh approach to governance. But it also offers powerful tools for the CISO’s own arsenal, from threat detection and behavioural analytics to automated incident response.
The most forward-thinking CISOs are embracing this duality. They are not only securing AI systems but also shaping how AI is deployed responsibly and effectively across the enterprise. This requires a shift in mindset, from risk aversion to risk-informed enablement.
From Gatekeeper to Strategic Partner
To support the business in delivering AI-powered digital products and services, CISOs must position themselves as strategic partners to the CEO, CDO and CTO. This means engaging early in the AI lifecycle, helping to define data governance frameworks, advising on ethical AI practices and ensuring that security is embedded by design.
By doing so, CISOs can accelerate time to market, reduce the cost of rework, and build trust with customers and regulators. Their involvement signals to the market that the organisation takes AI safety and accountability seriously—an increasingly important differentiator in a crowded digital economy.
Embedding Security into the AI Development Lifecycle
To play a transformative role in AI enablement, CISOs must embed themselves directly into the AI development lifecycle. This means going beyond oversight and compliance to help shape the foundations of how AI systems are designed, trained, tested, and deployed.
By collaborating with product, engineering, and data science teams from the outset, security leaders can help define responsible data usage policies, establish secure model training environments, and identify risk thresholds that are proportionate to commercial value. Crucially, this early involvement prevents the need for costly remediation later, reducing time to market and ensuring AI applications are scalable and safe by design.
As development cycles grow shorter and AI innovation accelerates, security must move at the same pace. Embedding governance frameworks into agile workflows, using threat modelling tailored to AI, and implementing DevSecOps principles for ML pipelines are fast becoming best practice.
In this model, the CISO is not a blocker but a builder, empowering the organisation to innovate securely, responsibly, and with confidence.
Leadership Beyond the Security Function
The evolving role of the CISO also calls for a new kind of leadership. Technical expertise remains essential, but it must be matched by commercial acumen, cross-functional collaboration and the ability to influence at board level.
CISOs who thrive in this environment are those who can translate complex risks into business language, align security with growth objectives and foster a culture of shared responsibility. They are visible leaders who champion innovation while maintaining a clear-eyed view of its implications.
For executive search professionals, this shift presents a compelling opportunity. The market is hungry for CISOs who can bridge the gap between security and strategy—leaders who are as comfortable in the boardroom as they are in the SOC. Identifying and developing this talent will be critical to the success of enterprise AI initiatives.
The CISO’s Role in Shaping AI Strategy
Ultimately, the CISO’s contribution to AI is not just about protection & prevention, it is about participation. By embedding themselves in the design and delivery of AI solutions, CISOs can help ensure that these technologies are not only secure and compliant, but also scalable, ethical and commercially viable. Secure by design, no matter the tooling, provenance and value case.
This is a moment of inflection. As AI becomes central to business strategy, the CISO has a seat at the table. The question is no longer whether security can keep up with innovation, but how it can help lead it.
