Stop Playing With The CISO Role. Fix Cybersecurity Leadership
CSO Online, Thursday, September 3rd, 2026
Argues business alignment is an org-design problem, and proposes a business-facing CSO sitting above the technical CISO.
JC Gaillard of Corix Partners argues the modern CISO job has become unsustainable, bundling technologist, strategist, risk executive, board adviser, crisis manager and business partner into one role.
His central claim is that business alignment is not primarily a communication problem but a leadership and organizational design problem.
He proposes a dedicated Chief Security Officer who is a business leader first, owning cybersecurity, data protection, business continuity and resilience, with authority to reconcile competing departmental interests.
The CISO would keep technical accountability, and separating the roles could make the CISO more effective by removing board politics from the job.