Agentic AI has sparked a frenzy in most organizations.
It’s clear to us that security leaders are already putting its potential into action. By implementing autonomous AI agents, progressive CISOs are strengthening their security capabilities and establishing their teams as trailblazers in enterprise-wide digital transformation.
The effective use of AI agents in security is motivating CISOs to expand their involvement in their organizations' AI initiatives. By showcasing immediate successes and clear advantages, they are encouraging other departments to consider AI solutions. This proactive leadership is earning them the title of "Chief Innovation Security Officers.”
As agentic security adoption grows, the role of the Chief Innovation Security Officer is no longer just a concept – it's a catalyst for enterprise resilience and forward momentum. These visionaries are bridging the gap between technological possibility and practical security, championing both protection and progress in equal measure.
7AI is privileged to work with many of them as advisors and customers. They inspire us and fuel our passion to not only enable transformation but also deliver measurable security outcomes at scale.
In recognition of their trailblazing work, we are proud to highlight 30 outstanding Chief Innovation Security Officers who are redefining what is possible in the age of agentic AI. Each member of this list has demonstrated a unique commitment to driving secure innovation at scale, serving as exemplars for peers across industries.
Here are the Top 30 Chief Innovation Security Officers setting the standard for the future of secure digital transformation.
Alissa Abdullah, Deputy CSO at Mastercard
Alissa, or “Dr. Jay” as she is known, views AI as a transformative force in cybersecurity and innovation. She emphasizes that AI should be seen as a supportive tool that enhances human capabilities rather than a replacement. In her perspective, AI assists her team by organizing data, allowing them to apply human intuition and curiosity to challenge the data, inspire innovation, and identify new trends to explore.
Benjamin Dulieu, CIO & CISO at Duck Creek Technologies
What happens when a Marine-turned-CISO stops accepting the status quo in cybersecurity? He goes on a mission to educate his peers about the true potential that AI holds. Benjamin’s 6-part AI Innovation Series on LinkedIn is a must-read. In the post that inspired the series, he says, “AI doesn’t just automate — it forces you to rethink the process itself. It demands a new model of collaboration where human creativity meets machine precision.” We discussed many aspects of this series in episode 2 of Do Human Work.
Bill Brown, CISO & CIO at Abacus Insights
Bill emphasizes the practical integration of AI and innovation – especially in the context of data-driven decision-making and cybersecurity. He sees AI as an enabler – one that bridges the gap between data complexity and actionable intelligence, but which requires deliberate infrastructure and cultural readiness to succeed.
Chaim consistently emphasizes that AI is both a powerful innovation driver and a rapidly evolving threat. His perspective centers on balancing opportunity and risk through strategic visibility, offensive-minded security, and governance frameworks. In a 2024 Forbes article, Chaim argued that the CISO should lead AI governance across the organization. In doing so, he strongly believes that CISOs should be business partners: “As a security leader, you should support the different teams looking to adopt new tools, especially if the need is rooted in efficiency or cost-savings.”
Deneen DiFiore, CISO at United Airlines
Deneen is passionate about emphasizing a strategic, cross-functional, holistic and business-aligned approach to cybersecurity, particularly in the context of AI and innovation. This is true of her approach to AI adoption at United Airlines. On a PwC podcast last year, she said, “You have to have that holistic view to say, is this a problem we want to solve? If it is, is it the right technology and the right approach to be able to solve that problem? What are the risks associated with it?”
Dina Mathers, CISO at CarvanaDina emphasizes the strategic integration of AI to enhance cybersecurity and operational efficiency. Carvana employs AI-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) agents to triage security events. This approach enables human analysts to focus on more complex issues, thereby increasing the team's overall effectiveness. Her innovative approach to cybersecurity has earned her the 2025 Global Leadership Institute Award and a spot in the CISOs Top 100 Accelerated CISOs list.
Don Baham, CISO at Rubicon Founders
Don is vocal on LinkedIn about how AI is no longer just a tool, but a foundational element for transformation. He points out that while many organizations experiment with AI, only a small fraction are prepared to scale it effectively. He advocates integrating AI into business strategies to address real-world challenges such as enhancing customer experiences and streamlining operations. Baham stresses the importance of moving beyond pilot projects to embed AI into core business functions for meaningful impact.
Gavin Grisamore, CISO at Lead Bank
Gavin joined our latest Do Human Work episode to share insights on AI's role in cybersecurity. He notes that AI helps manage repetitive tasks, enabling security teams to focus on higher-value work like risk analysis. By offloading routine tasks to AI, teams can better maintain operations within acceptable risk levels, making achieving and validating risk tolerance more attainable – and giving professionals peace of mind.
Gene Sun, VP & CISO at FedExOn an interesting podcast hosted by Abnormal AI CEO Evan Reiser and CISO Mike Britton, Gene emphasized the transformative role of AI in cybersecurity, advocating for strategic integrations that enhance both defense mechanisms and operational efficiency. He underscored the necessity for enterprises to transition from fragmented, point-based solutions to comprehensive, AI-driven platforms. He warns that only a few large cybersecurity platforms with substantial data resources will thrive in the evolving landscape, as they can leverage AI to innovate and scale effectively.
Itay Livne, CISO at SIXTWhen it comes to AI adoption, Itay believes that adaptability is critical and that security teams must evolve as AI advances. On a CXO Secrets podcast, he spoke about balancing AI innovation with “safe and responsible implementation.” He highlighted the importance of a business-enabling mindset, ensuring AI initiatives accelerate progress without compromising security.
Janie Aggas, BISO at CBREJanie emphasizes the critical role of AI in enhancing cybersecurity measures. She highlights the importance of integrating AI to proactively address security challenges, rather than merely reacting to threats. This approach aligns with her broader vision of fostering innovation in cybersecurity practices to stay ahead of emerging threats. Janie also advocates for the importance of Business Information Security Officers (BISOs), as they are instrumental in bridging the gap between security controls and business needs, ensuring that security measures support and enhance business operations.
John Koester, VP & CISO at Graphic Package International
In another Do Human Work episode, John offers a grounded vision for how AI can give precious time back to the people doing the work – and why that matters more than ever. For John and his team, this translates to reimagining compliance and detection workflows and prioritizing creativity and employee development. He’s putting his reclaimed time to work by preparing his teams to become true business partners.
Jon Raper, CISO at ChevronJon was recently appointed CISO at Chevron after more than three years as CISO at Costco. His leadership blends clarity, creativity, and scale. He excels at turning risk transparency into boardroom strategy, democratizing threat intelligence for global operations, and reinforcing resilience in a vast retail ecosystem – making him a true innovator in enterprise cybersecurity.
Kyle Kurdziolek, VP of Security at BigID
Kyle is a rising star. He thinks about innovation not merely as tech advancement, but as strategic adaptation – leveraging AI and automation to transform security operations from reactive fire‑fighting into predictive, embedded, data‑driven defense. He recently predicted that the vision of fully autonomous SOCs will materialize this year. As he said, “Autonomous SOCs will revolutionize security team workflows by automating repetitive tasks, reducing alert fatigue, and enabling near-instant responses to advanced threats. For organizations facing resource constraints, these AI-powered solutions offer an opportunity to scale their security operations without expanding their teams.” We can’t argue with that.
Michael Tran Duff, CISDPO at Harvard University
Michael consistently frames AI and innovation through two interconnected lenses: the opportunities for progress and the resilience needed to manage emerging risks. He believes that technological innovation at scale requires cultural change. Referencing Harvard’s work environment as a “speculative voyage into the future,” he advocates for a mindset that allows creativity, shifting directions quickly, and reframing failure as feedback – essential for integrating AI-led solutions effectively.
Mignona Coté, CISO at InforMignona advocates for a proactive and simplified approach to security that embraces AI and innovation. She believes in an innovative security strategy that is proactive, simplified, built-in, AI-driven, and focused on robust cyber resilience within the evolving landscape of cloud technologies and data protection.
Mike Gordon, CISO at McDonalds
In 2024, Mike Gordon “traded in aircrafts for a Big Mac” by joining McDonalds as CISO. He quickly made his mark by embedding cybersecurity into the company’s core culture, especially as McDonald’s expands digital efforts using AI, IoT, and edge computing. He’s setting the tone that AI at McDonald’s must be secure, well-audited, and respect both customer privacy and operational safety.
Mike Ratliff, CISO at Providence
Mike’s LinkedIn monthly newsletter, The Mad CISO, is a must-read. His May edition, “AI - It’s Not Going to Save You” particularly caught our attention. He emphasizes the importance of integrating AI thoughtfully, ensuring it complements rather than replaces human expertise. As he says, “Until AI can read a hospital boardroom or walk through a patient ward, you better keep sharp people in the loop — and stop pretending automation replaces them.”
Olivia Phillips, Business Information Security Officer (BISO) at Amtrak
Olivia is a prominent advocate for the responsible integration of AI in cybersecurity and organizational innovation. She was recently appointed Vice President of the USA chapter of the Global Council for Responsible AI. At Amtrak, she leads initiatives that integrate AI into cybersecurity operations, such as Insider Threat Management and Cyber Threat Hunting programs. These programs have successfully reduced incident detection times and mitigated data exfiltration risks, showcasing the potential of AI to enhance organizational resilience.
Oritse Uku, VP, Business Information Security Officer & IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Northwestern MutualOritse talks about innovation not in terms of novel technologies or buzzwords, but through the lens of transformational leadership – shifting CISOs from operational or technical roles into strategic business enablers. In his view, innovation emerges when leaders combine technical expertise with influence, business insight, and governance acumen to craft security programs that actively support and accelerate broader business objectives.
Phil Venables, Former CISO at Google
Phil has been a vocal advocate for integrating AI into cybersecurity strategies. He often speaks about AI as a transformational force in cybersecurity, comparable to previous technological shifts like the advent of the internet and cloud computing. He believes agentic AI can redefine job functions and enhance efficiency in cybersecurity operations: “You can use AI to automate a job role, but often the best way of doing it is to use AI to automate the tools and to let AI configure itself and an appropriate usage to achieve an outcome. Often when it does that, it imagines a job function that’s very different from the way humans are doing it.”
Richard Rushing, CISO of Motorola Mobility
Richard champions a cybersecurity mindset that blends continuous innovation, strategic use of AI, collaborative partnerships, and a focus on priorities – all to stay agile and resilient in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. As he said in an interview in 2022, “If you stop innovating, you're going to get hit.” He began discussing AI’s potential five years ago. He sees AI not just as a future trend but as a practical necessity: “AI is super interesting to me for potential to be adapted to the security space… machines react faster than humans.”
Rick Doten, VP of Information Security at Centene
Rick has been an influential voice in the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and innovation. He advocates for a balanced approach to innovation, where security considerations are integral to the development and deployment of new technologies. He encourages organizations to develop clear use cases for AI applications and to assess associated risks thoroughly before implementation. This approach ensures that innovation does not come at the expense of security.
Robert Oh, CDIO at International
Robert is spearheading a comprehensive digital transformation at International Motors. This transformation aims to modernize systems, enhance operational efficiency, and foster a secure and resilient digital ecosystem. He is leading the integration of AI into the company's digital roadmap to accelerate innovation and growth, ensuring that AI initiatives align with the company's strategic vision and deliver differentiated digital solutions to customers and partners.
Sunil Mallik, CISO at Discover
Sunil acknowledges AI's potential to both enhance and challenge security measures. While AI can be leveraged to detect and respond to threats more efficiently, it also presents new avenues for cyber adversaries, such as AI-generated deepfakes and scams. Mallik advocates for the responsible use of AI, highlighting its capacity to process vast amounts of security data and identify anomalies in real-time, thereby strengthening defenses against sophisticated attacks.
Tómas Maldonado, CISO at National Football League
Tomás advocates for a strategic and informed application of AI in cybersecurity. By recognizing both its potential benefits and risks, organizations can harness AI to strengthen their defenses while remaining vigilant against emerging threats. He has spoken about AI’s ability to assist by automating complex processes and providing real-time insights, transforming the speed and accuracy of responses to cyber threats. This proactive stance allows cybersecurity teams to anticipate threats before they manifest, significantly reducing the time between threat detection and resolution.
Travis Farral, VP & CISO at Archaea Energy
Travis has over a decade of security leadership in the energy sector. His success in implementing security solutions and managing teams has significantly enhanced business resilience against cyber threats. He kicked off our Do Human Work podcast series with real talk about reclaiming creativity, the inevitability of AI-human collaboration, and how the arms race between attackers and defenders has leveled up.
Vijaya Kaza, Chief Security Officer at Airbnb
At Airbnb, Vijaya leads initiatives that integrate AI and machine learning to proactively identify and mitigate risks. This includes developing advanced reservation screening technologies to detect and prevent disruptive parties, thereby safeguarding the community. She views AI not just as a tool but as a strategic enabler that continuously adapts to emerging threats, making security more agile and responsive.
Wayman Cummings, CISO at Ochsner Health
Wayman frequently frames innovation as a practical, mission-driven response – not a buzzword, but a critical element in solving real-world challenges. He believes that collaboration is key to innovation. This means breaking down internal barriers between tech teams to build resilient security frameworks.
Yonesy Núñez, Chief Cybersecurity Risk Officer (CCRO) at DTCC
Yonesy has a pragmatic yet forward-looking stance on AI. His innovative work ties into DTCC’s broader approach to AI-governed use-cases, cross-disciplinary oversight, and secure-by-design principles. He recently wrote about the role of agentic security in helping defenders move at the speed of attackers: “This is where agentic security comes in. It allows AI to defend systems at machine pace because we simply can't respond that quickly on our own. 2025 is here. The tools exist. Now the challenge is getting them into action.”
About 7AI
7AI is the leader in agentic security, delivering the industry's first agentic security platform that harnesses the speed, swarming capabilities, and power of AI to give defenders the advantage over evolving threats. Founded in 2024 by cybersecurity veterans Lior Div and Yonatan Striem-Amit, creators of Cybereason, 7AI's platform deploys specialized AI agents that autonomously handle essential "non-human work" such as alert triage, threat investigation, and incident response.