Paul Min
VP, Technology Operations and Security
Cadillac Fairview
Paul Min is the Head of Technology Operations and Security for Cadillac Fairview, a globally focused owner, operator, investor, and developer of best-in-class real estate, which manages in excess of $40 billion of assets across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Learn more about the Toronto CISO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, but I have had the opportunity to work in a diverse number of jobs and functions. A key point in my career was learning about “lean” manufacturing and continuous improvement which I’ve carried into consulting, business development, IT and eventually into Information Security and IT Ieadership. I’ve realized over the years that regardless of the job, people, processes and technology involved, my passion always focused on transforming the way business is done and how to continuously improve.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Because I’m a “lean” guy at heart, my focus is always on continuous improvement, but in addition, I fundamentally believe in respect and appreciation for people’s natural “superpowers” and supporting them to really shine and help the business they are in.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CISO role going in the next 1-2 years?
Information Security, as a given, will always have a significant amount of change. Technology in general is also accelerating at a rapid pace. With more cloud, and now AI and even quantum computing, keeping up with the pace of technology will be challenging. I see my role as being able to collaborate both internally and externally to understand where our business is going and translate that into technical strategies to enable the business activities to happen, while being able to demonstrate the function as a thought leader that demonstrates value.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CISO?
Most people coming into this role may have a fairly strong technical background, however the ability to translate technical concepts and implications to business stakeholders is critical. My biggest advice would be to focus on understanding and taking on your stakeholder’s perspective…. Always put yourself in their shoes.
Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
- As a hobby, I’m converting a traditional gas-engined car to fully electric.
- My ability to do home renovations is far less than what I think I can do.
- I’m trying to “re-learn” Korean as I supposedly used to speak it when I was little.
What is the value of joining an Evanta community?
It’s about having a network of people that understand what you do and being able to learn from, support and celebrate one another in our challenges and successes.
Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
by CISOs, for CISOs
Join the conversation with peers in your local CISO community.