Spotlight on Chad Bairnsfather, CISO, Employbridge

I have worked in the cybersecurity field for 25 years with experience in various industries including healthcare, legal, higher education, and staffing. I've spent the past 15 years in senior leadership, building and maturing security teams and programs. I have a CISSP certification and a degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University. A fun fact about me, I'm a former 1st place champion of Fort Lauderdale's Cajun Festival crawfish eating contest. 

Learn more about the Florida CISO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I realized early in my career that cybersecurity was going to be a crucial field for our personal safety and economic stability. I spent several years studying cybersecurity principles and standards while transitioning from IT infrastructure and architecture roles. I've thoroughly enjoyed my career path from security engineer -> security manager -> security director -> and finally CISO.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Transparency and trust are essential to be a successful leader.
 

What is the greatest challenge CISOs face today, and how are you addressing it?

Advancements in AI are altering the way people work. It brings unlimited potential and great risk. I am addressing it by embracing it as a reality and working with business and technology partners to implement protective guardrails that enable innovation while reducing cyber risk.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CISO?

Be reasonable and flexible with your business partners – building relationships are critical to your success.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

Keeping my team motivated, happy, and engaged is critical. My success is 100% based on their success. 
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

Staying up-to-date on new technologies, cyber threats, and best practices is crucial for my success and development. 
 

Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.