Spotlight on Larry Woods

I serve as VP, CISO & Chief Privacy Officer at Post Holdings, where I focus on reducing cyber risk, strengthening resilience across the supply chain, and enabling safe adoption of emerging technologies. My background spans enterprise security, privacy, and risk management, with a strong emphasis on practical, business‑aligned outcomes. I’m particularly passionate about translating complex security topics into clear, actionable guidance for leaders.

A fun fact about me, I’m an Eagle Scout, where I learned that mastering a broad range of skills and knowing when to apply them directly translates to effective cybersecurity leadership. The scouting emphasis on preparedness, leadership, problem‑solving, and integrity closely mirrors the fundamentals required to be successful in cybersecurity.

Learn more about the Global CISO community here.
 

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

My path has been shaped by a desire to continuously learn, apply new concepts, and scale what works rather than focus on incremental improvement. I began with a strong server‑focused foundation and progressively expanded into networking, telecom, and desktop services, which gave me a systems‑level understanding of how technology actually operates.

From there, I built deep competency in cybersecurity, developing a risk‑focused, decision‑making approach that connects technical realities to business outcomes. That perspective ultimately enabled a natural expansion into privacy, where understanding risk, trust, and data use at scale is critical.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

A guiding leadership principle for me comes from a mentor who often said, “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” I believe that seeking understanding first is critical, as clarity often leads directly to better solutions. I regularly encourage my teams to ask more questions and ensure we fully understand the problem before moving forward.
 

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

The greatest challenge facing my role today is the pace of change, which is already rapid and only accelerating. We are simultaneously defending against AI‑enabled attackers while enabling the business to innovate and safely adopt new AI tools, all within existing resource constraints. To address this, I’m pushing my team to be AI‑first and to deliberately seek automation and productivity gains that allow us to scale our impact. Ultimately, the real answer is taking it one day at a time, because each day brings an unexpected and often rewarding challenge to solve.
 

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

What surprises people most is the assumption that deep technical expertise is what makes a CISO successful. In practice, the role demands strong business fluency, high legal and regulatory acumen, and the ability to effectively “sell” and “market” cybersecurity across the organization. It also requires clear communication of complex technical topics at every level, along with an instinct for brand and reputation so cybersecurity becomes a positive part of the company culture. Only after that foundation is in place does the technical side truly matter. Today’s CISO is expected to be an executive first, with technical depth following close behind.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

I measure success by behavior, not metrics alone. When people proudly share phishing attempts they caught, scams they avoided at home, or ask thoughtful questions about staying cyber safe, I know the message is landing. That tells me cybersecurity has become part of the culture, not just a control. And culture is the keystone of a truly resilient program.
 

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

Cybersecurity is a whole‑of‑society problem, and no organization can realistically expect to defend itself in isolation. Success requires the sharing of ideas, best practices, innovative thinking, and, at times, threat intelligence. Gartner C‑level Communities bring leaders together in a trusted forum to work through complex challenges, openly discuss what isn’t working, and learn from one another. More importantly, these communities create a support network that helps us collectively strengthen not only our own organizations, but also the critical services many of us are responsible for protecting.

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