Roberto De Paolis
Head of IT Security Partner & Security Operations
Leonardo
Roberto De Paolis currently serves as Head of IT Security Partner & Security Operations at Leonardo, where he is responsible for IT Security at the Group Level. Roberto also serves as the Chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group Study 294. Roberto has a degree in Electronic Engineering, Information Technology from the Sapienza University of Rome.
Learn more about the Italy CISO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
In 1984, with a Commodore 64, I founded and managed one of the first bulletin board systems (BBS), igniting my passion for pioneering telematics in Italy. Subsequently, I completed a degree in Electronic Engineering with an Information Technology path and began my career as an IT consultant between 1999 and 2004 at multiple security consulting companies.
Later, I joined large companies like Northrop Grumman Italy, SKY, UniCredit Group, and ICCRREA Banking Group, serving under various roles of increasing complexity and responsibilities, exclusively related to information and cybersecurity.
In 2018, I took on the role of IT Security Business Partner & Security Operations at Leonardo, one of Italy’s biggest companies, providing global security and advanced technology systems for applications in the aerospace, defence and security sectors.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
It is crucial to invest in the team to drive excellent performance. I am very demanding but at the same time always prone to help and give support and solutions.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CISO role going in the next 1-2 years?
I agree with almost all CISOs when they say they must concentrate more on reporting, effective communication, risk management and business enablement, but this is only possible with strong technical skills to steer IT security architectures instead of simply being a viewer of them. Without technical skills, CISOs cannot serve as real leaders within their organisations.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CISO?
Try to understand the area in which you are lacking the most - for example, in technical or managerial skills or reporting risk to management. Step by step, you can fill in these gaps.
Tell us a few fun facts about yourself.
- At 4 years old, I evaded control of my parents by going to my aunt’s home to bring her a small bag that she expected to receive from my mother (I heard this from a telephone call between them).
- At the age of 18, when it was time to choose a course at university, I struggled a lot between Engineering and Medicine. I have no regrets, but I still like that subject and I read a lot of medical publications.
- I recently started to play tennis again after thirty years of inactivity.
What is the value of joining an Evanta community?
Evanta is relatively new to the Italian region, and I believe it will be the future!
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