Incumbent vs challenger: The CISO of 2030

C-suite Exchange: A global leadership debate on the future of the CISO role

In partnership with 

The CISO role is at an inflection point. What made today’s security leaders successful may not be enough to define success over the next five years. 

In this session, we bring together current CISOs and next-generation security leaders from across the US and EMEA to debate what the CISO of 2030 truly looks like. Is the future shaped by incumbents who can evolve with the demands of a rapidly shifting landscape? Or does it belong to challengers — leaders emerging from different backgrounds, with broader business exposure and more refined relationship skills from day one?

Together, we’ll cut through the hype and focus on what really matters: the leadership capabilities, mindset shifts, and operating models that will define the next era of security leadership. From board-level influence and data sovereignty to AI, regulation, and organisational resilience, this is a practical, candid conversation about how the role is changing — and who is best positioned to lead it.

Event details

📍 Location: Virtual

🗓 Date: 29th April 2026

🕛 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 PM

👥 Hosts: Doug Drinkwater, Strategy and Editorial Director, HotTopics

🎤 Speaker: Jay Thurston, Field CISO, Thales

Apply to join