These key skills are highly transferable to broader roles like COO, according to McDonald. In the current role, for example, he must understand the needs of customers and be able to speak the common language with them. “CISOs need to talk to finance, HR, marketing [and] product to bring about change, change the way you view the security situation with the organization or reduce the risk profile. These skills are highly transferable and will position you well to manage any type of functional group,” he says.
“Being a CISO, what you do every day, is thinking about the whole business, not just your approach. “Making one change can affect the entire business so you have to do a good job of making an impact outside of your specific role,” McDonald told CSO.
Broad exposure to different verticals is beneficial in transitioning to roles like COO because it involves understanding different regulatory and compliance requirements. “It helps to think in different ways, not just about internal needs, but how they translate into what the customer might need and start speaking a different language and look at your organization both externally and internally,” he says.
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