Business case
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
SCENARIO
Our Client was a private industrial Group backed by a leading international PE Fund, market leader in high-mix, low-volume PCB (Printed Circuit Boards) production. Headquartered in Italy with a manufacturing footprint spanning Europe, North America, and Asia, the company delivers tailor-made products for multiple sectors on a global scale.
CHALLENGE
Following their recent acquisition by the PE Fund, the Group was undergoing an important transformation and strengthening programs. A key priority was enhancing cybersecurity across both ICT and ICS/OT domains. Collaborating with internal stakeholders and external advisors, the focus was on defining and executing a cybersecurity roadmap to establish a robust security posture and support the company’s long-term objectives.
The cybersecurity management system had to play a pivotal role in safeguarding the organization’s business assets and maintaining its resilience through proactive risk management, compliance adherence, and continuous improvement efforts.
In this context, creating the new role of Global CISO, a direct report to the Global CIO, became mission-critical.
The role needed to bridge the gap between technical security expertise and business strategy, managing internal teams across several countries, while orchestrating relationships with external security partners to deliver enterprise-wide protection gates for both IT and OT environments.
STRATEGY
The research proved demanding as we quickly realized that in Italy the CISO role is a recent introduction – a new position with no established and relevant market benchmark. This function is often interpreted as an extension of the IT department, with many professionals having grown internally within companies, rather than being recruited externally for their specialized cybersecurity expertise.
From an organisational perspective, there are reasons to recommend the CISO role as a peer to the CIO, rather than a direct report, given that the CISO must be able to challenge the CIO’s decisions and provide independent oversight of cybersecurity matters. This structural independence is crucial for effective governance and risk management.
Our considerations included:
- Market scarcity: Limited pool of qualified CISO candidates in the Italian market with the required blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and international experience
- Role definition: Establishing clear boundaries between CISO and CIO responsibilities while ensuring effective collaboration
- Organizational positioning: Securing appropriate seniority level and reporting structure to enable the CISO to influence strategic decisions
- Competency requirements: Balancing deep cybersecurity expertise with manufacturing industry knowledge and multi-cultural leadership capabilities
- Cultural fit: Finding a candidate who could navigate the Italian business culture while operating effectively in a global, PE-backed environment.
RESULTS
Following an extensive market investigation – in Italy and abroad – and a comprehensive mapping of companies with established CISO functions, we successfully identified a substantial pool of relevant candidates across various seniority levels and assembled a high-caliber shortlist.
Despite initial market challenges, our systematic approach proved successful in identifying qualified professionals who could meet the demanding requirements of this newly created global role, while delivering immediate impact in a complex, multi-jurisdictional operating environment.
