Chief Information Security Officer

Witan Search•Madison, MS

3h•Remote

About The Position

Our client is a globally established manufacturer operating across multiple international markets, with a workforce of several thousand employees and manufacturing operations spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. The business supports a portfolio of recognised commercial and consumer-focused brands serving a broad global customer base through both physical and digital channels. Following a recent public market listing, the organisation now operates within a highly regulated corporate governance environment, including increased cybersecurity, compliance, and reporting obligations, creating greater visibility and strategic importance for the security function. This is a high-impact executive appointment for a commercially minded cybersecurity leader ready to own the programme from the top. Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer and partnering with the CEO, CFO, Chief Legal Officer, and Audit Committee, the CISO will set strategy, shape risk posture, and lead the organisation through a period of rapid threat evolution, including the rise of AI-enabled offensive capabilities. You will inherit a capable cybersecurity team and a complex, genuinely interesting environment spanning IT, OT/ICS across global manufacturing sites, a large-scale connected-product platform, and the full obligations of a newly public company.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience, with 5+ years in a senior leadership role (CISO, Deputy CISO, VP of Security, or equivalent)
Experience as the named cybersecurity executive at a public company, or senior exposure to SEC cybersecurity disclosure, audit-committee engagement, and SOX cybersecurity controls
Track record of executive and board communication, material incident response, and cybersecurity insurance strategy ownership
Strong working knowledge of cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP), application security, identity, and modern detection and response
Bachelor's degree in IT, Information Security, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
Senior-level certification: CISSP, CISM, or CISA

Nice To Haves

Global manufacturing or industrial experience, including OT/ICS security
Experience securing IoT platforms or connected products at scale
Familiarity with emerging AI security considerations and offensive AI threat vectors
Advanced degree in a relevant discipline
Cloud and/or OT/ICS security certifications

Responsibilities

Own enterprise cybersecurity strategy and multi-year roadmap in partnership with the CTO
Serve as the executive voice on cybersecurity to the CEO, ELT, board, and Audit Committee, translating technical risk into business and financial terms
Own all SEC cybersecurity disclosure obligations (10-K Item 1C, Item 1.05 material incident determinations, disclosure controls) and executive ownership of cybersecurity-relevant SOX controls
Lead cybersecurity insurance strategy, coverage adequacy, and renewal
Lead executive incident communication and material breach response in coordination with Legal and Investor Relations
Lead, mentor, and develop the existing cybersecurity organisation, including the Director of Cyber Operations
Set cybersecurity strategy across IT, cloud, identity, and end-user computing, aligned with NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and SOC 2
Own the OT and ICS security programme across six global manufacturing sites — bridging IT and OT without disrupting operations
Provide executive cybersecurity oversight for the connected-product platform (millions of users), including secure-by-design standards, DevSecOps, and PCI-DSS compliance for payment products
Own AI cybersecurity strategy: governance for AI tool adoption, deployment of AI-enabled security platforms, and response to AI-enabled offensive threats
Own the third-party cybersecurity risk programme and executive relationships with strategic vendors, MSSPs, audit firms, and outside cyber counsel