The Challenge
A Toronto-based financial technology company was recovering from a significant data security incident that had exposed customer information and damaged trust with both clients and regulators. The organization urgently needed to recruit a Chief Information Security Officer who could simultaneously lead the incident response and recovery effort, rebuild internal and external confidence in the company’s security posture, and design and implement a comprehensive security transformation program that would prevent future incidents. The position required expertise across multiple domains: hands-on incident response and forensics capability for the immediate crisis; regulatory expertise including OSFI guidelines and provincial privacy law requirements for financial services; security architecture and engineering capability to redesign the company’s defenses; and crisis communication skills to manage relationships with regulators, affected customers, and media. The challenge was compounded by the sensitivity of the situation: the search needed to be conducted with complete confidentiality to avoid further reputational damage, and candidates needed to be carefully vetted to ensure they would not be deterred by joining a company in the midst of a security crisis. The role also required someone who could manage the internal politics of post-incident accountability while maintaining relationships needed to implement security improvements.
The Solution
Lock Search Group implemented a highly confidential search process recognizing the sensitive circumstances surrounding this placement. Our approach prioritized discretion at every stage while ensuring access to the specialized talent pool of senior security executives capable of managing post-incident recovery. We targeted three primary candidate pools: CISOs and Deputy CISOs from financial services firms who had experience with regulatory interactions following security events; incident response leaders from consulting firms who were seeking operating roles and had managed similar crises for clients; and security executives from other regulated industries including healthcare and telecommunications who had navigated recovery from significant incidents. Our assessment approach was customized for the circumstances: we conducted initial conversations without disclosing the client’s identity, using a blind brief that described the situation and requirements; only candidates who expressed genuine interest in the post-incident challenge progressed to discussions where the client was identified after appropriate confidentiality agreements. We evaluated candidates not only on technical security expertise but also on their philosophy regarding incident recovery, approach to regulatory relationships, and demonstrated ability to maintain team morale during crisis situations. Reference checks specifically explored how candidates had handled the human dimensions of security incidents including internal blame dynamics and workforce stress.
The Outcome
The confidential search engaged 28 senior security executives who met the technical qualifications and expressed interest in the post-incident challenge. Through our specialized assessment process including crisis management scenario discussions and regulatory interaction evaluations, we presented four finalists to the company’s board and executive team. The successful placement was a former Deputy CISO from a major Canadian bank who had led their response to a security incident five years prior and subsequently rebuilt their security program to industry-leading standards. Her experience managing the complete arc from incident response through regulatory remediation to security transformation directly matched the client’s needs, and her established relationships with OSFI provided immediate credibility with the regulator. Critically, she was motivated by the challenge rather than deterred by it, viewing the post-incident environment as an opportunity to drive transformative security improvements that would be difficult in a steady-state environment. Within her first year, she successfully completed the regulatory remediation program, implemented a comprehensive security transformation including zero-trust architecture adoption, rebuilt customer trust as measured by retention and satisfaction metrics, and developed a security culture program that engaged the entire organization in protecting customer data. The placement demonstrated Lock Search Group’s ability to manage highly sensitive searches requiring discretion while delivering candidates capable of crisis leadership.