215: CIO vs. CISO: Building Trust, Aligning Priorities, and Driving Innovation

Podcast Show Notes – Episode 215 | 02.11.2025

Episode Title: CISO Evanta Keynote Panel with Sean Barnes, Paula Stuart & Kara Pelecky

Episode summary introduction:

Sean Barnes, joined by Kara Pelecky and Paula Stuart, explores the challenges of technology leadership. They discuss the overlapping roles of CIOs and CISOs, leading to conflicts and executive overcrowding, and examine tensions within siloed tech segments. The episode emphasizes the need for standardization, training, cross-functional exposure, and leadership development, focusing on communication and leadership skills. They highlight how crises can build relationships and clarify business priorities. The episode wraps up with insights on fostering collaboration and trust between technology leaders.

Key Moments

0:10 – Introduction and challenges among technology leaders

1:22 – Acknowledging the Evanta team and guest introductions

3:07 – Overlapping and reporting structure of CIOs and CISOs

7:02 – Conflicts and executive overcrowding in tech leadership

10:53 – Siloed segments and tensions within technology roles

19:05 – Standardization and training for CIOs and CISOs

24:08 – Cross-functional exposure and leadership development

28:31 – Communication and leadership skills for technology executives

30:53 – Addressing personal liability and business priorities for CISOs

36:20 – Using crises for building relationships and understanding the business

38:04 – Collaboration and trust between CIOs and CISOs

41:22 – Closing remarks and gratitude

Key Takeaways

Effective communication and understanding of business priorities are essential for bridging the gap between CIOs and CISOs and driving successful collaboration.
The roles of CIO and CISO are evolving, with increasing overlap in responsibilities and the need for a strong partnership to manage both security and business operations effectively.
Building trust and relationships on a personal level between technology leaders can significantly enhance cooperation and facilitate smoother implementation of security and infrastructure initiatives.

Guest: Paula Stuart & Kara Pelecky

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-smetana-stuart-70a2a663/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karapelecky/

Host: Sean Barnes

Website: https://www.wsssolutions.com/

https://www.seanbarnes.com

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanbarnes/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/wsssolutions/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewayofthewolf/

YouTube: youtube.thewayofthewolf.com

Twitter: https://x.com/the_seanbarnes