Don’t Chase Titles — Build These 3 Things Instead (CISO Advice) with Nathan Wright

🎥 Episode 61 – The Professional CISO Show Guest: Nathan Wright, CISO at Textron Host: David Malicoat Sponsor: Armis Check out the Armis 2025 Cyberwarfare Report: www.armis.com/cyberwarfare Visit Armis at RSAC, North Hall, Booth N-5457: www. armis.com/rsac2025 --- What do FBI linguistics, supply chain management, and military-grade engineering have in common? For Nathan Wright, they’re all chapters in the same story — one that led him to the CISO seat at Textron. In this episode, Nathan reveals how a non-traditional path and fearless pivots shaped his leadership style. From national defense systems to aircraft cybersecurity, he shares how blending technical depth with business fluency has helped him *protect the revenue* and influence at the highest levels. Whether you’re mid-career or just starting out, this conversation will challenge how you think about your cybersecurity journey — and why *sidesteps* might be your biggest step forward. --- ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro + Why pivots matter 02:00 – From Russian linguist to federal tech systems 05:00 – Moving from FBI to Textron and the first career pivot 07:00 – Hands-on experience across supply chain, engineering, and physical security 10:00 – Standing up product cybersecurity at Bell 12:00 – Protect the revenue: Nathan’s approach to cybersecurity 14:00 – Advice for early and mid-career professionals: Avoid the “cyber-only” trap 17:00 – Why “title” shouldn’t be your goal 18:30 – Infrastructure vs. cybersecurity: The real disconnect 21:00 – Translating “cyberese” into business terms 25:00 – What regulations taught us — and where they fall short 29:00 – Risk maturity: When you’re ready to go beyond compliance 32:00 – The benefits of staying with one company (but switching lanes) 36:00 – What’s beyond CISO? Nathan reflects 37:00 – Rapid-fire 10 questions 40:00 – Closing thoughts --- 👍 Enjoyed the episode? - Like & Subscribe to support the mission to *professionalize the CISO role* - Drop a comment — what pivot changed your career? - Hit the 🔔 bell to get notified when new episodes go live --- 🌐 More from The Professional CISO Show: Website: https://www.thpc.co/ Spotify: Follow on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2C7JojNZPdg1g6AXvpKDfn?si=a7ac3172bb414673 Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-professional-ciso/id1731138021 LinkedIn: Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-professional-ciso-show Watch More Episodes: http://www.youtube.com/@TheProfessionalCISO --- 📌 Hashtags: #CybersecurityLeadership #CISOShow #ProfessionalCISO #Textron #CareerPivots #CyberResilience #TranslateCyber #RiskManagement #InfosecLeadership #CyberCareer