Masterclass Recap: A Session with Neda Pitt on The CISO's First 90 Days
We were honored to have Neda Pitt, seasoned CISO and former security leader of Belk, Globality Inc, and Lam Research join us as our featured guest for our masterclass: Your First 90 Days as a CISO: The Blueprint for Strategic Success.
The session provided a clear, honest look at what actually moves the needle when stepping into a new CISO role.
Top Takeaways from the Masterclass
Before stepping into the role, Neda emphasizes the importance of laying the map. Look beyond org charts to uncover hidden influencers and gatekeepers. Review LinkedIn posts and public signals to understand team sentiment and past initiatives. Whether you're entering a public or regulated company, know the terrain early. This helps you identify where resistance or misalignment may show up later.
“Data is Going to Be Your Friend”
The first 30 days are about listening, learning, and building credibility. Ask questions openly while you're still new. Data gives you clarity on performance, visibility, and what's missing altogether. When something breaks, who gets called at 2AM? That’s how you learn what really matters. These are often symptoms of broken processes or friction that no one has dared to surface. Treat them as clues, not threats
Neda reminds us that solving friction earns trust. If you understand pain points and help fix them, people will want to work with you. This is also the time to identify tool overlap, misused tech, or forgotten reports. Data is not just for control, it’s the foundation of trust and influence.
Operations and Security Go Hand in Hand
Between days 31 and 60, patterns emerge and gaps become visible. You begin asking harder questions such as when was the last time access was validated or data was cleansed? AI can’t be useful if it’s trained on broken, misclassified data.
This phase is about collaboration. The goal is to solve problems together, not in silos. Help others remove friction in their workflows, and you’ll build momentum for stronger governance and more strategic alignment.
The 60-40 Rule: Business Before Tech
By day 90, you’re expected to lead, not just observe. This is where the 60-40 rule comes into play. Neda says 60 percent of the job is relationship and business alignment, while 40 percent is technical execution.
Translate your progress into business impact. Don’t say you reduced vulnerabilities, say how it improved deployment speed or reduced onboarding friction. Speak business. Tie everything back to outcomes like revenue, trust, and velocity. That’s how you shift from risk manager to strategic partner.
The Board Meeting is a Moment of Leadership
Whether your board meeting lands in week three or month three, it’s a key moment. If it’s early, focus on what you're hearing and how you’re setting direction. If it's later, bring a clear, strategic narrative. Avoid technical jargon.
Neda urged CISOs to pick their first visible wins carefully. It could be reducing friction in a process or delivering new visibility into a key risk. But whatever it is, connect it directly to a business goal. Speak in outcomes, not incidents.
Set the tone for how the board sees security: valuable, measurable, and aligned with what matters most to the company.
The New Shape of the CISO Role
Today’s CISO is not just a technical operator but a business enabler. You lead with empathy, remove friction, and use data to shape smarter decisions. You don’t just mitigate risk, you increase speed, trust, and clarity.
If you do it right, you’re not just securing the business. You’re accelerating it.
Ready to establish your strategic blueprint for success? Watch the full session on-demand.
