Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a Chief Information Security Officer to Lead Post-Incident Recovery and Build an Enterprise Security Program for a Regional Financial Services Company

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, expedited North American executive search that equipped a publicly traded regional financial services company with a Chief Information Security Officer and security leadership required to lead recovery from a significant cybersecurity incident, satisfy regulators and the board, rebuild the security program and organization, and restore customer and investor confidence.

The Challenge

A publicly traded regional financial services company had experienced a significant cybersecurity incident that exposed customer data, triggered regulatory notifications, and drew enforcement attention. The incident revealed gaps in detection, response, and security governance, and the incumbent CISO departed during the investigation. Regulators required a remediation plan with executive ownership, the board had formed a special committee, and customers and investors were watching the response. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the company:

• A significant cybersecurity incident with customer data exposure and active regulatory engagement
• A CISO departure during the investigation, leaving recovery and remediation without security leadership
• Detection, response, and security operations capabilities inadequate for the threat environment
• Security governance, risk management, and board reporting below regulatory expectations
• A regulatory remediation plan requiring a credible, accountable security executive
• Customer, investor, and board confidence dependent on a visible, competent response

Recognizing that recovery required a CISO with incident and regulatory experience, the CEO and board special committee engaged JRG Partners for an expedited search for a Chief Information Security Officer, supported by a Director of Security Operations & Incident Response and a Director of Security Governance, Risk & Compliance. The company required an executive search partner with deep financial services expertise and immediate access to security leaders who had led post-incident recoveries under regulatory scrutiny.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

CISO and Security Leadership Search Specialization

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice for Chief Information Security Officer and security leadership searches across financial services, healthcare, industrial, and technology companies, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on program leadership, incident and crisis management, regulatory credibility, and board communication.

Financial Services and Regulatory Experience

Our team has extensive experience recruiting security executives for banks, insurers, and financial services companies, with a clear understanding of regulatory expectations, examination dynamics, and the security governance standards regulators and boards require.

Speed Under Regulatory Pressure

JRG Partners structured the engagement to deliver qualified finalists within two weeks, recognizing that regulatory remediation and board oversight required security leadership in place immediately.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Incident & Program Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, board special committee, general counsel, and outside incident response advisors to review the incident, regulatory requirements, security program gaps, and organizational needs. This review defined a CISO profile combining incident recovery leadership, regulatory remediation experience, and enterprise security program building.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting chief information security officers and senior security leaders at financial services and regulated companies who had led documented post-incident recoveries and regulatory remediations. Over 245 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Expedited Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of leading incident recovery, satisfying regulatory remediation requirements, rebuilding security operations and governance, communicating effectively with boards and regulators, and restoring stakeholder confidence. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented a recovery and security program plan to the CEO, board special committee, and general counsel, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified incident recovery, regulatory, and program outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 245+ financial services and regulated-industry security executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed a post-incident recovery CISO in 38 days.
• Completed all regulatory remediation commitments ahead of deadlines.
• Rebuilt security operations with continuous monitoring and tested incident response within nine months.
• Closed follow-up examinations with no further cybersecurity findings.
• Contained customer attrition and restored investor confidence in the security response.