Life of a CISO with Dr. Eric Cole

Building Credibility Before the Crisis: Zachary Lewis on Frameworks & Board Trust


Listen Later

In this inspiring episode of Life of a CISO, Dr. Eric Cole sits down with Zachary Lewis, Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis. With over five years in the CISO seat and a career that spans startups, coal plants, and higher education, Zach shares his unique journey from sysadmin to security leader. This episode offers a front-row seat into what it really takes to pivot into cybersecurity leadership—especially when you're coming from the IT side. Zach breaks down how to make the transition, why leadership trumps deep technical skills at the CISO level, and how to build credibility even when you don’t have decades of cyber experience under your belt.

But this conversation goes beyond resumes and frameworks. Zach and Dr. Cole dig deep into the realities of leading during a global crisis—Zach took his role just weeks before COVID—and how a ransomware incident became a turning point in proving the strength of his security program. For aspiring CISOs and current security leaders alike, this episode is full of wisdom on how to lead with calm, build board-level trust, and turn unexpected challenges into defining moments. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your executive edge, Zach’s story is a blueprint worth studying.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Life of a CISO with Dr. Eric ColeBy Dr. Eric Cole

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

32 ratings


More shows like Life of a CISO with Dr. Eric Cole

View all
Security Now (Audio) by TWiT

Security Now (Audio)

2,003 Listeners

Defensive Security Podcast - Malware, Hacking, Cyber Security & Infosec by Jerry Bell and Andrew Kalat

Defensive Security Podcast - Malware, Hacking, Cyber Security & Infosec

370 Listeners

Risky Business by Patrick Gray

Risky Business

373 Listeners

SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast) by Johannes B. Ullrich

SANS Internet Stormcenter Daily Cyber Security Podcast (Stormcast)

638 Listeners

CyberWire Daily by N2K Networks

CyberWire Daily

1,017 Listeners

Smashing Security by Graham Cluley

Smashing Security

322 Listeners

Cybersecurity Today by Jim Love

Cybersecurity Today

175 Listeners

Hacking Humans by N2K Networks

Hacking Humans

313 Listeners

CISO Series Podcast by David Spark, Mike Johnson, and Andy Ellis

CISO Series Podcast

188 Listeners

Defense in Depth by David Spark, Steve Zalewski, Geoff Belknap

Defense in Depth

73 Listeners

The New CISO by Steve Moore

The New CISO

40 Listeners

Cyber Security Headlines by CISO Series

Cyber Security Headlines

134 Listeners

Risky Bulletin by risky.biz

Risky Bulletin

44 Listeners

Bulletproof Cyber by Dr. Eric Cole

Bulletproof Cyber

8 Listeners

The AI Fix by Graham Cluley and Mark Stockley

The AI Fix

32 Listeners