In this premiere episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Stephenie Southard, Chief Security Officer at Baxter Credit Union, to explore what it really takes to lead cybersecurity in 2025. 

This 10-minute conversation kicks off The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series exploring how modern CISOs are rethinking risk, AI, and leadership in a rapidly shifting landscape. 

What we cover in this episode: 

• How to frame cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executive leadership 
• How cybersecurity should be integrated into the broader enterprise risk model 
• How CISOs can govern AI—both internally and across third-party vendors 

Guest: Stephenie Southard, SVP & Chief Security Officer, Baxter Credit Union Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways: https://cleartechresearch.com/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-1-stephanie-southard/

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Topics: cybersecurity, AI governance, cyber risk, executive strategy, CISO leadership, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Stephenie Southard 

Tags/Keywords 

CISO, cybersecurity, cyber risk, AI governance, business strategy, enterprise risk, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Stephenie Southard, Baxter Credit Union, technology leadership 

Episode Type 

Full Episode 

Season & Episode Number 

Season 1, Episode 1 

Custom Episode Webpage 

https://cleartechresearch.com/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-1-stephanie-southard/