Luisella ten Pierik: "I wholeheartedly believe there is strength in unity"

It did not take long after the CISO Community was founded a few years ago for Luisella to get involved. “As soon as I heard a community was being established, I reached out straight away to say I wanted to contribute.”

Her motivation was clear. Being a CISO herself, she understands how important it is to stay connected with peers across different organisations.

“The CISO profession is still relatively young, and the role is interpreted in different ways across organisations. Many other professions have had professional associations and collaborative networks for years.” Until recently, there was little that brought CISOs together in the same way. “That’s exactly why I wanted to be part of it.”

After several years of steady growth, where does the CISO Community stand today, and what should its next ambition be?

Connecting those who often stand alone

Luisella believes the community has created something genuinely valuable, but she also sees it as only the beginning. “I still see many CISOs working in isolation. Meanwhile, pressure and expectations within their organisations grow.”

Stronger connections between peers and more knowledge sharing can make a significant difference for those who carry growing responsibility largely on their own.

“That mutual support is definitely starting to emerge. CISODAY, for example, attracts a strong turnout and you can clearly see the networking effect, with CISOs arranging follow-up conversations afterwards to continue discussions on specific topics.”

At the same time, she believes there is still lots of untapped potential within the community.

“Our challenge is to make the CISO Community even more valuable and encourage every member to make the most of the expertise and knowledge available around them.”

Knowledge sharing, diversity and matchmaking

One way to achieve that, Luisella believes, is by organising more small-scale knowledge sessions. While these already take place, she would like to see them happen more frequently, across different locations and on a broader range of topics.

“In a smaller setting, with a limited group of CISOs, you create an intimate and trusted environment. That’s where you have the best conversations.”

Another strength of the community is the diversity of its members, Luisella thinks. “We have many highly experienced CISOs, and we are welcoming talented newcomers.” Those entering the profession can benefit from advice, insights and best practices of their more experienced peers.

“As a community, we could actively encourage that by organising mentoring opportunities, where a new or aspiring CISO spends a day with someone who has been in the role for many years. It doesn’t even have to be highly structured. Simply making the right introductions, as a way of matchmaking, could already create tremendous value.”

Different perspectives broaden your thinking

That younger CISOs benefit from the community does not mean more experienced professionals have less to gain, Luisella says. “Quite the opposite. Even after many years in the profession, it’s incredibly valuable to hear what other CISOs are working on, what they see as major challenges, and what barely registers on their radar.”

For every member, expanding your professional network and maintaining lasting relationships with peers in other organisations is highly valuable, she thinks. “It’s important to keep exposing yourself to different perspectives. That’s how you avoid becoming trapped in your own assumptions about how the world works.”

She points to the recent discussions on technological sovereignty during CISODAY2026 as a good example. “Initially, some of us, myself included, approached the topic rather from a highly urgent point of view. Our first instinct was that everything should move away from American technology and towards European alternatives. But listening to fellow CISOs introduced different perspectives.”

For Luisella, that search for different viewpoints, rather than one definitive answer, is what makes discussions with fellow CISOs so valuable.

“I can then place those insights into the context of my own organisation and decide what works best for us.”

Unlocking the collective expertise of the CISO Community

“What I would really like to see,” Luisella concludes, “is the CISO Community becoming the place policymakers, governments and other organisations turn to for advice.”

Rather than an inward-looking professional network, she hopes the community will evolve into a recognised centre of expertise that external stakeholders actively seek out.

“It’s my ambition that more organisations and policymakers tap into the motivation, experience and collective expertise of CISOs. After all, our shared intrinsic motivation is to contribute to a resilient and secure society and thriving businesses.”

A clear ambition for the future. In Luisella’s view, an ambition that may be closer than many people think.

“The CISO Community story has already been a success. Now it’s time to focus on the next steps. Because I wholeheartedly believe there is strength in unity.”