“Foundations are in place. Now, we’ll build an even stronger house.”
In less than four years, CISO-Community has grown into a thriving platform with hundreds of participants and well-attended events, such as CISODAY2026. According to founder Dimitri van Zantvliet, however, this is only the beginning, with much more still to come. “We want to showcase the value of the CISO-Community even more clearly.”
When Dimitri co-founded CISO-Community just over three years ago, the ambition was twofold: to strengthen the Netherlands’ digital resilience and to facilitate knowledge exchange. That the initiative would evolve so quickly into a fully-fledged community with hundreds of members has, however, exceeded all expectations.
“At the time, the idea was simple: let’s organise an event for CISOs,” Dimitri recalls, referring to the early days, working closely with Rob Beijleveld. “We activated our own network, set up a governing board with some amazing cyber colleagues, and got to work with short deadlines.” Since that first CISODAY, the event has more than doubled in size. The 2026 edition welcomed 350 participants from both the public and private sectors. But beyond that growth, what have been the most significant developments for the community, and what lies ahead?
The CISO role is maturing
“I’ve now spent around 37 years working in digital transformation, and I’ve seen the landscape change dramatically,” Dimitri reflects. During that time, he has witnessed the CISO role evolve into a mature executive function.
“The CISO gradually became a fully recognised executive role, similar to positions such as the CTO and CIO. Increasingly, CISOs began reporting directly to the Board.” As the role has matured, Dimitri believes its responsibilities have expanded accordingly.
“CISOs are facing an ever-growing range of challenges, from education and talent development to the way cybersecurity is organised across the business.” With these broader responsibilities comes an increasing need for knowledge exchange between peers.
“That is exactly where a community makes a difference. Experienced CISOs can inspire and support colleagues who are newer to the profession. That’s ultimately what we’re here for.”
Intrinsic desire to contribute
For Dimitri, it comes as no surprise that the community model works particularly well for CISOs.
“At NS, I have over a hundred cybersecurity colleagues, but some CISOs are still effectively a one-man band. For them, being able to exchange knowledge with peers from other organisations is incredibly valuable.”
The willingness among CISOs to support one another within a community is almost tangible, Dimitri explains.
“I genuinely feel that intrinsic desire to contribute and help each other. As board members, we provide the platform, but it’s the participating CISOs who create the real value by openly sharing their knowledge. Seeing that happen, is tremendously rewarding.”
CISODAY2026: a genuine honour
One of the clearest examples of that strong community spirit came during CISODAY2026 in May. “People genuinely celebrate each other’s achievements and recognise one another.”
A key part of the event was the presentation of the CISO of the Year award. Before being shortlisted, every nominee completed an assessment and submitted a position paper.
“Simply being nominated by peers was already an honour,” Dimitri says. “You could see how genuinely moved people were by the recognition. That’s because it comes from your fellow professionals.”
For Dimitri, CISO of the Year represents far more than a trophy. “It’s much more than an award ceremony. People invest time, reflect on their profession and actively contribute to knowledge sharing. Seeing the impact that has on fellow CISOs, and seeing those efforts recognised, is something I consider incredibly important.”
Continuing the professionalisation
Despite everything that has already been achieved, Dimitri believes CISO Community is still only at the beginning of its journey. “We’re continuing to develop the community, not only together with CISOs from across the field, but also in collaboration with technology partners and academia. The Digital Knowledge Institute (DKI) is already working on research papers and knowledge exchange events.”
Furthermore, new board members have joined helping to further professionalise the platform. “We also want to look beyond our national borders,” Dimitri concludes. “There is tremendous value in engaging more closely with CISOs from other countries.”
Exactly how that next phase will take shape remains to be seen, but there is certainly no shortage of ideas. “We want to showcase the value of the CISO Community even more clearly. The foundations of the community are firmly in place. Over the coming years, we’re going to build an even stronger house.”
