Heidrick & Struggles Leading CEO Search for National Cybersecurity Center
September 6, 2016 – The National Cybersecurity Center in Colorado Springs has retained Heidrick & Struggles to lead its search for a new chief executive officer. A four-person search committee from the National Cybersecurity Center’s 12 directors will conduct interviews and make final candidate recommendations to the board.
The Cybersecurity Center hopes to have a CEO selected by mid to late September, said Eric Hopfenbeck, deputy executive director. “The budget, staff and management structure (of the Center) will be determined after the CEO is hired,” Mr. Hopfenbeck said. “We are still in the development stage, so we are collecting contact information from consultants, partners and subject-matter experts who want to support the NCC.”
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The newly hired CEO will have a major role in organizing a three-day National Cybersecurity Institute the center will host in November at The Broadmoor for invited guests that include governors and attorney generals of all 50 states plus an undisclosed number of mayors and county commissioners, Mr. Hopfenbeck said.
The event will bring real-time information on the latest cyber trends, security, best practices and education resources to the elected officials to help them better protect government computer systems, networks and critical public assets.
The Hunt for Cybersecurity Talent Rages On
Heidrick & Struggles’ cybersecurity practice has been bringing integrated talent solutions, including executive search, leadership assessment, and culture shaping to organizations looking to leverage security as a strategic asset. Its professionals work across functions, industries, and geographies to help clients more comprehensively identify and develop exceptional leaders across the security spectrum — from cybersecurity to operational risk to physical and corporate security. The practice has completed more than 300 security searches since 2010, including the placement of executives in senior roles in information security, corporate security, enterprise risk, and into organizations providing security services, software, and hardware.
But Heidrick is not alone in the hunt for seasoned cybersecurity talent, which has seen a dramatic increase in the last two to three years, according to a recent special issue of search industry newsletter ESR devoted to cybersecurity. According to ESR, published by Greenwich, Conn-based Hunt Scanlon Media, recruiters are finding a lack of qualified candidates just as companies put a greater emphasis and give a higher priority to corporate security.
“Cybersecurity is quickly transforming from an independent corporate functional focus to a full-fledged integrated business sector,” said Scott A. Scanlon, the newsletter’s editor-in-chief and Hunt Scanlon founding chairman and CEO. “That’s the biggest recent change we’ve seen.”
Mr. Scanlon said that as a result of this shift, demand for cybersecurity experts is exceeding the available supply by a “widening margin.” To assist companies in their hunt for senior level cybersecurity talent, Hunt Scanlon released its first-ever ranking of cybersecurity recruiting specialists. Twenty leading search firms were inducted into Hunt Scanlon’s inaugural ‘Cyber 20’ based on market reputation and dedication to finding best-in-class cybersecurity leaders. The ranking can be found in the company’s special edition of ESR.
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media
