In this episode of The New CISO Podcast (Episode 136), host Steve Moore speaks with Carl Cahill, CISO, about a deliberate, methodical approach to career growth—and why every leader must “pick their pain” to progress.
From combat arms in the U.S. Army to Active Directory engineering and large-enterprise incident response, Carl shares the pivotal choices that shaped his leadership. He opens up about moving from certifications to business fluency, using a personal gap analysis to chart his path to the C-suite, and how feedback like being called a “propeller head” pushed him to translate geek speak into the language of finance, law, and strategy. Carl also explains his five-phase 100-day plan, why IR readiness comes first, and how “radical collaboration” defines the modern CISO.
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Carl Cahill
Carl Cahill is a seasoned technology executive and Chief Information Security Officer with more than 20 years of experience leading cybersecurity strategy across retail, healthcare, and energy sectors. A U.S. Army veteran and CISSP-certified leader, Carl is known for balancing visionary leadership with operational excellence to protect critical infrastructure and enable business growth in complex, regulated environments.
Carl has guided transformative security initiatives at major organizations such as Ahold Delhaize, WPS Health Solutions, and Duke Energy, where he led efforts to align cybersecurity frameworks with evolving threats and compliance demands. His expertise spans the full spectrum of information security, including governance, risk management, architecture, security operations, and financial stewardship.
Beyond the technical, Carl is passionate about building empowered, high-performing teams and fostering inclusive environments where innovation can thrive. He’s a frequent voice on leadership, collaboration, and the importance of addressing unconscious bias in the workplace. Carl holds a Master’s in Technology Management from Georgetown University and is an alumnus of The Wharton School’s Executive General Management Program.
Now writing a book on leadership and teamwork, Carl continues to champion human-centered approaches to security and transformation—reminding us that strong cybersecurity starts with strong relationships.
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