CUSTOMER CASE STUDY: Building CISO Resilience with Strategic Communications
Specialized communications coaching from Discernible helped CISO Amy Bogac navigate career transitions, strengthen reputation management skills, and build a stronger executive presence.
As cybersecurity increasingly demands board-level attention and public scrutiny, CISOs find themselves in high-stakes communication scenarios that extend far beyond technical expertise. Specialized communications coaching from Discernible helped Amy Bogac, a senior Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), navigate career transitions, strengthen reputation management skills, and build a stronger executive presence. Through targeted coaching sessions with Discernible CEO Melanie Ensign, Amy successfully transformed a challenging situation into an opportunity for professional growth and leadership development.
CISOs today face unprecedented communication challenges, including:
- Rising frequency of board presentations and executive interactions
- Increased media and customer scrutiny following security incidents
- Growing need to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders
- Expanding responsibility for organizational risk communication
- Regular public speaking requirements through press engagements and industry events
- Complex stakeholder management across business units
Today’s CISOs spend a growing proportion of their time on communication and stakeholder management. Despite this shift, many security leaders lack formal training in executive communication, crisis management, and public relations, critical skills for modern security leadership.
Client Challenges
Amy is a seasoned security executive with 20+ years of experience in information security, IT governance, and compliance. She is known for developing effective strategies that bring cyber resilience to the boardroom and elevate the CISO role to senior leadership with business influence. She has led security teams across the manufacturing industry, from the Kellogg Company to Walgreens, and Clorox. Amy currently serves as the CISO at the international consulting and public accounting firm Baker Tilly.
When Amy first came to Discernible, she faced several concurrent challenges:
- Navigating the aftermath of a high-profile security incident and associated media coverage
- Needing to reclaim her professional narrative with a structured approach
- Desire to transition to a new executive role meeting specific criteria
“Never did I ever think that I would need a personal incident response plan and public relations expert to help manage media inquiries or questions. What you did at one company isn’t going to translate 100% to another. What worked for you before might not be the secret sauce at the next place.”
— Amy Bogac, CISO, Baker Tilly
Discernible’s Approach
Discernible CEO Melanie Ensign designed an engagement for Amy focused on developing a comprehensive communications strategy with:
- Clear, intentional messaging and practical application through podcasts and speaking opportunities
- Engaging presentation materials
- A strategic narrative for professional transitions
- Coaching for crisis communications and reputation-building
Melanie brought a unique combination of corporate communications, IT security, and crisis management expertise, creating the perfect environment for achieving Amy’s goals.
Key Outcomes
According to Amy, her engagement with Discernible delivered significant results across multiple areas, including:
Professional Development
- Successfully secured a CISO position at a privately held organization with $1B+ in revenue
- Enhanced board and executive interactions through improved messaging
- Developed confidence in handling vulnerable topics in public speaking
Communications Capabilities
- Established a foundation for delivering audience-centric presentations
- Built "muscle memory" for key messaging points
- Established clear, consistent narrative for professional experiences
“Working with Melanie at this point in my career journey was transformative. With years of professional leadership development and an undergraduate degree in Communications, I did not realize how much I would gain from this engagement.”
— Amy Bogac, CISO, Baker Tilly
Recommendations for CISOs
Specialized communications coaching is increasingly important for senior technology executives, particularly in high-stakes situations. Discernible’s combination of industry-specific knowledge and communications expertise was essential for Amy to achieve her immediate crisis management goals and longer-term career objectives.
The evolution of the CISO role from technical expert to business leader requires a corresponding evolution in communication capabilities. Amy’s experience reflects the growing recognition among security leaders that executive presence and strategic communication skills are no longer optional – they are critical competencies for modern security leadership.
“Even experienced leaders and presenters can evolve and grow our personal presentation skills as we move through different phases and stages of our careers. If you are lucky enough to have this level of internal support, take advantage of it. If you are working on what's next for you and your career, a partner like Melanie at Discernible, is a great personal investment.”
- Amy Bogac, CISO, Baker Tilly
To learn more about Discernible’s executive communications coaching for security leaders, contact us here.