The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 28, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 10.
Next is Paul Michaels, chief security officer at Fortinet Federal, and finalist in the Private and Public Chief Security Officer category. Here, he shares key achievements, focus areas going forward, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2023?
2023 was a year of teambuilding. Every enterprise-wide security program has multiple internal and external stakeholders. This year was all about building the right teams and coalitions to address unique security challenges across multiple disciplines and functional areas within the corporation.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Moving forward, harmonizing our various security compliance requirements will be a primary focus area. As a federal contractor, we have a lot of rules and regulations with which to comply, and it is important to make sure they complement each other and don’t conflict. While compliance doesn’t guarantee security, it does help establish a clean baseline from which to evaluate the enterprise and identify and mitigate emerging threats.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
First, find out what is important to the board of directors of your company and why. Second, figure out how to align your job duties, your boss’s requirements, and the board’s expectations.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
I am training to run my first Spartan race in 2024.
