CISO Executive Network
CISO Executive Network is a for-profit, privately-owned peer-to-peer networking organization serving 1,500+ senior information security executives across 27 US chapter cities through boardroom-style roundtables, an annual symposium, and conference-adjacent breakfasts, generating revenue exclusively from cybersecurity vendor sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersBaltimore, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CISO Executive Network does
CISO Executive Network (operating as CISO ExecNet) is a for-profit, privately-owned peer-to-peer professional organization serving senior information security executives in the United States. Founded in 2007 in Baltimore as the CSO Breakfast Club by Bill Sieglein, the organization has grown to 1,500+ CISO members across 27 US chapter cities organized into 11 regions. Its core product is a calendar of boardroom-style roundtables — local chapter meetings (12-18 CISOs), regional roundtables (25-40 CISOs), an annual national symposium (nearly 100 CISOs), and signature breakfasts adjacent to RSA, Black Hat, and Gartner conferences — supplemented by a members-only LinkedIn discussion group and a bi-weekly newsletter. Membership is complimentary and gated by strict title, role, and company-size criteria, while all revenue is generated through tiered event sponsorships sold to cybersecurity solution providers.
The organization's underlying technology is a lightweight operational stack: a Drupal-based public website at cisoexecnet.com with member and sponsor portals, the LinkedIn discussion group as the persistent online community, and standard event-management infrastructure supporting registration, CPE credit issuance, and sponsor coordination. There is no proprietary software product, no mobile application, and no published APIs or SDKs. Recent additions include virtual webinar programming and a research partnership with MIND that produced a 124-CISO survey on AI data trust published in April 2026.
Commercially, the business runs on sponsorship revenue across four sponsorship products — local chapter roundtables (3 sponsors per event), regional roundtables (2 sponsors per event), exclusive conference breakfasts at RSA/Black Hat/Gartner (1 sponsor per event), and a multi-tier annual symposium. Sponsors gain thought-leadership presentation access and direct interaction with CISO decision-makers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts typical. The organization operates with 1-10 employees from Hunt Valley, Maryland, under leadership including founder Bill Sieglein, General Manager Andy Land (since 2016), and CEO Chuck Meyo.
CISO Executive Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CISO Executive Network
- Legal name
- CISO Executive Network
- Website
- https://cisoexecnet.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CISO Executive Network is a for-profit, privately-owned peer-to-peer networking organization serving 1,500+ senior information security executives across 27 US chapter cities through boardroom-style roundtables, an annual symposium, and conference-adjacent breakfasts, generating revenue exclusively from cybersecurity vendor sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CISO Executive Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Peer Networking / CISO Community Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
Keywords
Where CISO Executive Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baltimore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CISO Executive Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: The CISO Executive Network is a for-profit, privately-owned company that generates revenue through sponsorship of its roundtable events. Organizations sponsor local chapter roundtables (3 sponsors per event), regional roundtables (2 sponsors per event), conference breakfasts at RSA, Black Hat, and Gartner events, and the Annual Symposium. Sponsors gain direct access to CISO decision-makers through thought-leadership presentations and interaction opportunities.
- Membership Dues: Membership is complimentary for qualified CISO-level candidates meeting organizational criteria (based on title, role, and company). No membership fees are charged to eligible information security executives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Complimentary membership for qualified CISOs and senior information security executives |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Sponsorship - Local Chapter Roundtables |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Sponsorship - Regional Roundtables |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Sponsorship - Conference Breakfasts (RSA, Black Hat, Gartner) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Sponsorship - Annual Symposium |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
CISO Executive Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CISO Executive Network operates a peer-to-peer professional networking organization for senior information security executives, primarily CISOs. It runs nearly 75 boardroom-style roundtable events per year across 27 US chapter cities, a national symposium, and conference-adjacent breakfasts at RSA, Black Hat, and Gartner. Members receive complimentary access based on title/role/company eligibility, while cybersecurity solution providers pay to sponsor events and deliver thought-leadership presentations to CISO decision-makers.
Product overview
CISO Executive Network is a peer-to-peer networking organization serving senior information security professionals, not a software product company. The organization provides a platform of member services centered around intimate boardroom-style roundtable events. Core offerings include Local Chapter Breakfast Roundtables (12-18 CISOs per meeting), Regional Breakfast Roundtables (25-40 CISOs), National Symposium (nearly 100 members), and Conference Breakfast Roundtables at RSA, Gartner, and Black Hat. Members receive access to a private LinkedIn discussion group, regular newsletters, and website materials. The organization has 1500+ CISO members across 27 US chapter cities, hosting nearly 75 roundtables annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% of organizations are dealing with at least one significant AI security challenge, highlighting the critical need for peer collaboration forums like CISO ExecNet
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CISO Executive Network
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CISO Executive Network technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CISO Executive Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MINDcoreCISO Executive Network partnered with MIND (a research organization) to conduct joint research on AI data security and trust. The partnership produced a survey of 124 CISOs and 20 in-depth interviews, resulting in research titled 'Data Trust and AI Initiative Success' published in April 2026. The research identifies data trust as a critical factor in AI initiative outcomes, with findings presented at Security Boulevard and PR Newswire.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
CISO Executive Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SINET (Security Innovation Network): SINET builds trusted communities connecting cybersecurity innovators, CISOs, and investors through curated forums and conferences (e.g., SINET 16, SINET Showcase). Comparable in bringing together senior security executives and security solution providers in vetted, sponsored formats.
- IANS Research: IANS is the closest direct competitor — a research and peer community serving senior security executives with CISO-focused roundtables, faculty-led research, and tiered vendor sponsorships, mirroring CISO ExecNet's intimate boardroom format and sponsorship-driven model.
- Cybersecurity Collaborative: Cybersecurity Collaborative is a peer community for security leaders offering roundtables, working groups, and executive education sponsored by vendors. Overlaps directly with CISO ExecNet's intimate CISO roundtable and sponsorship model.
Broad incumbents
- Evanta (a Gartner Company): Evanta operates Gartner-owned executive peer communities, including a dedicated CISO Governing Body, with regional chapters, CIO/CISO summits, and large vendor sponsorship programs. Same executive-networking format, but under the Gartner brand umbrella and at much larger scale.
- ISACA: ISACA is a global professional association for IT governance, risk, security, and audit professionals, with chapters, conferences, and corporate sponsorships. Similar chapter-and-sponsorship structure serving security-adjacent executives, though broader in scope than CISO-only.
- ISSA (Information Systems Security Association): ISSA is a long-established international, member-driven association for cybersecurity professionals with chapters, events, and sponsorships. A broader incumbent with comparable chapter/community structure but oriented to a wider security practitioner audience rather than CISO-only.
- (ISC)²: (ISC)² is a global nonprofit membership body for certified cybersecurity professionals (CISSP, etc.), offering events, education, and chapter networking. Comparable in being a security-executive community and events organization, but with a credentialing-centric model.
Emerging players
- Optiv CISO Community: Optiv, a large security solutions integrator, runs CISO-focused events, advisory boards, and roundtables for its vendor and enterprise clients. Comparable CISO touchpoints, but driven by a single vendor/integrator rather than an independent peer organization.
- SecurityWeek / CISO Series: CISO Series is a media-driven community and event program (Cyber Fun Day, CISO Series Podcast, virtual roundtables) targeting senior security executives with sponsor-supported programming. Comparable CISO-targeted, sponsor-funded engagement, but predominantly virtual and media-led rather than in-person chapters.
- Wisegate (now part of Tanable): Wisegate was an invitation-only peer community of senior IT and security practitioners sharing vendor-neutral research. Closely comparable in the closed, vetted CISO/IT-executive networking model, though now integrated into Tenable's broader platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CISO Executive Network social profiles
Digital presenceCISO Executive Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CISO Executive Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CISO Executive Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CISO Executive Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CISO Executive Network
What does CISO Executive Network do?
CISO Executive Network operates a peer-to-peer professional networking organization for senior information security executives, primarily CISOs. It runs nearly 75 boardroom-style roundtable events per year across 27 US chapter cities, a national symposium, and conference-adjacent breakfasts at RSA, Black Hat, and Gartner. Members receive complimentary access based on title/role/company eligibility, while cybersecurity solution providers pay to sponsor events and deliver thought-leadership presentations to CISO decision-makers.
Is CISO Executive Network a public or private company?
CISO Executive Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CISO Executive Network founded?
CISO Executive Network was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CISO Executive Network based?
CISO Executive Network is headquartered in Baltimore, United States, in the North America region.
How does CISO Executive Network make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sponsorship Revenue is the primary driver. The others are membership Dues.
Who are CISO Executive Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SINET (Security Innovation Network), IANS Research and Cybersecurity Collaborative. Broad incumbents are Evanta (a Gartner Company), ISACA, ISSA (Information Systems Security Association) and (ISC)². Emerging players are Optiv CISO Community, SecurityWeek / CISO Series and Wisegate (now part of Tanable).
Does CISO Executive Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for CISO Executive Network.
What industry is CISO Executive Network in?
CISO Executive Network's product category is Executive Peer Networking / CISO Community Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies). Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 8600.