CISO Conversations: Chris Wheeler - Trust Is the Job, From the Navy to the C-Suite
SecurityWeek, Thursday, August 27th, 2026
Chris Wheeler on how Navy leadership training shaped his approach to building trust-based security programs.
Chris Wheeler, CISO at Resilience, reflects on moving from six years in the Navy to leading security teams in the private sector.
He argues trust is the foundation of effective leadership, requiring mutual confidence between the CISO and business partners as well as within the security team.
Wheeler advocates building risk quantification and financial analysis skills alongside technical expertise.
He also notes that generative AI is democratizing security roles, freeing leaders to focus on building emotionally intelligent teams rather than demanding sole technical mastery.