Governing Body Spotlight

Shamnad Shaffi is an information security leader with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He began his career with IT infrastructure support, and over time, he developed a keen interest in information security. Shamnad has pursued multiple industry certifications including CISSP, CRISC, and CISM, and he has worked in several industry verticals throughout his career. Some of his projects have become security cornerstones in numerous organizations. In addition to staying informed about the latest security threats, he is also an active member of the information security community.

Learn more about the Toronto CISO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

The journey from a technical support engineer to a vice president of information security was a long one. My early career was spent in managing IT infrastructure, and as an IT professional, I have worked in India, the Middle East, and Canada. 

My longest career span has been spent managing and protecting critical national infrastructure in the Middle East. Over the course of my career, I have gained experience in a variety of industry verticals. Wipro Infotech, UAE University and Adma Opco are some of the organizations I have worked with.
 

What are your guiding leadership principles?

1. Honesty and transparency with the team and stakeholders
2. Empathy 
3. Accountability within the team 
    

With disruption being a key theme of the past few years, where do you see your role as a CISO going in the next 1-2 years?

Given the unprecedented disruption and accelerated digital transformation that occurred in the past few years, I think the role will continue to evolve and be more critical. 

 Here are a few points of focus:

• Managing risk arising from AI technologies
• Vendor related risks
• Cyber security awareness
   

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the role as a CISO?

Build the relationship and be transparent and honest with stakeholders.
 

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I love to travel around the world.
 

Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
 

by CISOs, for CISOs
 

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