William Cummings
VP, CISO
Generac Power Systems
William Cummings is an accomplished information security specialist who has been active in the security industry for most of his 25-year career. He has a systems architecture and engineering, IT risk management, business resiliency and executive leadership background. He has provided cybersecurity advisory services to some of Wisconsin’s largest institutions and has established cybersecurity programs supporting multiple Fortune 500 companies.
William brings a practical cybersecurity perspective to organizations looking to responsibly adopt security principles into their organizations. He is a board member of the Wisconsin Cyber Threat Response Alliance. He enjoys speaking engagements which raise awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and is active in #GivingBack through championing cybersecurity as a career at local high schools and across higher education campuses.
Learn more about the Milwaukee CISO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
With a systems architecture and engineering background, security was a consistent variable which I often gravitated towards. Fortunately, it also became center stage as the threat landscape changed overtime. My path into leading security teams grew as an organic interest based on the principles of attention to detail, team building, and building a career out of a hobby. It just happened as I was in the right place at a time when the skills were in demand.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Be an honest advocate for people.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CISO role going in the next 1-2 years?
The adversary will help us decide that.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CISO?
Documentation of critical decisions and full transparency are required to be effective. Self-regulating tact and emotional intelligence go a long way.
Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
I love baseball, driving recreational vehicles and can be found at a field, diamond or court on most weekends.
What is the value of joining an Evanta community?
The Evanta community strengthens the information security community and increases the rates of knowledge sharing across the Midwest, and hopefully nationally.
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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