Joe Suareo
CISO
Beam Suntory
JUNE 2020
Joe Suareo talks straight, just like he enjoys his favorite whiskey, Basil Hayden’s®.
His style as CISO aligns well with his company’s mission statement. As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory is “inspiring human connections.”
As he reflected on the first few weeks of remote work and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his team, it is easy to see that he puts people first, which is critical in successfully navigating these unprecedented times.
Strengthening Morale
Because Beam Suntory is in the spirits industry, Suareo likes to say they’re “keeping people’s spirits up.” How? By emphasizing the importance of human connection. Weekly one-on-ones with every member of his staff, frequent team meetings and virtual happy hours have become the new normal. When connecting, he said, “it’s important to talk about things outside of the pandemic and to see how people live.”
Flexibility is also key and working strictly 9-5 is not part of this paradigm, he said.
“We’re not on a regular routine anymore,” Suareo said. “Being global, I have teams in Chicago, Madrid and India spanning several time zones.”
Doing the work has not been a problem, as most people were set up with VPNs and laptops, but “the thing that was the most surprising was how quickly the monotony of working from home happened for some employees. It’s clear that the social environment of our usual workplaces is important to our daily routines,” he said. The social component, the intangible elements of what people value in their work are the hardest elements of change.
It’s also important that people keep moving - get up every hour to at least walk around the house - while trying to avoid extra trips to the kitchen.
Any Advice to Offer?
Suareo encouraged CISOs to be as flexible with business partners as possible on all matters of cybersecurity.
“Be a good partner, work with every department and don’t just say no because the book says no. There must be a solution out there, and there is always an ability to compromise,” he said.
Suareo suggested heightened awareness of the current environment when working through challenges and tough decisions. The amount of security you need is going to be based on the company and industry you’re in. Risk acceptance is going to be different in finance versus manufacturing, and the business is ultimately the owner.
Counsel for what the company needs, strive for what the company wants for its maturity levels and that will play into your budget.
Security as a Business Enabler
“The days can be long without business buy-in. I’ve been there and I’m sure a lot of my peers have as well,” Suareo said. It is important to create relationships with the executive leadership and help them understand and define acceptable maturity levels.
For example, Beam Suntory’s 225-year reputation means a lot to them. Suareo knows that security and customer trust are critical to brand identity. Heightened vigilance and strict adherence to sound security practice is a business priority for the company.
“The amount of fraud is going up now, so the amount of review that we’re doing is higher than it used to be, even though we’re not adding any new tools,” he said. Suareo is monitoring SIEMs more frequently and emphasizing best practices like VPN use and device patching for a remote workforce. Increased security awareness benefits the work from home environment as well as employees’ personal online experiences.
Suareo is also essential to new modes of business. Throughout the company, Beam Suntory functions are making the necessary adjustments to be responsive to distributors and consumers. Globally, primary operations have been modified for COVID-related requirements. Their Global Innovation Center is involved with manufacturing hand-sanitizing products. All of these adjusted and new ways of working require security oversight.
Measuring Success
For Suareo, success isn’t measured in projects - it’s measured with people. Leading a team to their highest potential is Suareo’s goal. He considers bringing a global organization to a respectable level of maturity and achieving buy-in from executive leadership is a huge professional accomplishment.
Suareo said It’s also heartening to see people he’s managed or mentored ascend through the ranks to become senior cybersecurity leaders or CISOs themselves. Networking at local cybersecurity gatherings has provided him a way to maintain connections and learn from his peers.
Future Forward
The explosive growth in cybersecurity demand has led to talent shortages, something many CISOs struggle with. But Suareo has found that looking for talent in “odd spots” has benefited him greatly. While the door may be opened to a more remote workforce, his hiring model likely won’t change much.
“I’ve never been one to just look at past experience. It’s whoever can do the best job,” Suareo reflected. “I’m not tied to one specific background or experience level. I’m flexible.”
Adapting to a rapidly changing world is nothing new for security professionals, and Suareo has embraced evolution throughout his career. He is an ardent believer in surrounding ourselves with people smarter than us and supporting them through leadership.
Security is going to be more in demand when we come out of this pandemic period because a lot of people are seeing the scams, malware and phishing attacks that are coming out of this. That is putting a lot more spotlight on security.”
Special thanks to Joe Suareo and Beam Suntory.
by CISOs, for CISOs
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