Security at the Intersection of People and Technology with Shellie Dreistadt (Ep. 15)

Chief Information Security Officer Shellie Dreistadt joins Compliance Chronicles with Liisa Thomas to talk about how psychology, cybersecurity, and leadership resilience come together in modern security programs. She shares her nonlinear path from psychology and call‑center leadership into information security, online banking, and ultimately her current CISO role.Shellie explains why security sits at the intersection of people and technology, and how understanding behavior, motivation, and trust is just as important as understanding firewalls, access controls, and tools. She describes the realities of being a CISO today: constantly evolving threats, rapid technology change, and an expanding privacy and security regulatory landscape.The conversation covers pushing risk ownership back into the business, framing issues in financial and operational terms instead of “tech speak,” and avoiding burnout by refusing to be the “single point of safety.” Shellie also shares how she builds resilient, curious, adaptable teams and why culture and psychological safety matter as much as any control.Her advice for security, privacy, and compliance professionals: stay curious, stay human, and remember that cybersecurity is a marathon, not a sprint. Security is not about being the department of no—it is about enabling the business to move forward safely.If you work in cybersecurity, information security, privacy, or compliance—or you’re aspiring to a CISO or security leadership role—this episode offers practical insight into building resilient teams and leading with both technical acumen and empathy.If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, cybersecurity, and real‑world compliance leadership.