Why Security Leaders Must Think Like Tech CEOs
As every company evolves into a technology company, the traditional boundaries of security leadership are being rewritten. In this episode of Signal to Noise Podcast, Emilio Escobar, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Datadog, sits down with host Sean Cleary to unpack what it really means to lead security at hyperscale and why today’s CISOs must think more like tech CEOs than ever before.
From identifying the right people to building bottom-up security strategies, Emilio shares battle-tested lessons for navigating complexity, embracing growth, and keeping security deeply connected to the pulse of the business.
Listen First, Act Second
Looking back on his pivotal moments, Emilio points to a truth many leaders overlook: the power of listening. When he joined Hulu as its security head, he learned quickly that coming in with a “chip on your shoulder,” ready to fix everything at once, rarely works. Instead, he advises new security leaders to spend the first 6-9 months listening more than talking.
“Shut up and listen,” he says. It’s not about showing off technical knowledge on day one; it’s about understanding the business DNA< the real pain points, and what people actually care about. As Emilio learned the hard way, the most pressing security problem may not be the top priority for the business at that moment, and that’s okay.
Aligning with what really moves the business forward allows security leaders to embed trust and become strategic partners, not just guardians of compliance.
Hiring Security Talent Is a Bet
In organizations like Datadog and Hulu, scaling security is not just about growing headcount; it’s about finding people who thrive in chaos, build change from the inside, and execute relentlessly.
As Emilio puts it, “When you hire somebody, it’s always a bet. Sometimes the organization isn’t ready for a hire. Sometimes the hire isn’t ready for the organization.”
What he looks for goes beyond resumes or years in security. The best hires bring a DNA that fits the company’s core but is different enough to drive the change that’s needed. For example, one of his key security leaders at Datadog didn’t have 20+ years in security; she came from leading cloud infrastructure and was hungry to tackle cloud security at scale.
Building Security From the Bottom-Up
When asked about his approach to strategy in a hyperscale company, Emilio jokes that writing a multi-year security strategy is like writing in a personal journal. Instead of a rigid top-down plan, Emilio and his team at Datadog run a bottom-up model.
Smart people closest to the work identify problems, surface patterns, and design solutions, then leadership focuses on empowering them, aligning priorities, and clearing roadblocks.
This “trust your people” approach flips the script on traditional security organizations, which can get stuck in bottlenecks when the strategy is dictated from the top. For Emilio, the real value comes from encouraging teams to think about classes of problems, not individual fires to fight each day.
The CISO Role
Perhaps the biggest shift is the evolution of the CISO from a deeply technical role to one that’s squarely a strategic business partner. “Whether you like it or not, every company today is a technology company.” That means security leaders must do more than speak “bits and bytes.” They have to guide CEOs and boards on aligning technology plans with risk and accept the same accountability as other C-level executives.
When new regulations made CISOs potentially liable for negligent security decisions, many in the industry bristled. But Emilio sees it differently. Like CFOs who sign off on financial reports, CISOs are expected to stand behind security decisions as a core business risk.
His advice? Stop seeing security in isolation. Instead, help shape the bigger picture: growth plans, market expansions, customer trust, and how technology delivers it all safely. In today’s environment, the best CISOs are multi-lingual: fluent in technology, business strategy, and human behavior.
From Government to Hyperscale
Emilio’s own journey reflects this broad mindset. From working as a government engineer to consulting with security leadership at Sony, Hulu, and now Datadog, he never followed a rigid plan. Instead, he chased what he found interesting and valuable at each stage.
“I’ve never had a five-year plan. I see the opportunity, and I take it.”
One lesson he shares with early career professionals: if a conversation or role won’t sink you financially or personally, take the chance.
Final Thoughts
Security is no longer an island. As every company becomes a technology company, the leaders who thrive will be those who think like tech CEOs: open-minded, adaptable, focused on building trust, and ready to guide their organizations through unknowns.
Emilio’s journey is proof: when you listen first, hire for DNA, not just resumes, trust your teams, and tackle bug classes of problems, you don’t just keep a company safe; you help it grow.
Listen now: Signal to Noise Episode 2: Why Security Leaders Must Think Like Tech CEOs with Emilio Escobar
