CISO Trainings , Training & Security Leadership , Video

CyberEdBoard Profiles in Leadership: Chuck Markarian

Chuck Markarian’s career began testing airplane components at Boeing. With a background in math and physical sciences, he leveraged his technical expertise and curiosity to transition into IT and eventually into security leadership. Early in his career, Markarian admitted, "In my first management role, I would say you would not have wanted to work for me. I really was a terrible manager."

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But over time he transformed his leadership approach through mentorship and self-study. Today. Markarian, now CISO at commercial truck manufacturer PACCAR and a CyberEdBoard member, says his leadership philosophy is centered on trust, adaptability and collaboration between security and business teams.

"The only way people really grow is not so much by succeeding, but by failing," he said, adding that team members can learn from mistakes, but they need the support of management to grow.

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, conducted as part of the CyberEdBoard's ongoing Profiles in Leadership series, Markarian also discussed:

• His career transition from technical roles to cybersecurity leadership;
• Balancing security with business priorities and fostering trust;
• The importance of curiosity and passion in developing effective teams.

Markarian leads security for PACCAR Inc., a multinational technology company that manufactures premium commercial vehicles sold around the world under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF brands. He joined the company in 2005 as assistant director of information security, subsequently became senior director of global information security and operations and was named CISO in 2016. Markarian began his career at The Boeing Company, where he held various IT and security roles before joining AT&T Inc. in 2000. There, he held various IT roles in the AT&T Wireless unit, rising to director of information security governance. He is a member of the CyberEdBoard.

CyberEdBoard is ISMG's premier members-only community of senior-most executives and thought leaders in the fields of security, risk, privacy and IT. CyberEdBoard provides executives with a powerful, peer-driven collaborative ecosystem, private meetings and a library of resources to address complex challenges shared by thousands of CISOs and senior security leaders located in 65 different countries worldwide.

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