Overview
#045 – Today’s guest is Michael Gips, Managing Director of Enterprise Security Risk Management at Kroll and founder of Global Insights in Professional Security. Mike holds both the CPP and Chartered Security Professional designations, and his path to security is one of the most unconventional I’ve come across — starting with a Harvard Law degree, a clerkship reviewing death penalty cases at the New Jersey Supreme Court, and a stint in litigation before pivoting to journalism. That pivot launched a nearly 13-year career at ASIS International, where he ultimately served as Chief Global Knowledge and Learning Officer, overseeing the magazine, certifications, standards, the CSO Center, and the organization’s own security program. He’s also a published security leadership author, professional media trainer, and one of the most active voices in the online security community.
In this episode, Mike walks us through his career journey and the lessons it produced, including the inside track on professional association pathways that can accelerate your rise into senior security leadership. We dig into why communication and storytelling may be the highest-ROI skill a security professional can develop, regardless of where they are in their career. Mike shares what the process of writing and publishing a security book actually looks like, and what practitioners with a body of written work should consider if they’re thinking about doing the same. We close with an honest conversation about AI — where it genuinely helps, where it creates more work than it saves, and how to use it without sacrificing your credibility. Let’s get into it.
Highlights from This Episode
- A career in security doesn’t have to start in security — backgrounds in law, journalism, academia, and writing can all funnel into the profession and create uniquely well-rounded practitioners who understand risk from multiple angles.
- The CSO Roundtable model at ASIS deliberately included deputy-level leaders alongside sitting CSOs — because sequestering knowledge at the top is a missed opportunity; developing the next generation of leaders is one of the highest callings in the profession.
- There are strategic pathways into top-tier board roles (ASIS board, OSAC board, Security Foundation) that aren’t widely discussed: starting with smaller, less competitive boards like the CSO Center can create a clear on-ramp for ambitious practitioners who don’t want to wait decades.
- Communication is the great force multiplier for security leaders — a CSO communicates with everyone from an 18-year-old officer to the board of directors, and the ability to adapt your message to each audience is as critical as any technical skill.
- Think of the CSO as a “Chief Storytelling Officer” — data points and frameworks don’t move people; stories do. A vivid, emotionally resonant example will outlast any five-bullet slide in your audience’s memory.
- Thought leadership through writing is more accessible than most practitioners think — start with articles or LinkedIn posts, build a body of work around a niche you care about, and that catalog can eventually become the skeleton of a book.
- Publishing a book is not a get-rich scheme — the real value comes from what the book unlocks: speaking engagements, consulting opportunities, curriculum placement, and credibility within the profession.
- AI is a powerful tool for cross-referencing standards against existing policies and procedures, building comprehensive program frameworks, and organizing large document libraries — but it requires constant validation and will sometimes confidently fabricate details.
- Emotional resilience is not a weakness to be hidden in the security profession — the wear of working with life-and-death content, crisis, and human trauma deserves honest acknowledgment, including in the books and thought leadership we produce.
- The best security leadership content isn’t one person’s theory — it’s a mosaic of real practitioners telling real stories. Elevating others’ experiences is what gives the work credibility and staying power.
Memorable Quotes:
- “I consider myself a student of security, a student of the world.”
- “There’s no higher calling in leadership than developing new leaders who succeed you.”
- “A CSO – Chief Storytelling Officer. A lot of what you have to be able to do is relate to people in the way they best understand it.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED
- Book:Security Leadership by Michael Gibbs (published by CRC Press / Taylor & Francis, part of the Security Audit and Leadership Series)
- Publication:Security Magazine — management and leadership column authored by Michael Gibbs
- Organization: ASIS International — asis.org; including the CSO Roundtable / CSO Center
- Organization: International Security Management Association (ISMA) Organization: OSAC (Overseas Security Advisory Council)
- Book referenced:Yes Sir by Chuck Andrews
- Book:The Citizen’s Guide to Cybersecurity by Antoinette King
- Tool mentioned by host: Claude Cowork (agentic file management and research tool)
- Podcast referenced by host: Episode with Dr. Elizabeth Goins on executive communications
- Book referenced by host:Talk Like TED (on the persuasive power of storytelling)
Related Episodes
- Intro / About the Show
- Creating Your Own Path in National Security
- Big Ideas in Corporate Security
- How to Be a Remarkable Student of Security
- Texas Night & Career Principles
- Security Leadership: Integrity & Serving
- Shaping Your Role in Security
- Storytelling & Presence for Security Leaders
- Mastering Security Excellence