The Human Side of Cybersecurity with Bob Kemp, Global CISO at Federated Hermes

Episode notes

In this episode of The Human Side of Cybersecurity, Dan Desko, Founder & CEO of Echelon Risk + Cyber, sits down with Bob Kemp, Global CISO at Federated Hermes, to discuss how credibility is built and sustained in the security leadership role. Bob reflects on a career path that began in accounting and finance, moved through IT and customer-facing roles, and ultimately led to security leadership, an experience that deeply shapes how he thinks about risk, communication, and accountability inside complex organizations. The conversation moves quickly beyond titles and tools. Bob shares how his leadership style evolved as expectations and organizational complexity increased, including a formative moment early in his tenure when an executive update turned into an extended interrogation that forced him to rethink how security decisions were framed. He also challenges common industry habits, from chasing hype to over-investing in activities with limited return, and emphasizes grounding security conversations in fundamentals and business context.