An Open Future Forum community

The CISO Executive Forum

Off the record. By invitation. A private forum for chief information security officers.

A room built for
the security seat

The CISO Executive Forum gathers chief information security officers and senior security leaders of high-growth companies. It is part of Open Future Forum, and it runs on the same principle: everyone in the room is a giver.

There is no pitch, no agenda, no recording, and no vendors taking notes. The conversations are the ones a CISO cannot have with their team or their board, held with peers who understand the seat.

"The security conversations that matter most happen off the record, with peers who have handled the same incident."
  • 01Private dinners across Silicon Valley
  • 02CISOs and senior security leaders only
  • 03Small rooms, 8 to 30 guests
  • 04Off the record, no vendors taking notes
  • 05Membership by invitation or referral
  • 06Part of Open Future Forum

Dinners are the heart.
These bring people back.

The private dinner is the center of the forum. Around it, members gather in a handful of settings built for the way security leaders actually connect.

Format

Panel events

Sharp, off-the-record sessions on the questions security leaders are working through right now.

Format

Wine tasting

Smaller, relaxed gatherings where the conversation runs long and the introductions stick.

Format

Golf

A full day with a small group of peers, the kind of time that builds real trust.

Format

Sailing

A signature Open Future Forum setting on the bay, where the room opens up away from the office.

Format

Giants games

Private boxes at Giants games, a relaxed room for members and their guests.

Format

AI training

Practical working sessions on how AI is changing the threat model and the questions on the CISO agenda.

The informal
selection criterion

The forum is built for security leaders who make the room better. The question is simple: does this person give more than they take?

Members are identified by how they show up, long before any invitation is extended. If the answer is yes, a personal note follows.

  • Chief information security officers
  • Senior security leaders (VP Security, Heads of Security)
  • Security leaders at high-growth companies
  • Leaders rebuilding security around AI
  • Givers, always givers

Built on
Give and Take

Like every Open Future Forum room, the CISO Executive Forum runs on Adam Grant's Give and Take: the most generous people in the room create the most value over time.

Give

Share what you know

Members offer their honest read of the threats, the budget, the board, without holding back for advantage.

Connect

Make the introduction

The most valued act in the room is a warm introduction made without being asked.

Return

Receive without obligation

This is not a quid pro quo network. The room holds the debt and pays it forward.

Ready to be
in the room?

If you think you belong in the CISO Executive Forum, or know a security leader who does, we'd like to hear from you. Membership is by invitation or referral, reviewed personally by Murray Newlands.

What people
ask us

What is the CISO Executive Forum?
The CISO Executive Forum is an invitation-only group for chief information security officers and senior security leaders, part of Open Future Forum, a private executive community hosting small, off-the-record dinners across Silicon Valley.
Who belongs here?
CISOs and senior security leaders of high-growth companies. Membership is by invitation or personal referral, reviewed personally.
How is it related to Open Future Forum?
It is part of Open Future Forum, the Silicon Valley executive community founded by Murray Newlands in 2019. The CISO Executive Forum applies the same Give and Take philosophy to a room built specifically for security leaders.
How do the gatherings work?
Dinners are the heart of the group. Members also gather around panel events, wine tastings, golf, sailing, private boxes at Giants games, and AI training sessions. No vendors are in the room taking notes.
Is everything really off the record?
Yes. No agenda, no recording, no pitch, and no vendors writing things down. Candor is the currency, and the expectation is that you give more than you take.
How do I join?
Membership is by invitation or referral. You can request an invitation through Open Future Forum, or follow Forum Events to attend a first gathering.