JAMES Robinson’s path to the CISO role at Netskope is a portrait of mobility and ongoing learning. Starting in a vocational route with Cisco Networking Academy, he moved from a State Farm network engineer with a CCIE to multiple security-focused roles across Anheuser-Busch, Emerson, Websense, Accuvant-FishNet, and Optiv before joining Netskope as deputy CISO in 2018 and ultimately becoming CISO in 2024.
The story emphasizes how rapid career progression in security has often come from curiosity, practical experience, and a willingness to relocate or switch roles when opportunities arise, rather than staying in one job too long.
Robinson stresses the importance of mindset over formal credentials when building a security team. He looks for curiosity and persistence more than specific certifications, recounting examples of candidates who relocated for interviews or internships to gain a foothold. He notes a mixed background in education—he did not complete his university degree but continues to plan for it—arguing that attitude and the ability to learn matter as much as, or more than, traditional qualifications.
In leadership, he highlights the human side: recognising team members, cultivating a supportive culture, and maintaining strong mentors and friends to navigate the stresses of security work. When asked what keeps him awake, it is team performance and the pursuit of better ways to lead, rather than panic over AI or incidents; he sees AI as a field to learn from and leverage for the team, not as a personal existential threat.