PNC CISO appointment names Christian Winward to security role

PNC Financial Services Group has made a PNC CISO appointment, naming Christian Winward as chief information security officer, the bank said. The move places a former FirstBank technology executive in charge of enterprise security at one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, according to PNC.

Winward joins the role from FirstBank, which became part of PNC earlier this year. PNC said he had served at FirstBank as chief information officer and as a member of the bank’s senior leadership team.

His career at FirstBank lasted more than three decades, according to PNC. The company said Winward began as a teller before moving through senior roles in technology and project management.

Who is PNC's new CISO?

Christian Winward is a longtime banking technology executive who most recently led information technology at FirstBank. PNC said that, as FirstBank’s chief information officer, he oversaw work to modernize the bank’s technology capabilities and supported the integration of FirstBank into PNC.

Winward is based in Denver, which PNC described as one of its strategic technology locations. He will report to Debbie Guild, head of Technology at PNC.

Guild said Winward brings leadership experience, a business perspective and a view of how to shape PNC’s technology and security organization. She also cited his work leading major technology functions, his role in FirstBank’s integration and his understanding of the business as reasons he is suited to build on PNC’s existing security operations.

What will the CISO role cover at PNC?

PNC said Winward will lead its Enterprise Information Security organization. A chief information security officer is the senior executive responsible for protecting an institution’s information systems, data and digital operations, including preparation for and response to cyber incidents.

At PNC, the Enterprise Information Security organization helps protect the company’s digital identity, data, employees and technology environment, according to the bank. Its remit includes cyber strategy, monitoring of attack surfaces, security operations, incident response, data protection, governance, risk assessments, and security oversight for third parties and subsidiaries.

The group also operates PNC’s Global Security Fusion Center. PNC said the center brings together intelligence on cyber, physical, fraud and insider threats to help protect the enterprise.

For large banks, information security leadership is part of core operational resilience because financial firms depend on uninterrupted digital access, secure data handling and effective risk controls. PNC’s announcement puts those functions under an executive who has already worked on the bank’s integration of FirstBank, according to the company.

PNC, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker PNC, provides retail and business banking, lending products, corporate banking, real estate finance, asset-based lending, wealth management and asset management, according to the company.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.