The 2026 international CISO of the Year Award (the “Award”) is sponsored by Commvault Systems, Inc. (“Sponsor” or “Commvault”). The Award recognizes and honors Chief Information Security Officers and security leaders who demonstrate excellence in operationalizing resilience and advancing cyber security within their organizations.

 

Eligible nominees must hold the position of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or another security leadership role at their organization.

 

Nominations open March 2026 and close in June 2026 with exact dates to be posted here.

All nominations must be submitted through the official nomination form available here.

 

Nominations may be submitted by third parties, including colleagues, supervisors, industry peers, or other professional contacts. Self-nominations are permitted.  Following submission of a nomination, all nominees will be contacted by Sponsor to confirm their consent to participate in the Award. Any nominee that does not provide written consent within the timeframe specified may be removed from consideration.  Employees of Commvault are not eligible.

 

A judging panel composed of representatives from Commvault who will evaluate nominees based on the following criteria: (a) delivering business outcomes by treating resilience as a core business capability; (b) building across teams by bringing security, IT, and operations together; (c) designing for readiness by planning for disruption and continuous recovery; (d) leading with confidence by giving the business freedom to innovate without fear; and (e) proving it in practice by building trust through action and pressure-testing systems. All decisions are final.  The winner will be announced September 22, 2026.

 

The Award recipient will receive: The honoree selected by Commvault will be featured in a branded article and video, with additional recognition across Commvault channels, all of which is specific to the recipient. Invitation to TIME Impact dinner on October 13th  The Award recipient is responsible for any tax obligations. Commvault may cancel, suspend, or modify the Award in its sole discretion.

 

Public Sector and Government employees are reminded to confirm their participation and acceptance of any gift cards are permitted by applicable rules and regulations.

 

Personal data collected through the Award will be used for Award administration, judging, winner notification, and promotional purposes related to the Award. Applicable data privacy laws apply.

 

Finalists and the winner grant Sponsor the perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free right to use their name, likeness, photograph, biographical information, company name, title, and statements for promotional and advertising purposes related to the Award which may include press releases, social media posts, website content, and other marketing materials. There is no additional compensation for this use. A nominee may opt out of certain publicity activities by providing written notice to Sponsor.

 

Commvault disclaim all liability for : (a) technical failures; (b) lost, late, misdirected, or incomplete nominations; (c) travel delays, cancellations, or disruptions beyond; (d) personal injury or property damage or (e) any other force majeure.  Participants waive any claims for consequential, incidental, special, or punitive damages arising out of or related to the Award.

 

No portion of the experience, or benefit is intended as, or shall be construed as, improper payment, inducement, or thing of value provided to improperly influence business decisions or  to be in violation of applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

The Award is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, United States, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.