The CISO’s Role in AI Is to Lead the Risk Conversation with Mustapha Kebbeh, Chief Security Officer at UKG

AI adoption is accelerating across the enterprise, often faster than governance and risk models were designed to support. Boards want innovation. Business leaders want speed. Security teams are expected to manage risk in environments where the technology itself is still evolving. 

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Mustapha Kebbeh, Chief Security Officer at UKG, about why the CISO’s role in AI is not to block innovation or own governance outright, but to lead the enterprise risk conversation that enables informed decision making. 

Mustapha shares how CISOs can help organizations understand what is being protected, why it matters, and what level of risk the organization is intentionally accepting as AI adoption accelerates. He also explains why effective AI governance depends on early involvement, clear guardrails, and shared ownership across the enterprise. 

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In This Episode, We Cover 

• Why AI does not create new risk, but accelerates existing risk 
• How the CISO role is evolving from control owner to risk leader 
• Why AI governance fails when security is brought in too late 
• The importance of early involvement and shared ownership 
• How governance enables informed decisions rather than documenting failure 

Key Quotes 

“Every cyber program is going to have risk.” 

“But the most important piece in my mind is what is it that you are protecting.” 

“The reason that’s really important is everything that touches data creates a risk management program.” 

“Am I investing in the right risk.” 

About the Guest 

Mustapha Kebbeh is Chief Security Officer at UKG, where he leads global cybersecurity strategy, enterprise risk management, and architecture supporting more than 75,000 employees worldwide. 

He has held senior security leadership roles at Brink’s, IBM, Vodafone, and CompuCom, and is known for building large-scale security programs that balance governance, resilience, and business growth. He also serves as a CISO Executive Governing Body Member and Co Chair with Evanta, a Gartner company. 

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Resources Mentioned 

Gartner: CISO FAQs on AI Governance and Cybersecurity Strategy
https://www.gartner.com/en/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-faqs 

Webinar Replay: Building Trust Through Enhanced Security Measures (UKG)
https://www.ukg.com/learn/resources/webinar-replay/building-trust-through-enhanced-security-measures 

ClearTech Loop: Simplifying Complexity in Modern Infrastructure with Dan DeBacker
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/18455780

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