Consumer expectations around security and privacy are on the rise. In our recent State of Trust report, for example, 65% of organizations said customers, investors, and suppliers increasingly require demonstration of compliance. As a reaction to these rising expectations, a new C-suite role emerged in recent years: Chief Trust Officer (CTrO).

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CTrOs are responsible for various activities, ranging from compliance and risk management to ethics and environmental, social, and governance issues.

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Organizations in highly regulated industries, or those that handle large amounts of customer data or are particularly susceptible to cyberattacks, are increasingly adding Chief Trust Officers to their ranks. It’s a move that showcases their commitment to security, privacy, and trust management and helps these companies bolster trust-building practices throughout their organizations. 

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Below is a list of five technology companies that are leading the charge, hiring Chief Trust Officers to meet rising consumer expectations.

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{{cta_withimage17="/cta-modules"}}  | The State of Trust Report 2024

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1. Airbnb

Airbnb manages a large amount of data related to its community of travelers and hosts, which is essential to protect. With that in mind, the company hired its first Chief Trust Officer in 2019. In his role, Chief Trust Officer at Airbnb, Sean Joyce, is dedicated to “developing and implementing strategies that ensure Airbnb is one of the most trusted communities in the world…with robust efforts focused on identity and reputation, online and offline safety and fraud prevention, and partnerships with law enforcement.” 

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2. Atlassian

Customer data is central to Atlassian’s products. Recognizing the need to proactively build and manage customer trust amidst privacy concerns, Atlassian hired its first Chief Trust Officer in 2021—the company’s former CISO Adrian Ludwig. In 2023, Vikram Rao took over the role of Chief Trust Officer at Atlassian. Rao is a veteran Chief Trust Officer who previously served in the same role at Salesforce, after working as a security engineer for five years within the company. In addition to his role as Chief Trust Officer at Atlassian, Rao is very involved in the trust community—participating in efforts to educate other cybersecurity professionals about emerging opportunities as trust professionals. 

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3. DocuSign

DocuSign hired Emily Heath, its first Chief Trust and Security Officer, in 2019. The move was largely driven by the expansion of DocuSign’s suite of digital products and integrations and the recognition of rising cyber risk challenges. Heath previously served as CISO at United Airlines and joined DocuSign to help the company “exceed the industry's most rigorous security standards and create the highest levels of customer trust.” As part of her role, Heath is responsible for information security (operations, engineering, risk, and architecture), application security, trust services, and physical security.

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4. Salesforce

Salesforce recognized that, after explosive growth in the use of AI, consumers, on the whole, were weary about the security and ethical use of AI. To quell concerns as the company’s AI business grew—and ensure scalability of privacy and security programs amidst increased AI usage—Salesforce added a Chief Trust Officer to its ranks. The company’s current CTrO, Brad Arkin, joined in 2024 to work with “customers, partners, and the company’s extended ecosystem to prioritize trust and security in an AI-first world.“ 

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Arkin is a veteran CTrO who previously served as the Chief Security and Trust Officer at Cisco, He joined Salesforce with over 20 years of product and enterprise security leadership. 

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5. Zendesk

Zendesk understands the value of customer trust—and the need to assign ownership over building and maintaining that trust. That’s why the company hired Vinay Patel as its Chief Trust and Security Officer in 2023. He plays a vital role in overseeing the protection of customer data and maintaining security standards at Zendesk. Patel says of his role, “At Zendesk, our commitment to upholding trust, transparency, and security in all aspects of our operations is paramount. That’s why my title is Chief Trust & Security Officer.” 

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The rising prominence of chief trust officers

Trust is only becoming more critical as regulatory landscapes become more complex, cybersecurity threats evolve, and consumer expectations continue to rise. In the technology industry and beyond, we’ll see more organizations hire Chief Trust Officers in the coming years to meet this convergence of needs.

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As with the above examples, many Chief Trust Officer roles will likely evolve from key security functions—or hybrid titles (like at Zendesk) will take shape. Regardless of the details in the title, one thing is clear: the need for dedicated leadership and ownership over trust is paramount and industry-leading companies are adapting accordingly. 

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{{cta_simple14="/cta-modules"}} | Trust center product page

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