Michael Piacente

Michael Piacente is the Cofounder and Managing Partner of Hitch Partners, a global executive search firm focused on cybersecurity leadership. A 20-year executive search veteran, he is a trusted advisor to Boards and CEOs, specializing in the placement of CISOs, CIOs, and senior technology executives. Michael brings an “operator’s lens” to talent acquisition, shaped by an early technical career in SaaS and cloud operations. He is a leading voice on the evolving role of security leaders in the age of Generative AI and is the architect of the widely cited CISO Compensation and Trends Report. Michael also advises emerging security startups, supports nonprofit initiatives, and regularly speaks at major industry conferences across the US and Europe.