Kara Schlageter is a transformational, people-first technology leader who has built her career at the intersection of strategy, cybersecurity, and human-centered change. With more than 25 years of experience across consulting, financial services, and technology, she has become a trusted advisor to CIOs and CISOs navigating complex regulatory environments, large-scale digital transformations, and the evolving cyber threat landscape. Kara is widely recognized for her ability to translate visionary strategy into practical execution, all while anchoring decisions in culture, clarity, and trust.
Over the course of her career, Kara has led enterprise strategy, digital transformation, and technology operations across some of the world’s most heavily regulated industries. Her leadership has consistently focused on aligning technology and cybersecurity investments with business priorities, regulatory expectations, and measurable outcomes. She is known for bringing order to complexity, designing operating models that scale, and building governance frameworks that unlock better decision-making rather than simply adding bureaucracy.
Most recently, Kara served as Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Cybersecurity Strategy & Business Enablement, acting as Deputy CISO for First Citizens Bank, a top-20 U.S. financial institution. Reporting directly to the CISO, she established and led a new enterprise cybersecurity operations function spanning seven critical domains: Strategy, Execution, Business Enablement, Training & Awareness, Communications, Business Information Security Officers (BISOs), and Cyber India. In this role, she designed and executed a three-year, risk-based cybersecurity strategy that aligned directly to regulatory requirements and business objectives, ensuring that investments in cyber were both defensible and value-driven.
At First Citizens Bank, Kara operationalized governance, prioritization, and execution frameworks that improved delivery predictability, increased transparency, and strengthened executive confidence in cybersecurity initiatives. She oversaw a $100M enterprise cybersecurity budget and drove approximately $10M in cost savings through automation, process redesign, and more disciplined portfolio management. Under her leadership, the BISO program was transformed into a business-aligned risk reduction engine, supported by tailored executive dashboards and actionable insights that helped business leaders understand, own, and manage their cyber risk.
Before joining First Citizens, Kara played a pivotal role at Truist Financial as Senior Vice President in Corporate Cybersecurity. Reporting to the CISO, she established a Cyber Delivery Center of Excellence (CoE) responsible for supporting more than 50 programs and a $100M+ transformation portfolio. She reorganized the PMO, reshaped intake and demand management processes, and strengthened governance to create a more predictable, value-focused delivery ecosystem. In tandem, as IAM Transformation Executive, she oversaw the successful closure of more than six federal regulatory matters, demonstrating her deep experience at the intersection of cyber, risk, and regulatory scrutiny.
Kara’s expertise in Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) was further honed during her time at Bank of America, where she spent over 13 years in progressively senior leadership roles. As Senior Vice President and Head of IAM Risk in Global Compliance & Operational Risk, she led a team of more than 40 risk officers and IAM subject matter experts, covering the full IAM lifecycle across provisioning, authentication, authorization, federated and cloud IAM, directory services, and governance. She designed and implemented a new second line of defense operating model that centralized oversight across 10 critical IAM processes and roughly 30 controls, significantly reducing enterprise access risk and strengthening overall control health.
In earlier roles at Bank of America, Kara led the Identity & Access Management Enterprise Process Oversight (IAM EPO) team, where she guided front-line units and control functions in adhering to IAM standards, addressing issues, and preparing for regulatory examinations. She also drove strategic initiatives to enhance IAM tools in partnership with Global Information Security, spearheaded high-risk entitlement reviews, and oversaw a complex remediation portfolio of more than 50 significant issues. Her work included co-leading the design and launch of a 60-person IAM EPO function, while managing the business operations necessary to sustain it, including vendor management, financial stewardship, strategic planning, and workforce enablement.
Kara’s path to cybersecurity and enterprise transformation was shaped by a strong foundation in human resources, change management, and management consulting. Early in her career, she served as a management consultant at PwC and IBM Business Consulting Services, where she supported clients through large-scale change, process improvement, and technology-enabled transformation. She later held multiple roles within Bank of America’s Global Human Resources function, including leading HR Connect, an award-winning global HR portal and transformation initiative impacting more than 250,000 employees worldwide. Under her leadership, HR Connect earned distinction as one of Nielsen Norman Group’s “Top 10 Intranets” and received the HRO Today Innovation in Technology Award, underscoring her ability to architect solutions that blend user experience, process efficiency, and strategic impact.
Beyond her corporate accomplishments, Kara is a recognized thought leader and speaker in cybersecurity, risk, and leadership. She has been a panelist at the Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) Annual Conferences in 2024 and 2025, and has spoken on topics such as maturity assessment management and the intelligent, connected enterprise at events like the ISG SICE Summit. She is a member of the EWF Senior Leader Forum Committee and has also been part of CHIEF, a private network dedicated to advancing women in executive leadership. These platforms have allowed her to share her perspective on the human side of cybersecurity, the importance of cross-functional collaboration, and the need for inclusive, people-centered leadership in technology and risk.
Kara’s commitment to innovation is further reflected in her status as a U.S. patent holder. She is the named inventor on a patent for systems and methods for deploying automated diagnostic engines to identify network controls status, a recognition that underscores her ability to marry deep domain expertise with practical, scalable technology solutions. This blend of strategic insight and technical understanding positions her as a powerful ally to organizations seeking to modernize their security posture while still maintaining operational efficiency and regulatory alignment.
At the heart of Kara’s leadership philosophy is a belief that clarity and culture are catalysts for both security and success. She is passionate about building high-performing, inclusive teams and developing the next generation of leaders. Colleagues and executives regularly turn to her as a coach, mentor, and sounding board, valuing her ability to cut through complexity, frame options, and guide teams through ambiguous and high-pressure environments. Her leadership style is grounded in empathy, accountability, and authenticity, with a focus on creating environments where people and strategy can thrive together.
Outside of work, Kara remains a “Carolina girl at heart,” finding joy in music, family, and the peacefulness of the mountains. She serves on the Board of Directors for Wayfinders NC, where she is also Vice President of Governance and Nominating and a mentor to two students. She has been actively involved in community initiatives supporting youth, women’s advancement, military families, and the arts, including roles with Dress for Success, the Charlotte Arts & Science Council, and Cross Cultural Solutions during an immersion program in Hohoe, Ghana. To her nine nieces and nephews, she proudly holds the title of “Super Aunt,” a role that reflects the same generosity of spirit and dedication she brings to her professional life.
Kara holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from North Carolina State University, with minors in Human Resources, Management Information Systems, and Theater. She is a Six Sigma Green Belt and is experienced in Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid methodologies. Her technical proficiencies include portfolio and project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, MS Project, Planview/Clarity, as well as analytics platforms like Power BI and Tableau. She is highly versed in industry standards and regulations including NIST, ISO 27001, FFIEC, SOX, SOC2, GDPR, GLBA, NYDFS, PCI, and FedRamp, enabling her to bridge strategic ambition with regulatory reality in every role she takes on.
Character:
Kara exemplifies integrity, empathy, and resilience in every aspect of her leadership, consistently doing what is right even when it is difficult or complex. She is known for being both candid and compassionate, offering direct guidance while honoring the perspectives and experiences of those around her. Her commitment to service, whether through mentoring emerging leaders or supporting underserved communities, reflects a deeply rooted belief in using her influence to create meaningful, lasting impact.
Knowledge:
With more than 25 years across consulting, financial services, cybersecurity, and human resources, Kara brings a rare breadth and depth of expertise to every engagement. She has mastered the technical, regulatory, and operational dimensions of IAM, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation, and she applies this knowledge in ways that are practical, accessible, and actionable for executives and teams. Her continual investment in learning, innovation, and thought leadership ensures that she remains out in front of industry trends while staying grounded in real-world execution.
Strategic:
Kara has a proven ability to see the big picture, anticipate emerging risks and opportunities, and design strategies that connect long-term vision with near-term results. She excels at turning complex portfolios into coherent roadmaps, aligning stakeholders behind shared priorities, and ensuring that investments in technology and security advance the broader business strategy. Her strategic mindset is always coupled with a disciplined focus on governance, measurable outcomes, and sustainable value creation.
Communication:
A powerful communicator who can translate technical and regulatory complexity into clear, compelling narratives for boards, executives, and front-line teams. She understands that communication is not just about information, but about connection, trust, and shared understanding, and she uses it to drive alignment and inspire confidence. Whether she is presenting at a conference, briefing senior leaders, or mentoring a rising professional, her communication style is thoughtful, engaging, and deeply human.
