First Horizon hires Leilani Farol as CISO to lead enterprise cybersecurity overhaul

Memphis bank hires seasoned cyber executive to lead security overhaul

First Horizon names Leilani Farol as senior cybersecurity leader, signaling a push to strengthen digital defenses across products and services at the $83.9 billion-asset regional bank.

New CISO to drive enterprise security strategy and culture

First Horizon appoints Leilani Farol as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, charging her with leading enterprise cybersecurity strategy and execution to safeguard client data and privacy. Farol brings more than 25 years of experience across financial services and global technology roles, where she has directed large-scale system implementations, program management and multi-year cyber strategies. The bank expects her background in building security-first cultures and deploying advanced technologies to accelerate improvements in threat detection, response and prevention.

Farol’s remit spans product design, cloud migration and digital channels, embedding security earlier in development lifecycles as First Horizon continues digital expansion. She will work closely with executive leadership and technology teams to incorporate security controls into new offerings, oversee incident response and regulatory compliance, and manage third-party vendor risk assessments. The role emphasizes measurable outcomes: Farol is to report cybersecurity metrics regularly to the board and regulators to demonstrate improved resilience and customer trust.

First Horizon frames the hire as part of a broader strategy to turn protection into competitive advantage as the bank scales its digital footprint. Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Jordan says Farol’s arrival will advance data governance and privacy, strengthen disciplined third-party risk management and expand associate training — all intended to enable faster, safer innovation across the franchise.

Regulatory reporting and oversight stressed

The bank highlights that Farol will strengthen reporting lines to the board and regulators, reflecting elevated scrutiny of cyber risk in the banking industry and the need for demonstrable progress in controls and incident readiness.

Industry pedigree underpins role

Farol joins First Horizon from Fidelity Investments, where she led governance, risk and compliance execution for an enterprise-wide cyber strategy, and she previously held senior security posts at Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. First Horizon positions the hire as part of preparedness for an increasingly complex digital environment as it pursues growth.