The Hard Truth About Security Leadership with Corey Kaemming of Valvoline Inc.

On this episode, Corey Kaemming, Sr. Director of Information Security at Valvoline Inc., joins the conversation to share his leadership philosophy, the evolution of identity security and the real challenges security professionals face today. From the overuse of buzzwords to vendor consolidation, Corey provides a candid look at what works — and what doesn’t — in building a strong security program.

Key Takeaways:

(06:36) Corey’s leadership philosophy is rooted in listening first and building trust.

(10:58) Early mentorship conveys the importance of preparation and empathy.

(13:07) Identity security touches every part of the business and drives operations.

(18:49) Breaking into identity security requires hands-on experience and adaptability.

(23:59) Security leaders must communicate in ways that resonate with executives.

(27:47) Running security for a company's divestiture requires trust and precision.

(30:44) People resist security changes, but tying them to business outcomes helps.

(37:38) Too many identity tools create complexity and strain resources.

(42:29) Security isn’t a one-time fix — it demands constant attention and updates.

(53:56) Zero trust is widely used but often misunderstood in execution.

Resources Mentioned:

Corey Kaemming -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-kaemming/

Valvoline Inc. -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/valvoline/

Evanta -

https://www.evanta.com/

Signal -

https://signal.org/

Retail & Hospitality ISAC (RH-ISAC) -

https://rhisac.org/

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For more information, visit ic-consult.com.

#Cybersecurity #IdentityManagement #InformationSecurity #IAM #IdentityAccessManagement