With rising digital threats and regulatory pressure, the regional bank’s appointment of a seasoned security executive signals how cybersecurity has become central to financial strategy.
First Horizon has appointed Leilani Farol as senior vice president and chief information security officer, placing cybersecurity leadership firmly within its executive ranks. The Memphis-based regional bank, which reported nearly $84 billion in assets at the end of 2025, is entrusting Farol with enterprise-wide responsibility for safeguarding client data and strengthening its overall security posture.
The move reflects a broader shift in financial services, where cybersecurity has evolved from a technical function to a core strategic priority. Banks face escalating cyber threats, increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes and expanding regulatory expectations around data governance and third-party risk management. In that environment, the chief information security officer is no longer simply an operational role but a guardian of customer trust and institutional resilience.
Farol brings more than 25 years of experience in information security, risk management and technology across financial services and other industries. Most recently, she led governance, risk and compliance efforts at Fidelity Investments, overseeing execution of a multi-year enterprise cyber strategy. Her prior roles at Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co. included leadership positions in global information security and technology infrastructure, experiences that suggest familiarity with large-scale, complex systems.
For First Horizon, embedding security into digital products and services is likely to be as important as defending against external threats. As regional banks compete with national institutions and fintech firms, digital innovation must coexist with rigorous controls over privacy, data protection and third-party partnerships. A security lapse can erode confidence faster than almost any other operational failure.
By elevating a veteran executive with deep financial sector experience, First Horizon appears to be reinforcing the message that growth and protection are not opposing forces. In an era when cyber risk can shape balance sheets as surely as credit exposure, the appointment underscores how information security has become inseparable from long-term banking strategy.
