Secrets of Their Success

It takes more than knowledge and experience to excel. Five top CSOs share their tips for putting forward a positive message—in appearance, word and deed.

By Sarah D. Scalet

December 01, 2004 — CSO — The Careful DresserMichael Assante's wardrobe helps him project the right image for the situation.

Michael Assante doesn't just wear snappy suits. He wears them with a purpose. "In some ways, when I wake up in the morning, I think about how I'm going to dress depending on what I'm going to do," says Assante, CSO of American Electric Power (AEP).

Assantewho at age 33 is the first person at the Ohio-based Fortune 500 company to have custody of both corporate and information securityhas bigger concerns than which tie to wear on a Monday morning. But the right clothes on the right day, he says, give him a head start in establishing credibility.

"I've seen some security guys who roll up their sleeves to show off their physiques, or there's a cargo pants kind of feel to their pants," Assante says. "Or the typical uniform is gray pants and a blue blazer. You look like you came out of law enforcement." Assante, who has a background both as an intelligence officer and a security entrepreneur, wants to make sure that he is seen as a businessman, not a cop. So when he started the job at AEP, he deliberately decided to dress for work according to the day's situation.

Sure, if he's been pulling all-nighters during an investigation with law enforcement, he might wear a black suit with a black shirt. But if he's presenting to the board, he'll probably wear a lighter colored suit. And if he's in a day-long strategy meeting with other executives whom he knows will be in business casual, he makes sure to match their style. He's even trying to teach his top lieutenants how to dress for the occasion. On this score, he often leads by example, but sometimes he'll bring it up with them before an important meeting.

Wait a second! A CSO talking with his colleagues about business casual? "If I walked in wearing a tie, it's a bad fit," Assante explains. "All of a sudden it sends a bad message: I'm not one of these people, I'm different. And they start treating you different."

The same goes when he visits, say, a coal-fired power plant. On that day, he'd wear steel-toed boots, cargo pants and a polo shirt, along with his ear protection and eye-protection-quality sunglasses. "If I wore a business suit at a facility, I'd be laughable. I'd lose credibility" with people who work at that facility every day, he says, adding, "I always think about what's my environment, who's my audience, and what's the image I want to portray."