Chris Bollerud is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at AppZen, a fintech company specializing in AI-powered back-office financial automation. With a background in software engineering and over 25 years in the tech space, Chris began his journey in computer science at HP before transitioning into startups and eventually joining AppZen when it was a small 20-person team. Over the past seven years, he's helped scale the company to serve a third of the Fortune 500, moving from Director of Engineering to CISO. A unique blend of deep technical expertise and strategic leadership, Chris also holds an MBA, which he credits for sharpening his ability to align technical decisions with business objectives. At AppZen, he's leading efforts to integrate AI not just into products, but into the company’s culture and security posture.
Chris Bollerud shares how AppZen tackles fraud in expense and invoice processes using AI-driven automation. From scanning 100% of expense reports to matching invoices against purchase orders and flagging anomalous vendor behavior, AppZen is transforming how financial compliance is handled in enterprises of all sizes. Chris explains how AI helps detect changes in payment behavior, suspicious email domains, and social engineering attempts that often slip past human review. His approach focuses on preemptively halting threats and alerting finance teams with high-confidence insights.
Chris also opens up about his unique transition from engineering to security leadership. Initially hired to lead AppZen’s engineering function, he later took on the CISO role as the company scaled. His technical roots, paired with his MBA, gave him a lens to merge architectural best practices with a business-first mindset. He emphasizes that security leadership isn't about being a "cop," but about enabling business growth through risk mitigation and strategic focus.
The conversation dives deep into AI’s role in cybersecurity and product development. Chris differentiates between generative AI and traditional machine learning, advocating for focused, lightweight models trained on specific business cases to achieve accuracy and cost-efficiency. He warns against relying solely on large generic models, citing both security risks and high operational costs. Finally, Chris points to the future, envisioning AI-powered personal safety tools for vulnerable populations, and expressing optimism about the potential for startups to drive meaningful security innovation.
Matthew Connor on LinkedIn
CyberLynx
Chris Bollerud on LinkedIn
AppZen Website
This episode is brought to you by CyberLynx.com
CyberL-Y-N-X.com.
CyberLynx is a complete technology solution provider to ensure your business has the most reliable and professional IT service.
The bottom line is we help protect you from cyber attacks, malware attacks, and the dreaded Dark Web.
Our professional support includes managed IT services, IT help desk services, cybersecurity services, data backup and recovery, and VoIP services. Our reputable and experienced team, quick response time, and hassle-free process ensures that clients are 100% satisfied.
To learn more, visit cyberlynx.com, email us at help@cyberlynx.com, or give us a call at 202-996-6600.