The quarterly meeting trap: why security and finance think they’re aligned (but aren’t)

**Executive summary:** Expel’s research of 300 security and finance leaders identifies a "collaboration paradox" where frequent meetings do not equate to strategic alignment because discussions occur at director levels and use metrics finance finds unhelpful; finance prefers quantified risk reduction, investment efficiency, and business-aligned metrics. The report recommends monthly C-suite engagement, translating security initiatives into cost-avoidance metrics, and mapping security outcomes to the CFO’s top business metrics to improve budget justification and alignment.