Skills Development – Page 2 – Cyber Security Leadership

RSAC CISO Bootcamp 2025

It was so good to attend the RSAC CISO Bootcamp at CyberCon Melbourne – a practical session for CISOs.

Highlights that stuck with me:
💡 A conversation with Brian Krebs on AI security and organised cybercrime: attackers are tooling up fast; our defences must keep pace.
💡 A candid, closed-door session with Tim Brown, CISO of SolarWinds, about crisis response: execution matters, but so does the personal toll on teams and leaders.
💡 A chat with F1’s Guenther Steiner on teamwork and resilience in high-pressure environments.

Events like this remind me how much strength there is in our community. I’m proud to contribute and be part of it. You don’t need a challenge coin to get help – if you want to compare notes or need a sounding board, reach out.

Responsible Management Prize

I’ve been awarded the Responsible Management Prize 🏆

This award recognises the values that guide me every day: honesty, integrity and leading with purpose.

In today’s evolving business landscape, where AI, risk management and cybersecurity intersect, ethical practice is essential. Because what we stand for today shapes the world we build tomorrow.

As algorithms power more of our decisions, we must ensure they’re transparent, fair and aligned with human values. Balancing innovation with resilience means anticipating unintended consequences, protecting stakeholders and driving sustainable outcomes.

Safeguarding data and privacy isn’t merely a technical challenge – it’s a trust imperative that underpins every relationship.

Thank you to the selection committee for recognising the work we’ve done together to build an inclusive, principled and forward-looking learning community.

AI leadership in an accelerating world

I have just completed two leadership programs, both focused on AI-powered strategy

I particularly enjoyed the interactive hands-on session on designing AI capabilities to better understand:
✅ What the current trajectory of AI is, and why it reinforces the need for a clear AI strategy
✅ How AI is reshaping strategic thinking and planning, and how we can use it to strengthen techniques such as scenario analysis
✅ How AI is transforming day-to-day work, and practical steps that can help us build genuine AI readiness

Huge thanks to the academics and industry experts for sharing their research-backed insights. I look forward to applying these frameworks and tools to drive purposeful, data-driven impact in my own leadership journey.

Redefining business and technology in Australia

I’m proud to be featured on Moxie Top Minds, joining the most influential figures redefining business and technology in Australia.

It’s always great to collaborate with industry leaders from all aspects of the ecosystem: CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CISOs and Founders.

I look forward to setting the market pace by sharing insights, shaping research data and collaborating among executive networks.

AI guardrails and governance

Just wrapped up an engaging panel on AI guardrails where we explored the shifting ground beneath enterprise AI adoption.

The best AI governance starts not with controls, but with culture. When people start asking not just ‘Can we do this?’ but ‘Should we?” that’s when you know you’re on the right path.

Secure by Design is a widely understood concept in cybersecurity, it can be extended to Ethics by Design when building and adopting AI capabilities. Ethical considerations should be embedded from the start, with continuous assurance throughout the lifecycle.

SANS Cyber Incident Leader

I’m proud to share that I’ve completed SANS’s LDR553: Cyber Incident Management hands-on training and earned the GIAC Cyber Incident Leader (GCIL) certification.

This course sharpened my ability to guide teams through every stage of a breach. I was awarded a challenge coin for the top score in the final capstone project.

It was great to have a debate on balancing innovation and security keynote panel, where we dug into both the promise and the perils of AI adoption from the CISO and CIO perspectives.

Your biggest AI risks really depend on where and how you’re using it. I recommend reviewing your product roadmap for AI-powered features to anticipate potential gaps.

Map out whether AI is home-grown, vendor-sourced or embedded. When it comes to governance, we can borrow from what we learned with BYOD, cloud and shadow IT. Extend existing security reviews, supply-chain checks and third-party assessments into your AI program. For quick wins, manage it like a SaaS risk: think privacy controls and boundaries around sensitive data.

My key takeaways from the biggest event in cybersecurity

‘You won’t see it all’ – that’s what I was told before I headed out to the RSA Conference for the first time! With so many great talks, side events, meetings, vendor showcases people will have very different impressions of this event. Here are mine.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve recently earned the GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership (GSTRT) certification- a milestone that validates my ability to architect and sustain cybersecurity programs with a sharp focus on business value and executive alignment.

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