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more secure and provides the transparency and privacy people have every right to expect .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Having spent a lot of time travelling , I value every moment with my family and friends . Whether it ’ s going on holidays together , movie nights or just the ‘ everydayness ’ of family life . I recently re-discovered the gym and for an absolute break I like to ski and surf ( with family !).
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be ?
I don ’ t think I would . I ’ ve had those moments where I may have reflected and thought ‘ what if I moved after three years ?’ or ‘ why did I stay so long . . . ?’ I think about the possibilities , but the fact is I stayed because of the challenges and the opportunities to develop myself and primarily because of the people .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in the cybersecurity industry ?
I think investment is going to be across a broad range of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to solve for vulnerabilities such as network and data security and analytics . In particular , Digital Trust , i . e ., being able carry out transactions safely , securely , ethically and reliably . This is the lifeblood of the digital economy and repositions cybersecurity as a value lever .
Are there any differences in the way cybersecurity challenges need to be tackled in the different regions ?
Threats , vulnerabilities and bad actors don ’ t respect and are not constrained by legal / jurisdictional boundaries . Mounting
any defence is compounded by the fact that there are significant differences by region and by country in the ability to defend against these threats . Be that infrastructure maturity , varying levels of commitment to investments required , policy and regulatory differences , availability of expertise and talent , etc . As such , for any corporation , platforms and capabilities can be global and holistic in principle but will always require adaptation to local nuances and needs .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
For me it ’ s been quite significant . I ’ ve recently left Lloyds Banking Group in London where I ran a design team with over a £ 1 billion + portfolio advising the CFO , CRO , members of the board and executives , to relocating to Abu Dhabi and setting up and running Callsign
For an absolute break I like to ski and surf ( with family !). for the MENA region . I ’ m really looking forward to getting back to meeting and supporting customers in this region , championing the cause of Digital Trust and Identity , building our engineering and operational base and ensuring we ’ re supporting Abu Dhabi in becoming a place that can attract the best talent world .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in the security industry ?
Generally speaking there are a few attributes that stand out for me .
I think you ’ ve got to love this type of work . It takes a certain type of person to want to get into cybersecurity and excel at it . It ’ s hard work , the landscape is constantly changing with new threats and vulnerabilities being discovered almost daily . You need to be committed to learning almost every day . You also need to have built your relationships at C-level and be operating as a trusted advisor . You need to have a broad understanding of the cybersecurity disciplines which will make you wellrounded and , a specialisation in one or two areas provides you with the gravitas and insight of an expert . Finally , surround yourself with like-minded people and people who can mentor and guide you . Lastly , don ’ t give up ! u
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