In this episode, we sit down with Ivano Bongiovanni, General Manager at AUSCERT, as he unpacks the evolving landscape of the cybersecurity profession. Ivano discusses the shift towards developing complementary skills beyond technical expertise, emphasizing the value of communication, stakeholder management, and project leadership alongside core technical abilities. He explores the concept of T-shaped professionals and advocates for hands-on, experiential learning to build these diverse skill sets. The conversation delves into the ongoing debate around the professionalization of cybersecurity, with Ivano highlighting the pros and cons of structuring the industry with formal certifications versus a more open, experience-based approach. He stresses the importance of open, constructive dialogue within the community to address these issues, ultimately focusing on the shared goal of strengthening cybersecurity and fostering a more mature, collaborative industry.

Ivano is a researcher, consultant, author, and speaker whose work focuses on the managerial and business implications of Cybersecurity.

He is the General Manager of AUSCERT, a not-for-profit organisation affiliated with UQ that delivers cybersecurity services to public and private sector organisations across Australia and New Zealand.

Ivano is also a Senior Lecturer in Cybersecurity Management with the UQ Business School and a member of UQ Cyber.

Ivano helps business leaders and executives make evidence-based decisions in cybersecurity. With a professional background in risk and security management, Ivano’s work bridges the gap between technical cybersecurity and its repercussions across organisations. He has advised ministers, policy-makers, board members, and senior executives on strategies, governance structures, policies, and training programs for effective cybersecurity management. Ivano is also an experienced facilitator in the fields of Design Thinking and Design-Led innovation, having run since 2015 more than 50 design-led workshops and longer projects for public and private sector organisations.

Prior to AUSCERT and UQ, Ivano worked as a Research Fellow with the Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow) and a Postdoctoral Fellow with the PwC Chair in Digital Economy (QUT). In this role, he worked with public and private sector organisations in projects aimed at facilitate their transition into the Digital Age. Ivano obtained his PhD from QUT in 2016, with a thesis on safety and security management in Australian airports. His academic career includes stints with Bocconi University and SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan), where he worked as a faculty member and consultant for three years.

He also worked as a Deputy Venue Security Manager at the XX Winter Olympic Games – Turin 2006 and as a Police Officer for the Italian Ministry of Interior.

He has a double MSc in Management of Public Administrations and International Institutions (Bocconi University, Milan) and International Security (Sciences Po, Paris).

A father of one and an eager snowboarder, Ivano loves soccer, American football, and writing novels and poems.