Talent First

In this episode, the first part of our two part discussion, Sai and I talk about her career journey and about how she gives back to the community in terms of educating young people in cyber safety but also about jobs in STEM. We share a passion for both of these topics, so this is one not to be missed!

Sailakshmi Santhanakrishnan: a passionate advocate at the crossroads of cybersecurity, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, and Al ethics. Her mission is deeply personal - to blend sustainability with innovation and shape a digital world that's secure and welcoming for everyone. As a board member of Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) and the proud co-founder of Welnspire.Guru, a mentorship platform for the next generation, her work extends beyond simple advocacy. She is dedicated to enriching the tech landscape by promoting ethical technology use and empowering women and the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.

Her book, "The CISO Mentor: Pragmatic Advice for Emerging Risk Management Leaders," is a reflection of her commitment to guiding emerging leaders through the complexities of cybersecurity with a focus on ethical leadership and strategic foresight.

Part two of my chat with Lianne Potter, Head of SecOps at ASDA, includes a deep dive into how to build a diverse and inclusive SecOps team, regardless of the size of company or industry.

We also have a very honest discussion around why diversity matters in technology.

Lianne delivers talks across the globe and is regularly published in industry publications to share her vision for a new type of holistic security function. Drawing upon her expertise as a cyber-anthropologist (through her consultancy, The Anthrosecurist), her practical experience as a security-focused software developer and in her current role as the head of Security Operations for a major UK supermarket retailer; Lianne combines the human and the technical aspects of security to evangelise a cultural security transformation.

In this chat with Lianne Potter, Head of SecOps for ASDA, and which is part one of our episode entitled ‘Cyber Anthropology, Diversity and Inclusion - How to Build a SecOps Team', we discuss the meaning of the term 'cyberanthropologist' and how her studies have helped shape her as a leader and a builder of diverse teams. We also discuss her career journey and 'squiggly' route in to cybersecurity.

Lianne delivers talks across the globe and is regularly published in industry publications to share her vision for a new type of holistic security function. Drawing upon her expertise as a cyber-anthropologist (through her consultancy, The Anthrosecurist), her practical experience as a security-focused software developer and in her current role as the head of Security Operations for a major UK supermarket retailer; Lianne combines the human and the technical aspects of security to evangelise a cultural security transformation.

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In this episode of Talent First, I speak to cybersecurity legend Yvette Lejins about her brilliant career, her time at some of the worlds leading organisations and about what the CISO role really entails. We also discuss how the CISO can go from the periphery of the C Suite to business enabler and how they can prepare to liaise with the board.

Yvette is a seasoned CISO, having held executive CISO roles at Proofpoint, Jetstar Group and Asciano.  She has a passion for helping C-suite leaders, Boards and customers to navigate the complexity and challenges within the fast-moving cyber security and privacy space, enabling organisations to thrive through change and crisis, and has built a reputation for being an energetic, values-driven executive leader.
With her extensive global experience and APJ leadership expertise, she brings a track record of strategic thinking, planning and execution of security projects and initiatives, developing robust controls and driving critical innovation and transformation, through technology and people.

In this episode, a slight departure from the 'CISO Season', but just in time for International Women's Day, I speak to Dr Anmol Agarwal about the threats and opportunities of AI, the growing concerns around adversarial machine learning and how companies can protect themselves against advanced cyber attacks.

Dr. Anmol Agarwal is a senior security researcher specializing in AI and Machine Learning security in 5G and 6G. She is also a part-time adjunct professor at George Washington University. Dr. Agarwal holds a doctoral degree in cybersecurity analytics from George Washington University; her research focused on AI security. She has a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor's degree in software engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. She previously worked at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Dr. Agarwal is also an active speaker and has spoken at a wide variety of conferences. In her free time, Dr. Agarwal enjoys giving back to the community and is an active industry mentor. When she is not working or mentoring, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anmolsagarwal/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/anmolspeaker

Link to upcoming conference (The Hack Space Con Conference): https://www.hackspacecon.com/

In this episode, I chat to Helen Patton, Cybersecurity Executive Advisor at Cisco. We shared a lot of opinions on subjects ranging from the differences between authentic and synthetic training experiences, the validity and usefulness of cyber qualifications and degrees, and the creativity required to hire exceptional talent in the current market.

Helen Patton is a strategic cybersecurity advisor at Cisco. Previously she served as a CISO for the Cisco Security Business Group, and an Advisory CISO, providing strategic insights to the security community. She was the CISO at The Ohio State University and spent ten years in risk and resiliency at JPMorganChase.

Helen actively encourages cybersecurity collaboration across and within industries, to enable better information security and privacy practices. She believes in improving diversity and inclusion in the cyber workforce, and mentors people interested in pursuing careers in security, privacy and risk management. She advocates for more naps and is anti-bagpipes.

Helen has a Master’s degree in Public Policy. She serves on various cybersecurity advisory boards, and is faculty for the Educause Leadership Institute, a committee member for the Cybersecurity Canon, and a cyber risk instructor at the Ohio State University. Helen is a blogger and the author of “Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path”.

Discover more about Helen's career here - https://www.cisohelen.com/

And about her books here -

https://www.cisohelen.com/books

In the second part of my chat with Michala Liavaag, Founder of Cybility and cybersecurity mentor, we discuss the phrase 'skills gap' and how it is becoming a catch-all phrase and somewhat of a misnomer in cybersecurity recruitment. Michala offers her advice not only to people looking to come into and/or pivot into the industry but also to companies looking to hire the best in talent - going beyond the traditional methods.

An experienced cybersecurity leader, speaker, mentor, and podcaster; Michala spent over 20 years in IT and

a decade leading information governance and cybersecurity programmes across local government,

healthcare, charity, and private sectors.

She founded Cybility Consulting to demystify cybersecurity for leaders; enabling them to build customer

trust and better protect their organisations. Her podcast and YouTube channel, Cybility Savvy, offer bite-

sized cybersecurity advice and conversations with leaders and experts. She contributes to work with the UK

National Cyber Security Centre, advisory group of the South-East Cyber Resilience Centre, and volunteers

as a STEM ambassador to inspire the next generation of security professionals.

 LinkedIn (personal) https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalal

 LinkedIn (company) https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybilityconsulting

 Twitter (personal) @igimp https://twitter.com/IGimp

 Twitter (company) @cybilityconsult https://twitter.com/cybilityconsult

 Facebook (company): https://www.facebook.com/cybilityconsulting

 Goodreads author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21373025.Michala_Liavaag

This episode of Talent First is so good, we made it into a two-parter!

I talk to Michala Liavagg about her incredible career, from pianist to cybersecurity leader and this part we talk about the crucial importance of mentorship to those looking to enter the profession. We also discuss the responsibilities of, not only the mentor, but the mentee.

An experienced cybersecurity leader, speaker, mentor, and podcaster; Michala spent over 20 years in IT and

a decade leading information governance and cybersecurity programmes across local government,

healthcare, charity, and private sectors.

She founded Cybility Consulting to demystify cybersecurity for leaders; enabling them to build customer

trust and better protect their organisations. Her podcast and YouTube channel, Cybility Savvy, offer bite-

sized cybersecurity advice and conversations with leaders and experts. She contributes to work with the UK

National Cyber Security Centre, advisory group of the South-East Cyber Resilience Centre, and volunteers

as a STEM ambassador to inspire the next generation of security professionals.

In this week's episode of The CISO Season of Talent First, I speak to Nadja El Fertasi, ex NATO and now founder of Thrive with EQ. Here, we talk about the evolving challenges of the CISO role and how emotional intelligence can help people thrive in the role, not just survive.

Nadja El Fertasi is an expert in emotional resilience and leadership in the digital age, with nearly two decades of experience at NATO, focusing on crisis management, strategic stakeholder communication, and cybersecurity. She is recognized for her innovative approach to integrating emotional intelligence with digital transformation strategies, championing the concept of "emotional firewalls" to enhance human resilience against digital challenges. Nadja is multilingual, an alumna of the German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and holds a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. Currently, she hosts the EQ Elevator Podcast, guiding businesses in developing emotionally resilient leadership. Her work aims to build a safer, emotionally intelligent digital environment for individuals and organizations alike.

In this episode, I speak to cyber security specialist, Stacey Champagne, about the often-neglected aspect of retaining experienced women in security and creating equitable conditions in the workplace. During this chat, Stacey gives her unique perspective on;

- The work of 'Hacker in Heels' and the support it offers women in this industry

- How we get more women into security roles

- Why women are leaving security jobs at such an alarming rate

Stacey Champagne is the Founder & CEO of Hacker in Heels, a company on a mission to increase the number of women in cybersecurity and influence greater societal change. Stacey coaches women to overcome attacks against their careers and claim top positions in the cybersecurity industry. With her experience leading cybersecurity teams at F500 companies, Stacey knows the TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) needed to survive and thrive in male-dominated, patriarchal environments. In 2023, Stacey was awarded the Women’s Society of Cyberjutstu “Cyber Advocate” award for her innovative programs, community, and proven track record of helping women change their careers and lives.