Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 27 | Page 82

GET TO KNOW and relentless. They only need to be successful once whereas the defenders need to be successful 100% of the time. This battle will drive continued investment and innovation in technology. 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? even with the best technology. For me, it is all about the people and creating the conditions for the team to be successful. What do you think is the current hot technology talking point? The challenge that all organisations face is the shortage of security professionals, so any technology that improves effectiveness and efficiency is going to be a hot technology. Technologies that can empower the human element of cybersecurity are extremely relevant. How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office? I actually enjoy working and consider myself fortunate to be in the cybersecurity industry. So, believe it or not I don’t get too stressed. That said, I do love to travel and spend time with my family. Therefore, combining the two works for me, a holiday abroad with my family is the perfect way for me to unwind. What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry? In cybersecurity our adversaries, the attackers, are well funded, highly skilled “ A HOLIDAY ABROAD WITH MY FAMILY IS THE PERFECT WAY FOR ME TO UNWIND. I have seen a lot of change in the marketing of our solutions. It’s now much more ‘use case’ based so customers can quickly see the value. It’s also a much more blended marketing approach. We have many and multiple mechanisms for delivering our proposition (face to face, event, webinar, seminar, digital, mixed content) so that different types of decision makers can consume our information in the way that suits them best. What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry? There are many qualities required for this type of role but the one that is essential is the ability to communicate at multiple levels, both internally and externally to the organisation. Therefore, my advice would be to focus on your communication skills. n If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be? It’s impossible that I have got every career decision correct but I can’t think of one that I would change. In every case, my intent has been to make a correct decision and achieve the best possible outcome. I believe that is the most important factor. 82 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com