Everybody has to have several things they will bring to the table. Not just one aptitude. Therefore cybersecurity alone is not sufficient. What I have seen, and I advise a lot of CISOs that are in fact interested to serve on boards, is really to expand their knowledge base, their career, not just be chief information security officer all of their life, but to also do other things.
Timestamps
*00:01 - Introductions | *13:51 - How does having cybersecurity experience help? |
*1:32 - What is a NED? | *17:17 - How has your personal experience influenced your role as a NED? |
*6:41 - Time commitment involved in NED roles | *22:07 - How does one go about finding these sorts of roles? |
*9:39 - Why cybersecurity leaders find NED roles appealing | *25:27 - The cybersecurity knowledge gap on boards |
*12:44 - The importance of diversity on boards | *30:24 - Impact of cyber incidents on a board's focus |
Other ways to listen:
As the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Six Degrees Group, Richard Starnes leads the development and implementation of an information security strategy that aligns with the business goals and risk tolerance of a leading cloud-led managed service provider (MSP) and Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). With over 30 years of experience in the information security industry, he has a proven track record of managing cybersecurity risks, ensuring compliance, and protecting digital assets for a diverse range of clients and sectors.
Richard oversees the security architecture, policies, standards, guidelines, tooling, training and awareness at Six Degrees. He also sits on the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, where he collaborates with other corporate executives to provide guidance, reporting and oversight on business risk. He is a Non-executive Director and Chair of the Advisory Board at the Cyber Resilience Centre for London (LondonCRC), which is a not-for-profit organisation that supports SMEs and charities to reduce their vulnerability to cybercrime. He is also an active contributor to the cybersecurity community, speaking and writing articles on various topics, sharing insights and expertise, and participating in professional associations and panels.
Richard holds a Master of Science in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, a CISSP certification, and a Fellowship of the BCS and is also a school Governor for the Lenham School in Kent.
Dr. Homaira Akbari is President and CEO of AKnowledge Partners, LLC, a global strategy advisory firm providing services to private equity funds and corporations in digital transformation and technology sectors of Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Energy Transition, and FinTech. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) and Landstar System (NASDAQ: LSTR).
Dr. Akbari has held senior management roles in Fortune 1000 companies including Microsoft, Thales, and Liberty Media subsidiary, Trueposition. Dr. Akbari has served as the President and CEO of SkyBitz, Inc., a leading IoT company providing asset tracking and security solutions. Under her leadership, the company had record performance. She successfully sold SkyBitz to Telular Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLS).
She holds a Ph.D. with honors in particle physics from Tufts University and an MBA with distinction from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. She is the author of more than 50 scientific articles in international journals, has two patents in IoT, and is a frequent speaker in industry conferences. She has published numerous governance and technology Opinion Editorials and Podcasts, and most recently co-authored the book: The Cyber Savvy Boardroom.
Throughout her life, Dr. Akbari has been active in and a contributor to many non-profit organizations. She is currently a member of Business Board of Advisors for Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business, and a member of Executive Board of Trustees of FIAF.org, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote French culture, art and language.
Emily Wearmouth is a technology communicator who helps engineers, specialists and tech organisations to communicate more effectively. At Netskope, Emily runs the company’s international communications and content programmes, working with teams across EMEA, LATAM, and APJ. She spends her days unearthing stories and telling them in a way that helps a wide range of audiences to better understand technology options and benefits.
As the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Six Degrees Group, Richard Starnes leads the development and implementation of an information security strategy that aligns with the business goals and risk tolerance of a leading cloud-led managed service provider (MSP) and Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). With over 30 years of experience in the information security industry, he has a proven track record of managing cybersecurity risks, ensuring compliance, and protecting digital assets for a diverse range of clients and sectors.
Richard oversees the security architecture, policies, standards, guidelines, tooling, training and awareness at Six Degrees. He also sits on the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, where he collaborates with other corporate executives to provide guidance, reporting and oversight on business risk. He is a Non-executive Director and Chair of the Advisory Board at the Cyber Resilience Centre for London (LondonCRC), which is a not-for-profit organisation that supports SMEs and charities to reduce their vulnerability to cybercrime. He is also an active contributor to the cybersecurity community, speaking and writing articles on various topics, sharing insights and expertise, and participating in professional associations and panels.
Richard holds a Master of Science in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, a CISSP certification, and a Fellowship of the BCS and is also a school Governor for the Lenham School in Kent.
Dr. Homaira Akbari is President and CEO of AKnowledge Partners, LLC, a global strategy advisory firm providing services to private equity funds and corporations in digital transformation and technology sectors of Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Energy Transition, and FinTech. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) and Landstar System (NASDAQ: LSTR).
Dr. Akbari has held senior management roles in Fortune 1000 companies including Microsoft, Thales, and Liberty Media subsidiary, Trueposition. Dr. Akbari has served as the President and CEO of SkyBitz, Inc., a leading IoT company providing asset tracking and security solutions. Under her leadership, the company had record performance. She successfully sold SkyBitz to Telular Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLS).
She holds a Ph.D. with honors in particle physics from Tufts University and an MBA with distinction from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. She is the author of more than 50 scientific articles in international journals, has two patents in IoT, and is a frequent speaker in industry conferences. She has published numerous governance and technology Opinion Editorials and Podcasts, and most recently co-authored the book: The Cyber Savvy Boardroom.
Throughout her life, Dr. Akbari has been active in and a contributor to many non-profit organizations. She is currently a member of Business Board of Advisors for Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business, and a member of Executive Board of Trustees of FIAF.org, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote French culture, art and language.
Emily Wearmouth is a technology communicator who helps engineers, specialists and tech organisations to communicate more effectively. At Netskope, Emily runs the company’s international communications and content programmes, working with teams across EMEA, LATAM, and APJ. She spends her days unearthing stories and telling them in a way that helps a wide range of audiences to better understand technology options and benefits.