David Gee, Global Head Technology, Cyber & Data Risk at Macquarie Group reflects on his journey toward becoming a CIO, which began with a pivotal career decision made while sitting in Kyoto’s famous Zen garden, Ryoan-ji. This moment of contemplation led him to embrace the role of a CIO, driven by the realisation that transformation starts with self-authenticity. He emphasises that to lead and inspire transformation in organisations, CIOs and CISOs must first transform themselves, focusing on continuous self-improvement and confronting discomfort to build effective leadership skills.

He further discusses the importance of understanding and adapting to one’s strengths and weaknesses as a CIO or CISO. David shares personal experiences and insights on the challenges of managing teams, dealing with stakeholder relationships and navigating organisational politics. By reflecting on past experiences, such as handling complex interviews and leading high-stakes transformations, he illustrates the necessity of balancing strategic goals with immediate pressures. The key to success lies in acknowledging one’s own gaps, learning from them and fostering strong, collaborative teams to drive organisational excellence.

David discusses the challenges and expectations of being a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), highlighting the intense demands and lack of recognition that often come with the role. He emphasises the importance of personal resilience, psychological safety and the ability to protect both the organisation and the team. Career management choices should be guided by both personal and professional needs. David advises establishing credibility in a new role through transparency and setting realistic goals. He emphasizes the need to balance immediate issues, such as shadow IT, with strategic priorities while maintaining respectful and transparent communication with leadership

Key takeaways:

• Resilience and psychological safety: Being a CISO requires immense personal resilience and the ability to cope with high stress and lack of recognition. Creating a sense of psychological safety for oneself and one’s team is crucial for effective performance and wellbeing.
• Career management and transparency: Effective career management involves being open to opportunities and making strategic choices based on personal and professional needs. Building credibility in a new role is achieved through transparency, setting realistic goals and engaging in honest communication.
• Balancing immediate and strategic priorities: Addressing urgent issues like shadow IT should be balanced with strategic priorities. It’s important to acknowledge and manage such issues without letting them derail broader organisational goals, while maintaining respect and transparency with leadership.