Trusted Access

Abbas Kudrati, a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in global cybersecurity, has held prestigious roles such as Chief Cybersecurity Advisor at Microsoft Asia and CISO for KPMG Australia. Currently, he channels his expertise into his role as Chief Identity Security Advisor at Silverfort and as a Professor of Practice at La Trobe University. In this episode, we explore the unwritten ru...

David Gee, a seasoned leader with experience across 18 countries, has held prestigious roles such as Global Head of Technology at Macquarie Group and CISO of HSBC. Currently, he's channel his expertise into writing a book titled "The Day in the Life of a CISO." In this episode, we explore the transformation of leadership through soft skills, from communication to resilience, and why they matter mo...

Curiosity is your superpower. Volker is a highly respected technology leader who spent five years as a security risk and compliance principal and executive advisor at AWS. Having started his career selling enterprise software at Symantec, he has built a global reputation for cutting through the corporate jargon and delivering real, unfiltered advice to executives. In this episode, we break down wh...

Risk is better than regret. Caroline Tran is the Co-Founder of HelloClever, a Forbes Asia 100 founder, and the 2025 Female FinTech Leader of the Year . Transitioning from marketing to FinTech, she has built a global payment gateway active across six countries. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of HelloClever, from identifying a gap in real-time payments to achieving over $15M in ARR. Key d...

Most technical leaders speak in features. Elite leaders speak in priorities. Nik Jain (Regional Director & CTO, Dynatrace) has mastered the "Executive Translation Layer." He moved from software engineering to the C-suite by learning how to bridge the gap between technical debt and business value. In this episode, we move past the tech stack to discuss the psychology of leadership, customer obs...

Sean Gynn’s career journey is a masterclass in resilience and adaptability. From the foundational lessons of real estate to navigating high-growth environments at Cloudflare, Sean has developed a unique perspective on what it actually takes to succeed in technology sales. In this episode, we break down the transition from non-traditional backgrounds into tech and why emotional intelligence remains...

In this episode of Trusted Access , I sit down with Dre Turnbull to unpack what actually drives long-term success in cybersecurity sales. We talk about discipline, systems, and why running your sales patch like a business changes the way you show up for customers. Dre shares lessons from his journey, how sports shaped his work ethic, and why consistent follow-up and strong systems matter more than...

The conversation delves into the importance of trust in the cybersecurity industry and Chris's career journey, highlighting the evolution of the industry and the challenges in adapting to change. It also explores competitive dynamics, customer engagement, and the role of personalisation and general knowledge in building rapport with customers. The conversation emphasises the importance of building...

Episode 1 — Trusted Access with Mike Ouwerkerk In this episode, we explore how technical leaders build trust, what modern buyers expect, and why credibility is becoming the core of cybersecurity sales and leadership. We cover: • How CISOs evaluate vendors • Why relationships beat features • Communication habits that earn respect • Leadership and resilience in cybersecurity Perfect for CISOs, found...