Talent First

SEASON FIVE: In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to parenting expert Sue Atkins about something that is becoming of increasing concern to parents globally - children and technology. When is the right time to give your child a smartphone? What should schools be doing and what support do they need? Is the UK government doing all it can to tackle online safety and security? For parents...

SEASON FIVE: In this weeks episode, I chat to Diana Kelley, CISO at Noma about a range of issues around AI integration, policy and governance and about what she is seeing when it comes to the impact of generative AI on recruitment and hiring. We also talk about the CISO role - is it becoming totally unmanageable and will we see a rise in the Deputy CISO position - or will CISOs need to become HR m...

SEASON FIVE: This episode was first aired in September 2024 - and it's incredible how much more complex things have become in that time. I speak to Professor Sarah Jones, Pro Vice Chancellor for Education at Solent University. We talk about passions that we share - how to enhance learning and teaching through technology, digital equity and accessibility and the future of education. We also dis...

SEASON FIVE - In this episode I’m joined by Joe Wells, a passionate and driven voice in cybersecurity who is determined to make the online world safer for children. Together, we explore  Cyberherd , his inspiring initiative designed to guide parents, educators, and communities in protecting young people as they grow up in an increasingly connected world. Our conversation covers practical strategie...

SEASON FIVE: This episode, I chat to Aska Kuwabara, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Axartoys.ai and Founder of Getitdonewith. AI. We chat about her amazing new AI powered soft toy, MAXI, that aims to educate children not just around the use of AI but in traditional academic subjects too - no screen, just fun. We talk about her journey as a tech entrepreneur, what MAXI can do as well as the...

SEASON FIVE: In this episode of Talent First, I chat to Dr Elena Zehndorfer, academic, researcher and editor-in-chief at Blackheath Publishing. We cover a range of topics that will be of particular interest to parents of teenagers who are navigating the digital world. We discuss the issues of deepfake tech, how to parent in this post-truth era, and why our teens are susceptible targets for cyber c...

SEASON FIVE - In this week's episode, I speak to Stuart Walton about all things security awareness and training for businesses and for the family. We talk about his superhero analogy when it comes to online safety, the different forms of social engineering we encounter every day and how to protect our loved ones in particular from becoming a victim of cybercriminals. With plenty of humour and hear...

SEASON FIVE: In this episode, the first episode of season 5 of our award-winning podcast, I speak to Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of AnitaB.org. We discuss a range of topics on our responsibility for understanding AI, not just in organisation but as individuals, so that we have a voice when it comes to its implementation and integration. We also chat about AI literacy and education a...

BONUS EPISODE: In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to Dora Boussias, Founder of DoraB Global and a woman with a fascinating and inspiring personal story. We talk about her unique approach to leadership coaching, the frameworks she provides her cohorts so that they can SOAR and what being authentic really means. We also talk inclusivity, as well as about what is next for her fantasti...

In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to Oluwadamilola Obamehinti, Founder of Cyber Culture about the future of this industry. We cover topics ranging from the issues in diversity, how Gen Z will learn leadership skills if working remotely and what tech leaders should really be concerned about when it comes to security. About Our Guest: Oluwadamilola has 14+ years of professional expe...

BONUS EPISODE: In this week's episode, I speak to the wonderful Suzie Henriques, Founder of The CV Bee who shares her wisdom and expertise in writing great resumes, and in career coaching. We talk about the services her company offers, the importance of a multi-channel approach to job search as well as how to craft a compelling resume. Avoid those LinkedIn charlatans who profess to be the best...

BONUS EPISODE (Some listeners may find this content sensitive): This week, I chat to Bronwyn Boyle, CISO at PPRO, about the crucial (and often misunderstood) issue of romance scams. We look at the increasing volume and complexity of these crimes from both the victim's and perpetrator's side, and discuss the propensity for victim blaming. Bronwyn also offers her solutions to these issues, a...

SEASON FOUR: In this episode, I chat to Lisa Plaggemeir, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance about her career to date (from marketing to cybersecurity!), and about the incredible work of the NCA. When it comes to security awareness training, their free resources are second to none and created for people of all ages, including our aging relatives, and for organisations of all...

Disclaimer - This episode covers topics that some listeners might find sensitive. BONUS EPISODE: This week we are celebrating a key milestone - 50 guests have joined me to discuss all things tech, security and leadership and we could be prouder in the Talent First office! And who better to chat to for this special episode than Lisa Ventura MBE who talks to me about her career so far, and about thr...

SEASON FOUR - In this week's episode I return to the theme of the season, The Women Securing Texas, discussing all things empathy and leadership with Founder of Green Reed, Farrah Mitra. We talk about her new framework for change management, her work as a radical candor coach and about her own experiences with Imposter Syndrome and how she overcame it to successfully partner with top US busine...

BONUS EPISODE: This week's episode of Talent First is with an incredible woman in cyberscurity who I have been wanting to chat to for some time! She is Candace Williams, Founder of Cyb(H)er Ally Solutions and staunch advocate for all those entering the profession and for women who are looking to get in and up in this industry. We talk all things influence, thought leadership and how to close t...

SEASON FOUR: In this episode of Talent Fist, I'm talking everything cybersecurity SaaS sales with Jessica Bookman, AVP of Commercial at Sublime Security. From how to scale excellent teams to how to interview for human skills, Jessica gives you a range of advice for how to be a successful leader in this space. About Our Guest: Jess Bookman is the Area Vice President of Commercial for Sublime Se...

BONUS EPISODE - This week, I welcome back a guest from Season One of Talent First, Stacey Champagne, Founder of Hacker in Heels and advocate for women in cybersecurity everywhere. We talk about her career journey so far, the important work Hacker in Heels in doing in this space (and how YOU can support the venture) and what it's really like to take the CISSP. About Our Guest: Stacey Champagne...

BONUS EPISODE - In this week's episode of Talent First, I chat to one of my favourite women who I am yet to meet in the flesh, Keri-Lynne Shaw, Founder of The Salary Bump and its sister companies, The Career Bump and The Exit Bump - and does she have a special deal for our loyal listeners!. We talk how to negotiate for a better salary and promotion, how to negotiate pay at interview, when it i...

SEASON FOUR - In this fantastic episode, just in time for International Women's Day, I speak to Kathy Staudt, President and Co Founder of The Vibration Guys about her incredible career, about her experiences as a woman in STEM and about how to thrive, not just survive, in a niche industry. Her advice around building effective teams through trust is advice not to be missed. About Our Guest: Ser...

SEASON FOUR - In this episode of  Talent First , I sit down with Jeanie Anirudhan, PMO at PepsiCo, to break down the realities of digital transformation—why the term itself is often a misnomer and how true transformation is about delivering real business value. We explore the critical role of stakeholder buy-in, the importance of cultivating a digital culture, and how to ensure innovation goes bey...

SEASON FOUR - This week, we're doing something a little different. It's a retrospective of three of our favourite episodes with women who are working for or in Texas. I talk sports betting, leadership, the future of cybersecurity and the efficacy of teams three incredible people who are paving the way in technology. About our guests (and their full episodes): Kelly Pracht is Co-Founder and CEO at...

SEASON FOUR: Another great advice-driven episode with Mani Keerthi Nagothu, Field CISO and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. We chat about the benefits of table top exercises as a form of training, how to evaluate progress and follow up as well how to create a security culture, how to prevent security fatigue and how to engender enthusiasm for security awareness, especially with reluctant members of s...

SEASON FOUR: In this episode, I chat to Luz Angeles, Security SE at SHI International Corporation about her views on leading remote teams, on-prem versus remote SOCs, as well as her predictions for security in 2025. We also discuss Luz's career to date, how she finds time to complete qualifications and certs to keep up to date and about her passion for supporting women in this industry through...

BONUS EPISODE - In this episode of Talent First, I chat to Andy Ellis, author, CSO Hall of Famer and Partner at YL Ventures. We discuss his label of the 'idealized' CISO, what this means and how they are vanishing. We also talk about how to attract and retain talent, how CISOs can bridge the C Suite gap and how CISOs effect change successfully in their first few weeks. Another advice-laden episode...