Welcome to another powerfully honest episode of The Defender’s Journal! This week, Aimee Cardwell joins us. From building mobile tech at Expedia to securing healthcare infrastructure at UnitedHealth, her career spans engineering, innovation, and CISO-level leadership. In this episode, we talk about leading through billion-dollar transformations, how to move from operator to strategist, and what it really takes to hold your ground in rooms where nobody expects you to flinch… + Interested...
Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Defender’s Journal! This week, Kaeli Smith joins us. But how does a former graphic design student go from nearly joining the CIA to leading a 30+ person cyber risk team? In this episode, we explore the mindset shift that pulled Kaeli into tech, how she’s translated risk for executives, and what it really takes to lead in an industry where not everyone expects you to belong... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or...
Welcome to another insight-packed episode of The Defender’s Journal! This week, Chad Pierce takes the mic. But how does a cybersecurity leader link GRC directly to $1B in revenue - while keeping 700+ global buildings running behind the scenes? In this episode, we unpack the leadership mindset that turns security into an accelerator, the invisible systems powering WeWork’s global footprint, and why parenting twins might just be the best CTO training out there... + Interested in joining us on t...
Welcome to another gripping episode of The Defender’s Journal! This week, Nate Dunning joins us on the mic. But how does a small-town farm kid end up leading global security operations across continents? In this episode, we unpack what it’s like to handle a live DDoS attack from an airport terminal, the challenges of building a SOC across time zones, and why hiring unconventional talent might be the secret weapon your security team’s missing... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect ...
Welcome to another intriguing episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, John Terrill steps up to the mic. But how does a 15-year-old hacker end up running security at Fox News and pioneering endpoint tools before the rest of the world caught on? In this episode, we dive into the question from a CTO that left him genuinely stumped, why your operating system might be your biggest crypto risk (not your encryption), and the advice he gives every cybersecurity leader on the edge of burnout... ...
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Matt Rathbun takes the mic. But how does a political science grad become CSO Elect at the OCC? In this episode, we explore how a NIST framework changed the course of his career, why awareness training needs a reset, and what it really means when Matt says, “anything encrypted 18–24 months ago is now plain text readable.” + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham o...
Welcome to another gripping episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Nick Arvanitis takes a seat on the sofa. But how does someone go from SysAdmin to one of the most trusted voices in cybersecurity? In this episode, we unpack the mistakes that still weigh heavy, the decisions that cost him sleep, and the one sliding-doors moment in security history he’d change - if he could. + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn or via our ...
Welcome to another fascinating episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to welcome Katelyn Perna to the sofa. Katelyn keeps it real and relatable. This week, we’re diving into the link between RFID chips and decentralised clothing tech. Was becoming a CISO ever her real goal? What web2 problems still hold back web3? And how can aerospace-level scrutiny redefine custody engineering? + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on...
Welcome to another episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to welcome Eric Freeman to the show. Eric’s journey is anything but ordinary. This week, he’s sharing how he went from a line chef to Head of Security in record time – and the lessons learned along the way. We’ll dive into why buy-in can be a major challenge in cybersecurity and how the “yes, but” approach helps solve it. And as a Tottenham fan, Eric reveals how Arsenal (yes, Arsenal) taught him what it takes to b...
Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Tom Baxley to the sofa! Ever wonder how a 12-year-old tinkerer with computers grew up to become a CISO at one of the world’s top asset management firms? Listen now… + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website.
Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Abbas Kudrati to the sofa! How did someone who couldn’t read, write, or speak until the age of six go on to shape global cybersecurity strategies and write successful books? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website.
Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Erika Dean to the sofa! How does someone with zero experience land a spot on the InfoSec team at Capital One? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website.
Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to have Olivia Rose join us on the sofa! Why did Olivia quit her CISO role just a day after promoting it on an RSA panel? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website.
Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to have Chelsea Jarvie join us on the sofa! Curious about how she achieved a senior position in cybersecurity with only 18 months of industry experience? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website.
Welcome to another episode in our series! Here at The Defender's Journal, we delve into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cybersecurity space, revealing their stories, motivations, and tips for long-term success. This week, our guest is none other than industry stalwart Phil Venables. Here is his journey... *Interested in joining us on the show in Summer 2024? Please connect with Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn, or reach out directly through our website!
Welcome to another episode in our series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our prestigious guest is Lakshmi Hanspal, and here is her journey... *Interested in joining us on the show in the Summer of 2024? Please feel free to connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn, or reach out d...
Welcome to the ELEVENTH episode in our series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Hilary Walton, and here is her journey... + a link to Hilary's podcast (on YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@HilsWalton - Fancy joining us on the show in Q2/Q3 of 2024? Please reach out to either J...
Welcome to the TENTH episode in our "new" series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Hazel McPherson, and here is her journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in Q2 of 2024? Please reach out to either Jeff Harrod, or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn!
Welcome to the ninth episode in our new series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Jacob DePriest, and here is his journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in Q2 of 2024? Please reach out to either Jeff Harrod, or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn!
Welcome to the eighth episode in our new series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Dr Rebecca Wynn, and here is her journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in 2024? Please reach out to either Jeff Harrod, or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn!