“The hardest thing is finding the time to find the talent”

— Samm MacLeod

Samm MacLeod is the CISO at AGL, Australia's leading energy company offering electricity, gas, solar and renewable energy services to homes and businesses.

Samm is an accomplished professional with more than 20 years’ experience supporting business strategies through technology enablement, risk management, security, and governance. In her role as CISO at AGL, Samm is accountable for aligning Cybersecurity strategy with business strategic initiatives and integrating security practices across the organization.

During this episode, Samm will bring light to the obstacles you may face when sourcing for security teams. Listen for her suggested immediate hiring needs and why you should strategically create employee longevity. Find out if the cybersecurity talent gap is really an industry crisis and how encouraging a diverse team of talented professionals may be the solution to a successful team.

Links:

• Linkedin.com/in/samanthamacleod

Time Stamps:

• 00:32 - Samm’s background, introduction, and journey to CISO

• 03:20 - Immediate hiring needs for a new security team

• 07:36 - Roles that must be outsourced or can be done in house

• 09:59 - Is there a lack of skill crisis?

• 10:24 - “I don’t think you need 25 years experience to make a difference in a security team” - Samm MacLeod

• 15:41 - Are we losing in-house security professionals to micro business?

• 16:18 - “Step out of that mold and challenge the industry and status quo” - Samm MacLeod

• 18:25 - Why women aren’t prevalent in this industry

• 22:07 - The role that diversity plays on a security team of professionals

• 24:51 - Overcoming obstacles when sourcing for teams

• 26:14 - “The hardest thing is finding the time to find the talent” - Samm MacLeod

• 28:29 - Key lessons learned around cybersecurity teams