I’m Lisa Ventura MBE, an award-winning cyber security specialist, keynote speaker, writer/journalist and coach/mentor.
Early Part of My Career – The Entertainment Industry Years
During the earlier part of my career and before I entered the cyber security industry in 2009, I worked with leading TV and Radio Personality Chris Tarrant at his management company. I oversaw Chris’s involvement in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” where it was a huge hit in the UK, regularly beating “Eastenders” in the ratings, and it also went on to be a global phenomenon when it was syndicated out as a format to different networks across the world.
I helped to ghostwrite Chris’s 1997 book “Tarrant off the Record”, and I was also involved in the launch of the Worcester Three Choirs Festival Fringe which first took place in 1999 which was the precursor to the now popular Worcester Festival. Following this, I was also the Founder and Festival Director of the Worcestershire Literary Festival from 2011 to 2013.
Pivoting Into the Cyber Security Industry
In 2009 I pivoted into the cyber security industry when I joined my ex-wife’s cyber security software development company Titania Ltd, and I have been in the cyber security industry ever since.
Today I am the Founder of Cyber Security Unity (formerly the UK Cyber Security Association), a global community membership organisation that is dedicated to bringing individuals & companies together who actively work in cyber security to help combat the growing cyber threat. As a consultant I also work closely with cyber security leadership teams to help them collaborate more effectively, and I also provide cyber security awareness and culture change training.
As a consultant I work closely with cyber security leadership teams to help them collaborate together more effectively and I provide cyber security awareness and culture training.
Over the years I’ve worked with numerous cyber security and infosec organisations including Proficio Inc, Boost Technology Group, Blue Voyant, CyBourn, the UK Cyber Security Council, Logistics UK, Pionen, HOOP Cyber Security and most recently with Qualitest to name but a few.
I have a unique perspective on the cyber security industry and specialise in creating and implementing go-to-market plans, brand awareness and positioning cyber security and infosec organisations as thought leaders and experts in their fields to help them get one step ahead of their competitors.
Recently I worked with Pinsent Masons Solicitors various aspects of their global cyber security awareness programme which comprised of cyber escape rooms, phishing email simulation exercises and carefully curated internal communications to promote good cyber hygiene to help prevent cyber-attacks.
I have a huge interest in the human aspects of cyber security, the intersection of AI and cyber security, social engineering and cyberpsychology. My aim is to raise as much awareness as possible of the growing cyber threat, not only to businesses of all sizes but also to the general public. As such, I strongly believe that cyber security is strong together as an industry to help combat the growing cyber threat, and through my work at Cyber Security Unity my aim is to bring the industry together and end the long-standing siloed working in cyber security that has been so prevalent over the years. I also bring a unique perspective to the Boards and Advisory Boards that I sit on, as well as being able to take highly technical cyber security related information, demystify it and present it to non-technical audiences in much easier to understand jargon-free language.
Through the work I undertake in the cyber security and tech industry I am often invited to be a keynote speaker, panellist and moderator at numerous cyber security, technology, IT and business conferences and events, both in-person and online. I am also a regular podcast guest and have appeared on numerous podcasts including “Razorwire”, “Talent First” and “No Password Required.”
I have specialist knowledge in the following areas:
I sit on these boards and I’m also a member of:
I sit on these boards and I’m also a member of:
I SIT ON THESE BOARDS AND I’M ALSO A MEMBER OF:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
I have been a finalist in and won numerous awards for my work in the cyber security industry. Among the many awards that I’ve won are SC Magazine’s “Outstanding Contribution to Cyber Security” award, and I was also named “Cyber Security Personality of the Year” and “Cyber Security Woman of the Year” by the Cyber Security Awards.
In 2024 I won the Cyber Security Award in the Everywoman in Technology Awards, and in 2020 I won the “Positive Role Model for Gender” award in ITV News’s National Diversity Awards. I was also inducted into CSO Online’s Hall of Fame in November 2024 and I also won “Cyber Security Personality of the Year” at the Real Cyber Awards.
In 2022 and 2024 respectively I was named as one of IT Security Guru’s “Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Security.” However, the pinnacle of my success in the cyber security industry came in in June 2023 when I was awarded an MBE in King Charles III’s birthday honours list for services to cyber security and diversity/inclusion, something I still can’t quite believe to this day.
I have also been included on various cyber security lists including:
I am a strong advocate of all things related to neurodiversity since I was diagnosed as #ActuallyAutistic in 2018 and with ADHD, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits in January 2023.
I wasn’t seeking a diagnosis when I discovered I was autistic in 2018, it came about by chance when I got asked by my GP if I wouldn’t mind taking part in a study that Worcestershire Healthy Minds was undertaking to look into undiagnosed autism in women between the ages of 40 and 45. From the moment I received my diagnosis and I began to research neurodiversity in much more depth, my life started to make much more sense and I realised why I had struggled my entire lifetime with certain things, and why I felt like I just didn’t “fit in” anywhere no matter what I did.
Getting my diagnoses not only helped me to understand myself, it also helped my husband Russell understand me and to realise that I am #DifferentNotDifficult, and that I’m not doing things to annoy him on purpose. I am also a strong supporter of promoting cyber security as a career path to those who are neurodivergent and being a mentor to those who are considering entering the cyber security industry.
Coaching, Mentoring and Sharing My Lived Experiences to Inspire Others
I love nothing more than mentoring others and sharing my industry insights in the main passions that I have in cyber security, AI, neurodiversity and mental health. I am a born campaigner, and I campaign tirelessly for issues that are close to my heart such as imposter, early pregnancy loss/stillbirth, mental health issues and stress/burnout.
As an autistic woman in the cyber security industry who also has ADHD, I am often called upon to share my experiences of being neurodivergent and I talk about how neurodiversity can be a force for good in all areas of life. I am a lifelong learner and continually develop and enhance my skills through courses, webinars and seminars, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows and networking events.
What Do I Do to Relax?
People often ask me how on earth I have any spare time left with all that I do, but to relax I love reading, retro computing (I am the proud owner of a fully kitted out retro room in my house containing all manner of computers from the 1980s and complete with a Dr Who TARDIS door), walking my beloved dog Poppy, sci-fi, films/cinema and self-development/positive thinking. I also have a strong interest in all things related to nuclear war and the cold war period of the 50s/60s/70s/80s, and I collect books, documentaries, and films on this subject.
Want To Work with Me? Get in touch!
If you like what you see on my site and would like to work with me, please get in touch by emailing enquiries@lisaventura.co.uk. I can also be found on LinkedIn, Facebook, x/Twitter, Bluesky and YouTube.
It includes articles, hints/tips, reviews, interviews and more on a wide variety of different topics and interests that I have.
It focuses mainly on cyber security, technology and business. It also includes blogs and articles about nuclear war!
Sadly, my son Frankie was born sleeping & since then I founded a blog in his memory called “Frankie’s Legacy”.
This blog focuses on what life is like for me as an empty armed mother, that is, a woman who has given birth, but who does not have any living children.
It has grown to become a resource for all things related to grief, loss & bereavement, not just baby loss but losses at any stage of life.
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