Darren Argyle, former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, shares his insights on how cyber security leaders can succeed in the boardroom by shifting from technical execution to strategic influence.

Speaking at Security Edge after returning to Australia from a six-year stint in Singapore, Darren highlights the limitations of technical expertise when managing larger teams.

As cyber leaders rise in seniority, he says, leadership skills such as influence, communication and alignment with business priorities become essential, particularly since cyber security teams often remain small compared to broader IT functions.

Using the concept of the flywheel effect from Good to Great by Jim Collins, Darren illustrates how building momentum in cyber security starts with small, consistent actions that eventually lead to significant impact.

He emphasises that real success in cyber leadership lies in “winning the boardroom,” where aligning your security agenda with the business agenda becomes more important than technical details.

Boards, he notes, respond to language that connects with business risk, value and outcomes, not jargon. The goal is not just compliance but creating competitive advantage and trust through resilience.

To demonstrate this, Darren presents a humorous case study involving his former CEO, Lance Uggla, who agreed to star in a light-hearted internal video about cyber security.

Darren explains that this initiative, despite almost costing him his job early on, became the most-watched internal video in the company.

This proves that messages are more impactful when delivered by senior business leaders. The takeaway: influence and partnership with the C-suite are critical for advancing cyber security initiatives.

This aligns with ADAPT’s insights, where 70% of CIOs are investing in generative AI, yet effectiveness in defending against AI threats scores an average of only 4.1 out of 10, emphasising the need for leadership to bridge the gap between innovation and risk management.

 

Key takeaways:

  • Leadership over technical expertise: As cyber security professionals move into senior roles, leadership skills, like influencing and aligning with business goals become more critical than technical knowledge, especially when managing larger teams.
  • Winning in the boardroom matters most: Success in cyber security hinges on the ability to engage and persuade senior leaders by connecting cyber initiatives to business outcomes, not just compliance or technical risk.
  • Use senior voices to amplify impact: Messages about cyber security are far more effective when delivered by CEOs or board members. For example, Darren’s internal awareness video featuring his CEO became the most-watched in the company, highlighting the power of top-down advocacy.
Contributors
Darren Argyle Former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered Bank
Darren is an accomplished executive with close to 20 years of international cyber risk/security experience and served as the Group Chief Information... More

Darren is an accomplished executive with close to 20 years of international cyber risk/security experience and served as the Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered bank. He was recently appointed as Ambassador for the Global Cyber Alliance in recognition of his collaborative work advising small businesses in a voluntary capacity and is the Co-Founder/ Chairman of Cyber Leadership Institute.

Darren has a wealth of real-world hands-on leadership experience to impart; he was the former Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Qantas Airlines and, before coming to live in Australia, the former Chief Information Security Officer at IHS Markit, a global FinTech headquartered in the UK, and also held various senior international cyber security leadership roles at Symantec and IBM.

In 2016, Darren was featured on the front cover of SC Magazine (an award-winning cybersecurity media publication) then, in 2017 and 2022, was named in the top 100 Chief Information Security Officers globally, and, in 2018, was listed in the top 100 IT security influencers globally. Darren is adept at using real-world stories to demonstrate the critical importance of striving for cyber resilience.

 

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security compliance management