Episode 297 Deep Dive: David Gee | Career Guide for Aspiring CISOs

In this episode, we sit down with David Gee, advisor at JS Careers, Bain & Company, and Emertel, as he shares insights on aspiring and growing into a CISO. David delves into the importance of international experiences, driving change, and effectively communicating with boards as key traits of a true leader. He reflects on personal experiences that shaped his leadership journey, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptability. We also explore corporate dynamics, discussing the challenges of genuine leadership and the nuances of climbing the corporate ladder, as well as how to effectively navigate and implement leadership strategies in different environments.

David has just retired in July 2024 and is building out his portfolio. He is an Advisor with Bain Advisory Network and also an Advisor to JS Careers (Cyber Recruitment) and Emertel (Software Commercialization).

He is a seasoned technology executive with significant experience and has over 25 years’ experience in CIO and CISO roles across different industries and countries. At Macquarie Group David served as Global Head Technology, Cyber and Data Risk. Previously was CISO for HSBC Asia Pacific. His career as a CIO spans across multiple industries and geographies including – Metlife, Eli Lilly and Credit Union Australia. He was winner CIO of the Year 2014, at CUA where he successfully completed a significant Transformation of Core Banking, Online and Mobile Banking systems.

David is past Chairman for the FS-ISAC Strategy Committee and awarded Global Leaders Award in 2023 for his contributions to the cybersecurity industry. A regular conference keynote speaker and 150+ published articles for CIO Australia, Computerworld, ITNews and CSO (Cyber Security), David now writes for Foundry CIO.com and AICD.

His most recent book – the Aspiring CIO & CISO was published in July 2024 and David is writing his second – A Day in the Life of a CISO with a number of CISOs from around the world for 2025.