INVITATIONAL DINNERS

Steve Clarke was joined by NormCyber’s CTO Paul Cragg and a select group of CIOs and CTOs from our Tech Leaders Connect community – each deeply focused on protecting their organisations against evolving cyber threats, especially in the current climate of constrained budgets.

Cyber Security: Still Treated Like an IT Problem. That Has to Change

We had a very honest conversation about Cyber Security because, quite scarily, it still isn't landing with enough force at the top table. And I think we can all agree that cyber security is not just a tech issue. It’s a business-critical risk.

As a result of the dinner at The Wolseley, several key takeaways emerged that I thought worth sharing:

Cyber needs to be baked into business strategy, it can’t be a bolt-on 

Too many CEOs still view security as ‘IT’s problem.’ But cyber risk threatens revenue, operations, and compliance — the three pillars every business leader should care about.

A breach only needs to succeed once

Unlike defenders, attackers only have to get lucky once. And yet we still over-invest in IT controls while under-investing in human behaviour, ownership, and awareness.

Human risk management is the missed opportunity

Forget generic training, what works are real-time nudges, contextual guidance, and informal peer coaching, especially at the senior level.

Execs are often the weakest link

Our Exec teams are over-exposed, under-protected, and often exempt themselves from controls. Ironic really considering they’re also the highest-value targets.

Cyber risk has moved into our homes

BYOD appears to be fading, but we’re still not doing enough to support secure hybrid work. VPNs and password managers are simple wins, and still underused.

Zero Trust is not a silver bullet

Security is a mindset, not just a config change. And while outsourcing can help, the strategy and governance must stay in-house. Without that, a CIO/CTO is just a naïve buyer.

We need a culture shift, not just a tech stack refresh

Mistakes are inevitable, but they’re often buried. Aviation embraces post-mortems to learn and evolve, and IT needs to do the same. The British Library’s transparency after their incident was a rare but welcome outlier.

Cyber insurance isn’t a get-out-of-jail card

Security is a partnership. Good insurance companies will bring in IR teams, absolutely, but having Cyber Essentials Plus or a solid Microsoft Secure Score helps lower premiums and build resilience ahead of time. Partnering is really the only way to make it work.

If we want to get serious about cyber, it’s time to change the conversation. And the ownership. Because protecting our organisations starts well before the next incident response call.

Ask yourself...

How is your organisation elevating cyber beyond IT?

Download Steve Clarke’s full reflection below...

Steve Clarke was joined by Mark Rotheram and Emma Portlock from BCN and a select group of senior technology leaders for an evening dinner and discussion at Chiswell Street Dining Rooms, London. We explored a familiar but thorny topic: Is data the lifeblood of the business?

A few themes stood out...

Silos Everywhere

Data remains locked away. Not just from other departments, but from external insight too. And cross-functional collaboration is still rare.

Ownership is Murky

If the data’s wrong, exactly who fixes it? And who even knows it’s wrong? Without clear ownership, accountability vanishes.

Spreadsheets Still Rule

A staggering amount of critical business data (some estimate 70%!) still lives in spreadsheets where it’s fragile, fragmented, and invisible to oversight.

Data Debt is the New Tech Debt

We talk about legacy systems as blockers to growth, BUT what about the legacy data inside them? Who’s dealing with that?

Quality is Subjective (and Political)

Who defines “good data”? It often defaults to the CIO/CTO, but real accountability needs to shift to data owners in the business.

Shadow Data is a Growing Risk

Much like Shadow IT, Shadow Data is untracked, ungoverned and misunderstood. Even more concerning, it feeds new issues like Shadow AI.

Unstructured Data is a Ticking Time Bomb

Responding to a FoI or legal request is daunting when you don't know what's lurking in emails, PDFs, or chat logs.

Monitoring & Ethics

We’re seeing data used to monitor workers in increasingly invasive ways. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Generational & Cultural Gaps in Attitudes

Younger generations are more relaxed about sharing personal data and regulators haven’t kept pace. Should we be worried about public health data being sold? Possibly. And should we worry about staff carelessness with data being input into online AI tools? Definitely!

The CEO Must Step Up

Data strategy isn’t the CIO’s/CTO’s sole responsibility. It’s a leadership issue. The CEO must be the chief data advocate and with the CIO as a product owner, not just a systems custodian.

At the end of evening, what was the general consensus?

Data should enable growth, innovation, and care – not just control. But we’ll never get there until we assign proper ownership, invest in quality, and rethink who leads the data conversation.

What’s your take?

Is your organisation really ready to own its data future?

Download Steve Clarke’s full reflection below...

Steve Clarke was joined by Clare Hickie and Ben Carter from Workday and a select group of CIOs and CTOs across multiple sectors to talk about one thing: productivity. The conversation was honest, nuanced, and not without its contradictions! Here are some of the highlights:

Productivity is more than output

Yes, it’s about doing more with less, but for many Leaders, it’s also about quality of life. Gains are only meaningful if they improve employee wellbeing or enhance customer experience in measurable ways.

Remote vs. Office

It's a balancing act: Remote work definitely boosts productivity, but collaboration usually suffers. Being in the office improves teamwork but may dampen individual productivity. The consensus? It's hugely role-specific and needs thoughtful implementation.

AI – exciting, but trust is still a hurdle

Tools like Co-Pilot and ChatGPT are being tested widely, but adoption is patchy. Some functions (like HR coaching or email summarisation) can deliver real value, but trust and cost remain barriers. It’s worth saying that prompting is the new skill to master!

Skills, not just tools

Upskilling is an urgent requirement. Horizontal skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are more crucial than ever. AI may transform roles – but humans still need to lead.

Leadership is evolving

Today’s tech leaders are no longer just problem-solvers; they’re strategic partners helping drive decisions across the business. The titles may blur (CIO? CTO? CDO?), but the need for clear, forward-thinking leadership is stronger than ever.

In my opinion, the key takeaway Productivity is deeply personal. And cultural. It touches how we work, what we value, and how we lead.

I’m curious

What’s working (or not working) for you when it comes to productivity?

Download Steve Clarke’s full reflection below...