NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Aventum began its security transformation facing a significant cyber resilience gap: a baseline maturity of 49% against an ambitious 84% target under the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework. Closing this gap required far more than technical uplift. It demanded a leader capable of reshaping culture, influencing behaviors, and embedding security into the organization’s DNA. This nomination stands out because it reflects the impact of a woman who stepped into that challenge and transformed security from a vulnerability into a strategic strength.

I led the design and delivery of a comprehensive IT maturity transformation programme that unified governance, risk, technology, and people initiatives under a single structured framework. My leadership approach is rooted in collaboration and influence. I partnered with diverse stakeholders across executive leadership, operational teams, and external specialists to ensure security was not simply deployed, but understood, adopted, and championed. This included driving enterprise wide security awareness initiatives, embedding training into L&D pathways, and coaching teams through behavioral change following phishing simulations.

A central part of my impact has been shaping a culture where security is viewed as everyone’s responsibility. I embedded secure by design principles into project lifecycles, strengthened governance through policy development and business continuity planning, and championed ethical technology adoption. I played a leading role in shaping Aventum’s AI policy, ensuring a security first mindset guided decisions around emerging technologies, responsible innovation, and risk aware adoption.

Execution delivered measurable, enterprise wide results. Governance foundations were strengthened through a signed off Business Continuity Plan and the initiation of ISO9001/ISO27001 readiness. Risk management matured rapidly with an asset based risk assessment model, Cloud Health Check, and ongoing third party reviews. Technological resilience increased through Windows Autopatch, supply chain management, and a global asset management rollout.

The transformation was significant: cyber maturity rose from 49% to 80%, demonstrating progression from ad hoc processes to defined and managed practices with a sustained improvement trajectory. Operational resilience improved dramatically, with MTTR reduced by 65%, full RPO/RTO coverage achieved, and governance adoption reaching 94%. Enhanced data loss and SAR processes closed compliance gaps, while supply chain optimisation delivered 15% cost savings and 95% SLA compliance. A 15% uplift in retention reflected the strengthened, inclusive culture built through this work.

This nomination is award worthy because it demonstrates the impact of a woman who not only delivered a high stakes security transformation, but reshaped culture, influenced behaviors, and embedded a security first mindset across the organization, laying a resilient, ethical, and future ready foundation for Aventum’s long term success.