As a seasoned executive with 30 years of experience in technology, digital, and data, I am a passionate leader driving innovation and growth. My time managing complex projects and leading teams in multinational organizations, like Dell Computers, IBM, and Accenture, has honed my agility to navigate challenging situations and develop effective solutions. I am the Chief Operating Officer at IGuardSA, a 24/7 managed cybersecurity services firm. I focus on building iGuardSA's organisational resilience and employee empowerment. Prior to this role, I led the incident response to a debilitating cyber-attack as Group Chief Digital Officer of Life Healthcare Group and successfully developed and executed the transformation to a federated data capability as Group Chief Data Officer at Absa Group Limited. I have regularly contributed on technology topics as a speaker and currently lecture on cybersecurity for Henley Business School's "Future-Proof your Healthcare Practice" programme. Additionally, I am a founding board member of the Cybersecurity Digital Alliance, which supports cybersecurity leaders in the areas of policy, mentorship, education, best practice sharing, and research. I founded Inburru Technologies in 2009 to augment the human experience with technology. Among the projects initiated are Fibered, a new telco startup, Y3S Consulting, a technology consultancy, and the solve4africa digital collaboration to incubate cybersecurity and data analytics skills. As a leader, I am dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, and am committed to mentoring and developing high-potential talent. My advice: • Be the Master of your own Destiny • Get involved: Take on opportunities to participate in diverse experiences. Forums, interviews, writing and contributing to articles, challenging discussion through public speaking, talent, and mentorship. • Network: This will become your greatest asset in years to come—think of your network as an extension of your personal intellectual property - I am still regularly surprised when I see the value of cultivating sincere and trusting relationships, since the start of my professional career. • Contribute: Create more than you consume, but more importantly, give more than you expect back. • Take chances: Otherwise, you will never make mistakes, and that would be pretty boring. • Never stop learning: You do not, and will not ever know everything. Become an expert at something and know enough about everything else to have a credible opinion, otherwise, just listen.