Westpac's former CISO joins CyberCX NZ as Executive Director for Strategy & Risk

CyberCX, a paramount force in cyber security and cloud services across Australia and New Zealand, announced the appointment of Dan Richardson as its new Executive Director for Strategy and Risk for its New Zealand operations this week.

Boasting a remarkable career spanning over two decades in cyber security, Richardson is an industry stalwart with experience in both public and private sectors within New Zealand. His professional trajectory saw him occupy influential roles at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and at Westpac NZ, where he was designated as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Within the confines of his new role at CyberCX, Richardson is set to lead a dedicated group of cybersecurity experts stationed across New Zealand. Their chief endeavour will be to offer unyielding support to enterprise and governmental clients. The team will emphasise helping these entities in comprehending and adeptly managing cyber threats. Additionally, they will formulate strategic methods to elevate cyber capabilities and fortify cyber resilience.

John Paitaridis, the CEO of CyberCX, lauded Richardson's enlistment, marking it as a pivotal move to reinforce the firm's dominating presence in the New Zealand market. He shares, "Dan has spent his career on the front line of cyber security in New Zealand, across leadership positions in both private and public sector organisations. It is increasingly clear that the challenges presented by cyber security require a coordinated response by government and industry alike, and we're thrilled to be able to utilise Dan's unique experience in delivering our commitment to protecting our communities."

Paitaridis further noted the indispensable role Richardson will undertake to enhance CyberCX's stronghold and augment its service spectrum across New Zealand. He states, "Dan will play an integral role in helping CyberCX continue to strengthen and grow our service offering across New Zealand, helping our customers to confront an evolving landscape of cyber risks."

Upon his appointment, Richardson extolled CyberCX's vision and its unparalleled industry-leading cybersecurity proficiencies. "Having spent time on both sides of the fence, I am a big believer in the power of government and industry to work together to address the enormous challenges created by the evolving cyber security threat landscape," he remarks. He went on to acclaim CyberCX's vantage position in addressing both nascent and well-established cyber threats. Richardson expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, viewing it as a harmonious alignment with his personal ethos. He affirms, "The prospect of working with an exceptional team that develops and delivers truly end-to-end cyber capabilities was a key driver behind my decision to join CyberCX."

Operating as a leading provider of holistic cyber security cloud services across Australia and New Zealand, CyberCX has a substantial footprint with 200 professionals across offices in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The firm offers a myriad of cyber services encompassing strategy and risk, digital forensics, security testing, network solutions, cyber intelligence, and more.