Stephen McDermid

I’m a security leader with experience across military, banking, government, and enterprise environments, helping organisations manage risk, strengthen resilience, and use security as an enabler of transformation and growth.

Over my career, I’ve led and supported enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, including national government programmes, security governance improvements, and accreditation work across frameworks such as ISO 27001 and PCI-DSS. My background spans hands-on technical delivery, strategic security leadership, customer advisory, regulatory alignment, and stakeholder engagement at senior levels.

I’m particularly focused on helping organisations make sense of complex security challenges — from identity and access management to cloud adoption, compliance, AI governance, and security culture. I believe effective security is not just about technology; it is about clarity, trust, accountability, and enabling people to do their best work safely.

In my current role as CSO EMEA at Okta, I work with customers, partners, and industry leaders to advance modern approaches to identity security, resilience, and secure digital transformation.

Whether working with technical teams, executives, regulators, or customers, my aim is the same: to translate security complexity into practical action, stronger outcomes, and meaningful business value.