Who Are You and What Do You Do?
I’m Zoe Mackenzie, and I’m currently an Information Security Manager at TSG, where I manage our internal security, privacy programs, and ISO compliance. I’m also the President of WiCyS UK and Ireland Affiliate.
What’s Something People Might Not Know About You?
I play the trumpet! I’m part of a local community wind band, and there was a good period of time where I was responsible for managing our annual international band tours. The last one I organised was to Iceland in 2022. It was the trip of a lifetime.
If You Could Host a Dinner Party With Any Three People (Real or Fictional, Dead or Alive), Who Would They Be and Why?
Louis Armstrong, Ada Lovelace and Jacob Collier. Louis for my love of trumpeting and he's the GOAT. Ada for my love of computing and code breaking. Jacob because he's a musical prodigy and my favourite artist. I think our dinner party would be amazing, and we’d have some extraordinary conversations about innovation, mathematics and the power of music.
Talk Me Through Your Career to Date.
I started my career with a degree in mathematics. After graduating, I got a job as a sales administrator at a local IT company, and that’s where I realised, I had a passion for technology, particularly cryptography. From there, I landed a graduate placement in network security. That gave me my first taste of cyber security, and I knew I wanted to pursue it further.
I moved into IT support and became a service desk engineer. During this time, I worked towards a master’s degree in information security at Royal Holloway, which I completed part-time while still working. My first formal cyber security role was as a Cyber Security Analyst at ITV, and I really enjoyed working with their production teams—it was such a dynamic environment. Later, I took on a specialist role at Dr. Martens, supporting their third-party risk management program. Now, I’m the Information Security Manager at TSG, where the breadth of my role is much larger than my former roles and includes running the internal security and data protection programs as well as delivering some client consultancy. I’m absolutely loving my current role.
How Have You Seen the Industry Evolve? What Trends Do You Think Will Shape Its Future?
The industry has shifted dramatically in the last few years and continues to do so. When I first started, I saw a lot of focus around on traditional networking—understanding how data in bits, bytes and packets flowed and how protocols work. Now, whilst the foundations of networking are still pivotal, it’s more focussed on the application of big data, AI and cloud computing, which has significantly changed the technology, risk and threat landscape for most organisations.
In the future, it’s clear AI will continue to be a major influence. We’re already seeing how it could revolutionise the way we work. However, with this shift there still needs to be human oversight, especially when it comes to ethical concerns around bias and data privacy, so it will be interesting to see this evolution.
What Has Been the Most Rewarding Moment of Your Career So Far and Why?
Without question, being part of WiCyS UK+I has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. Contributing to a community that’s focused on increasing diversity in cyber security is incredibly fulfilling. According to the recent 2024 DSIT cybersecurity skills study, only 17% of the workforce are women and that decreases to 12% for professionals with 6+ years' experience. This just isn’t good enough, and so, being able to help change that is such a rewarding and fulfilling feeling.
It’s also impacted me on a personal level by accelerating my leadership journey. We went from a 2-person team to 52 people in just two years, which really has fast-tracked my skills in leadership and management.
What Skills Do You Believe Are Essential For Success in Cyber Security Today?
Empathy, hands down. I’ve used it in every role I’ve ever had. Cyber security touches every part of a business — people, processes, technology, strategy — so you must understand how each of those areas functions if you want to apply the right security controls. Since you’re dealing with people in all these areas, empathy is key. You need to be able to put yourself in their shoes and understand their perspective to create solutions that work for everyone.
What's the Best Piece of Advice You've Ever Received?
One of the best pieces of advice I heard was at the 2023 WiCyS conference in Denver; “step outside of your comfort zone otherwise it will shrink”. I live by this as I try to challenge myself daily!
Did You Have Any Role Models Who Influenced Your Career?
Yes, Laure Lydon, VP of Security, has had a huge influence on me. She came into my life at just the right moment when I was trying to build WiCyS UK back up, and I needed senior-level support. She provided it without any expectation in return, guiding me through my leadership journey and helping accelerate WiCyS UK’s growth. Without sounding cheesy, she’s been like my guardian angel. I’m so grateful for her mentorship.
Are There Any Younger Individuals Who Particularly Inspire You?
Yes! Stephanie Itimi, who’s the founder of Seidea, is someone I’m constantly inspired by. Our communities closely align, and we've been mutual supporters of one another over many years. To my knowledge, she may only be fractionally younger than me, but she’s achieved so much—she’s founded multiple initiatives, is in the middle of a PhD, and is now the Director of Information Protection and Compliance at Age UK. On top of that, she’s an associate Non-Executive Director at NHS Blood and Transplant and a UN Women UK delegate. Her energy and passion are incredible, and she’s so committed to supporting up-and-coming talent. I think she’s the ultimate example of paying it forward.
Looking Back, What Would You Tell Your Younger Self at the Beginning of Your Career?
I’d tell myself to take it slow. When you’re junior, there’s always that anxiety of wanting to be senior as quickly as possible. But the truth is, once you get more responsibility and layer on extra responsibilities of family life, it gets exponentially harder. The rush to get to the top isn’t necessary—the goal isn’t going anywhere, and balance is key to ensure you don't burn out. I’d advise my younger self to take time to enjoy the journey rather than worrying about rushing to the next stage.
Do You Have a Favourite Quote or Motto That You Live By?
Yes, “pay it forward” is something I live by. You’ll meet a lot of people who inspire you, and they may not even realise the impact they’ve had. One day, you’ll be that person for someone else. I always try to remember what it felt like when I was just starting out in the industry and try to help others the way I was helped. So, if you can do that for at least one other person. If you can do it for two people, even better – as this means each time, the help is amplified, creating this beautiful ripple effect of support and mentorship.
