CSO 30 Awards 2025: Celebrating Excellence, Innovation and Leadership in Cybersecurity

With submissions showcasing advances in automation, inclusion, workforce development, and real-world resilience, this year’s programme highlights the multifaceted role of today’s CSO. As threats evolve and organizational complexity grows, the CSO is now a strategist, communicator, technologist, and cultural leader. 

A panel of expert judges reviewed an exceptional set of candidates, ultimately selecting winners whose work demonstrates measurable impact, strategic clarity, and a commitment to elevating the cybersecurity profession. 

Below are the 2025 CSO 30 Award Innovation Award winners. 

AI and Digital Excellence in Cybersecurity 

Winner: Greg Emmerson, Applegreen 
This category celebrates outstanding leadership in AI, automation, and digital innovation. 

Greg Emmerson stood out for transforming both the culture and capability of Applegreen’s security organization. 

Emmerson established regional Centres of Excellence to strengthen collaboration and skill development across global teams, modernizing operations through Continuous Threat Exposure Management and enterprise-wide canary tooling. By unifying identities and embedding advanced backup and recovery practices, he has positioned security as a true business enabler. 

His approach balances innovation with wellbeing, promoting focused priorities, adaptive working, and micro-learning initiatives that have elevated awareness and resilience across the enterprise. 

Rising Star in Cybersecurity 

Winner: Chris Bardell, Royal Papworth Hospital 
The Rising Star Award recognizes early-career professionals whose dedication and innovation are already reshaping security within their organizations. 

While completing a demanding Level 4 Cyber Security Apprenticeship, Bardell led major improvements across incident response, automation, AI governance, and endpoint resilience. His work on ransomware preparedness, simulations, phishing exercises, and awareness campaigns has significantly strengthened operational readiness at Royal Papworth Hospital. 

Combining technical capability with empathy and collaboration, Bardell exemplifies the next generation of cyber leadership. 

Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact in Security 

Winner: Amy Lemberger 
This award honours leaders who advance equity, inclusion, and societal benefit through their security programs.

Amy Lemberger built an entire cybersecurity function from the ground up, prioritizing inclusive hiring, removing unnecessary qualification barriers, and personally reaching out to underrepresented talent. The resulting team is high-performing, diverse, and characterized by exceptional retention and trust. 

Lemberger has driven innovation through automation and AI partnerships while championing mental health, meaningful leadership, and authentic inclusion across the cyber community. 

People, Culture and Security Collaboration 

Winner: Simon Chan, Berenberg 
This category recognizes leaders who enable security-aware cultures through engagement, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration. 

Simon Chan transformed security engagement at Berenberg through storytelling and inclusive communication. His team’s innovative internal podcast series opened conversations across the business, showcasing varied perspectives and building a shared sense of responsibility. 

By blending technical insight with human connection, Chan positioned cybersecurity not as a back-office function but as a collaborative driver of enterprise success. 

Future Talent and Workforce Development in Security 

Winner: Adrian Hope, University of Warwick 
Adrian Hope reshaped cybersecurity culture within higher education by uniting academic and operational communities. His work brings together students, scholars, and professionals to enhance defences and embed security across the university. 

Hope has fostered a diverse and empowered team, championed responsible AI adoption, and delivered creative awareness initiatives including a Cyber Security Escape Room to engage staff and students alike. 

His efforts demonstrate what is possible when security leadership embraces education, collaboration, and long-term talent development. 

CSO of the Year 

Winner: Craig Hickmott, British Heart Foundation 
The highest honour of the evening, the CSO of the Year Award, recognizes visionary leadership with enterprise-wide impact. 

Craig Hickmott inherited a fragmented and under-resourced security function. Through strategic clarity, persistence, and a human-first philosophy, he secured long-term investment, rebuilt the team, and embedded security across the organization as a true partner and enabler. 

Hickmott has created one of the sector’s most diverse security teams, launched the organization’s first cybersecurity apprenticeship, and introduced groundbreaking practices including AI “team members,” data-driven operations, and transformative ransomware simulations for executives. 

He has championed wellbeing, mental health, and psychological safety through initiatives such as “Manual of Me,” fostering a culture where security and humanity reinforce one another. His holistic approach has strengthened resilience across an organization whose mission impacts millions of lives. 

CSO 30 Hall of Fame 2025 

The evening concluded with the induction of three exceptional leaders into the prestigious CSO 30 Hall of Fame, individuals whose long-term contributions have shaped the cybersecurity landscape. 

Theo Botha, Chief Information Security Officer, Dr. Martens 
With over twenty years in technology and cybersecurity, Botha has built and delivered security strategies across multiple industries. At Dr. Martens, he leads the security and governance approach enabling responsible AI adoption while preserving brand heritage and driving transformation. 

Jasmine Eskenzi, Co-Founder & CEO, The Zensory 
Eskenzi has redefined how organizations approach wellbeing, focus, and digital resilience. Through The Zensory, she has helped more than 150,000 people reduce burnout and build healthier workplace cultures, integrating neuroscience, wellbeing, and cybersecurity for global brands including Google, Vodafone and the NHS. 

Andrew Barber, Head of Apps and Devices, Surrey and Sussex Police 
Barber oversees a team developing innovative, user-centred solutions that enhance public safety. Across a career in financial services and technology leadership, he has delivered large-scale transformation while championing mental health, diversity and inclusion, demonstrating that leadership must balance technical excellence with empathy. 

Celebrating a New Era of Cybersecurity Leadership 

This year’s CSO 30 Awards highlight a profound shift in the industry. Today’s cybersecurity leaders are not only technologists, they are culture builders, educators, innovators, and advocates for people. Their work ensures not just safer systems, but stronger, more resilient organizations. 

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and Hall of Fame inductees. 

• Adrian Hope, CISO, University of Warwick 

• Amar Patel, CISO, Fund Management 

• Amy Lemberger, CISO, Gamme 

• Bronwyn Boyle, CISO, PPRO 

• Chris Bardell, Cyber Security Analyst, Royal Papworth Hospital 

• Chris Leather, CISO, Clifford Chance 

• Craig Hickmott, Director of Information Security and Organisational Resilience, British Heart Foundation 

• Daniel Card, Founder, PwnDefend 

• David Edwards, VP of Information Security, Payroc 

• Gregory Emmerson, Group IT Director Security & Operations, AppleGreen 

• Hazel McPherson, Founder & CEO, Culture Gem 

• Ian Edwards, Head of Information Security, Induction Healthcare (a Vital Hub Company) 

• Jagjot Singh, CISO, Castore 

• Jim Wilson, Director of Technology, Cogora 

• Jon Winterburn, CISO, J.D. Power 

• Joseph van der Vlugt, Information Security Administrator, Amnesty International 

• Leum Dunn, Head of Information Security, Pencil AI Limited 

• Mitch Islin, Head of IT & Infosec, Motors.co.uk 

• Moneer Alitto, CTO, IDWise 

• Nicholas Bown, CSO, Sycurio 

• Peter Adams, CIO, IM Group 

• Ritesh Patel, Security Principal, bp 

• Sam Das, CISO, Metro Bank 

• Samantha Rule, CISO, Ninety One 

• Simon Chan, Head of Cyber Security Operations, Berenberg 

• Tarnveer Singh, CISO, The Exeter 

• Tim Grieveson, Chief Security & Risk Officer, CloudPay 

• Tim Stead, Infrastructure Manager, Hovis Ltd 

• Tom Gormley, Senior Security Analyst, Everywhen (previously Ardonagh Advisory) 

• Tom Pepper, AI Cyber Advisory Practice Lead, Avella Security Ltd 

A special thank you to our event sponsor HP for supporting this celebration of cybersecurity leadership and innovation. 

The CSO and CIO Events team will be heading to Manchester on the 19^th March for our next UK Cybersecurity Event, learn more about our next event here.