2025 Cyber Excellence Awards

A Security Maestro of safety and efficiency with an eclectic blend of talents and experiences! From orchestrating symphonies of cybersecurity to navigating the complex waters of commercial seafaring, a seasoned professional and more than just an accomplished security leader.

Someone who not only understands the intricate chords of banking, finance, and insurance but also knows how to hit the right notes in travel, government, and public transport sectors. With a background that spans technology, music, broadcasting, and even a Ferry Captain!

Andrew has fine-tuned his skills to streamline operations, enhance security, and drive excellence, all while maintaining an infectious enthusiasm that motivates everyone around them. Whether solving complex security puzzles or adding a touch of flair to everyday operations, he has dedicated himself to ensuring that every system runs smoothly and every challenge is met with a dynamic, upbeat approach.

Winner of the 2024 Cyber Excellence Awards CISO of the Year, Andrew doesn’t just lead security, he composes a symphony of success!

Catherine is an experienced crisis manager who transitioned from handling some of New Zealand’s largest emergency events to Cyber Incident Management four years ago.

In 2020, she established Incident Response Management for Health Alliance, leveraging co-design, creative thinking, and a people-centred approach to transform the nationwide delivery of cyber security incident response across Health New Zealand.

By integrating Coordinated Incident Management into cyber security practices, Catherine has enabled Health New Zealand to take a holistic, sector-wide approach to response capability, collaborating with teams across the health sector to protect the most vulnerable from cyber-attacks.

Beyond actively managing Cyber Response efforts, Catherine leads projects to strengthen response capabilities across the Health NZ workforce and Sector. She is currently focused on the “Workforce Readiness” Initiative, aimed at Transforming Health NZ to be workforce ready for response nationally, regionally, and locally.

Catherine has also partnered with PHO’s to co-design the Response Ready Playbook for Primary Health and has recently launched the “Women in Cyber” initiative at Health NZ, designed to support and provide mentorship for women in cyber security and privacy teams. Cathrine was also named the 2024 Cyber Excellence Awards CyberSec Woman of the Year!

Pierro is a senior technical manager and cybersecurity architect with more than 28 years’ experience in the IT industry across Cyber Security, Cloud, Infrastructure & Hyperconverged Technologies, IT Support and Professional Services. He has delivered solutions to various multinational and international companies spanning finance, government, utilities  and retail.