Modern CISO Network: Board Book
A directory of board-ready security leaders
location
EMEA
areas of expertise
- Security risk management and strategy
- M&As Security operating models
- Security education and awareness
- Recruit, develop, and retain diverse talent
- Operational technology/industrial control systems
- Regulatory interaction
- Communication and demystification
Dr. Joseph Da Silva
CISO
RS Group plc
An accomplished, PhD-qualified, cybersecurity leader with over 20 years of technology and business experience, Joseph is pragmatic, risk focused, and strongly business driven. Particularly passionate about demystifying cybersecurity for business leaders, he is a highly effective communicator, with strengths in communicating technical complexity to nontechnical personnel and building relationships. He has experience across multiple regulated industries including utilities, financial services, and telecommunications as well as within distribution and IT consulting. He has extensive merger and acquisition (M&A) experience, including both due diligence and post-merger integration. Joseph’s experience includes direct management of high-profile public security incidents, ISO 27001 and PCI certification, operating model design and transformation, and extensive vendor management and negotiation. His technical experience includes cloud, mobile, digital, on-premise, and mainframe technologies, as well as DevOps operating models. He has published peer-reviewed academic research and multiple thought leadership articles on information security. He is passionate about staff development and improving diversity within cybersecurity.
At RS Group, an FTSE100 international distributor and service provider, Joseph reported to the Company Secretary and created and led a new, permanent information security function from scratch. He performed due diligence and successful integration of multiple significant acquisitions as well as multiple customer-facing engagements on security, particularly in relation to the industrial internet of things (IIoT). At British Gas, a (then) FTSE100 energy and insurance provider, he oversaw the achievement of ISO 27001 certification for the company’s smart metering operation. He also represented the company at industry, government, and law enforcement forums on information security.
Other experience includes over a decade in business change roles including technological and organizational transformation programs, M&A, and rebranding. He has considerable experience interacting with boards, and currently sits as a board adviser to a cybersecurity training provider and as a trustee for a regional charity.