Cyber Leadership Across East and West with David Gee, Hosted by Fred Menachem

Engage & Secure Podcast host Fred Menachem is joined by David Gee, one of the most respected voices in global cybersecurity leadership and bestselling author, to explore what it really takes to lead with resilience, adaptability, and purpose. Learn leadership lessons from a cybersecurity leader who built high-performing teams across five countries, while defying cultural ceilings and rethinking what it means to lead.

A former CIO and CISO at organizations like HSBC, MetLife, Eli Lilly, and Credit Union Australia, David shares his remarkable personal journey from being bullied as a child in Australia to transforming entire cybersecurity cultures across Asia, the U.S., and beyond. He shares how becoming a father at 20 shaped his urgency, empathy as a leader, approach to personnel development, and how those early insights made him firm believer in coaching individuals very early in his career.

Throughout the episode, David offers practical advice on employee development, impactful and progressive cybersecurity principles, inclusive leadership, and how to break out of the “solo contributor” mindset to elevate entire teams. He dissects his personal philosophy, which includes daily discipline habits like yoga, his "think two jobs ahead" mindset, and his powerful 9-Day Transformation Plan for rebuilding underperforming security teams.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How cultural differences between East and West influence cybersecurity outcomes

• Why shaping behavior and team dynamics are critical to building high performing teams

• How David’s “vulnerability index” changed the cybersecurity posture at HSBC

• His philosophy for building adaptable, loyal teams that thrive under pressure

• The habits and self-awareness tools that help him stay at the top of his game