Sarah Armstrong-Smith Keynote Speaker
- Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft EMEA (2020–2025)
- Amazon No.1 Bestselling Author, Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset (2024)
- Named in SC Media’s Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders (2024)
Sarah Armstrong-Smith's Biography
Sarah Armstrong-Smith is a leading authority on cyber resilience and crisis management. As Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, she advised governments and global enterprises on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from serious cyber incidents. Her work focuses on embedding resilience into digital transformation and helping organisations navigate the complex intersection of risk, regulation and innovation.
With over 25 years of experience, Sarah has held senior positions in both the private and public sectors. At Fujitsu, she led Continuity and Resilience, while at the London Stock Exchange Group she was Head of Business Resilience and Crisis Management. She began her career addressing large-scale events such as the Millennium Bug, laying the foundation for her expertise in managing disruption at scale.
Sarah is the bestselling author of Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset (2024) and Effective Crisis Management (2022), and a Fellow of the British Computer Society. Recognised as one of the Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders by SC Media in 2024, she is a vocal advocate for diversity in tech and a trusted voice in board-level cyber strategy.
Known for her clarity and accessibility, Sarah translates technical risk into practical, actionable guidance. On stage, she combines real-world case studies with forward-looking insights into evolving threats such as AI, deepfakes and the future of cybercrime. She equips audiences with the tools to lead confidently through uncertainty and build cultures of resilience.
Sarah Armstrong-Smith's Speaking Topics
-
Cyber resilience & crisis leadership: preparing for the “worst day”
-
The attacker mindset: predicting and disrupting evolving threats
-
AI, deepfakes and the next wave of cyber risk
-
Cybersecurity for boards: turning risk into competitive advantage
-
Inclusion, leadership and culture in tech security
Videos of Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Books by Sarah Armstrong-Smith