Paul Polman
Former CEO, Unilever | Co-founder of IMAGINE | Co-author, Net Positive | Thinkers50 #1, 2025
Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Former Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft EMEA | UK Government Cyber Advisory Board | Bestselling Author
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When a cyberattack hits, leadership is tested in hours. Sarah Armstrong-Smith spent five years as Microsoft's Chief Security Advisor for EMEA, guiding governments and global companies through serious incidents. Author of the bestselling Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset, she shows audiences how attackers think and how to lead through the worst day.
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Sarah Armstrong-Smith biography
Cybersecurity speaker Sarah Armstrong-Smith is one of the UK’s most respected authorities on cyber resilience and crisis leadership, with three decades on the front line of business continuity, security, and incident response. From 2020 to 2025 she served as Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, advising governments and global enterprises on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from serious cyberattacks.
Before Microsoft, she led Continuity and Resilience at Fujitsu and was Group Head of Business Resilience and Crisis Management at the London Stock Exchange Group, where she managed the response to high-pressure incidents in critical infrastructure. In 2025 she was appointed to the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board, which works to strengthen policy, accountability, and national resilience to cyber events. She is a Fellow of the British Computer Society.
Bestselling Author and Trusted Voice on Cyber Risk
Armstrong-Smith is the author of Effective Crisis Management and Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset, an Amazon No. 1 bestseller that explains how criminals, hacktivists, and nation-states think, and how organizations can anticipate and disrupt them. She writes on cyber governance for Board Agenda and appears regularly as a commentator on Sky News. She has been named among the Most Influential Women in UK Tech, included in SC Media’s Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders, and listed by Computer Weekly among the UK’s most influential tech leaders. She has spoken at NATO, the World Energy Council, and major technology conferences across Europe.
As a speaker, Sarah Armstrong-Smith brings the authority of someone who has been in the room when systems go down. She blends real-world case studies with clear explanations of emerging threats, from AI-enabled attacks to deepfakes, and translates technical risk into the language of boards and executives. Audiences leave understanding how attackers think, what good crisis leadership looks like, and the concrete steps that make an organization resilient on its worst day.
Sarah Armstrong-Smith Speaking Videos
How attackers are evolving their tactics? Presentation by Sarah Armstrong-Smith, Microsoft
From Risk to Resilience: Leading Through Uncertainty | Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Sarah Armstrong-Smith Speaking Topics
Every organization will face a serious incident; what matters is how it responds. Drawing on decades leading crisis management at the London Stock Exchange Group, Fujitsu, and Microsoft, Armstrong-Smith shows what happens in the first critical hours of a cyberattack, where leaders most often go wrong, and how to build the plans, culture, and communication that allow a business to recover quickly and with its reputation intact.
To defend effectively, you need to understand who is attacking and why. Based on her bestselling Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset, Armstrong-Smith explains the motivations and methods of cybercriminals, hacktivists, insiders, and nation-state actors, and how their tactics are evolving. Audiences leave able to think like an adversary and focus their defenses where they matter most.
Generative AI is giving attackers powerful new tools, from convincing deepfakes to automated phishing at scale. Armstrong-Smith separates hype from reality, showing how AI is changing the threat landscape and how organizations can use the same technology to strengthen detection, response, and trust.
Cyber risk is now a board-level business risk. Armstrong-Smith equips directors and executives with the questions to ask, the warning signs to watch, and the governance practices that turn security from a cost center into a source of resilience and competitive advantage.
Explore related topics
FAQs on Booking Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Booking Sarah Armstrong-Smith gives your audience a cybersecurity leader who has guided governments and global enterprises through real crises. As Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for EMEA, a former crisis management lead at the London Stock Exchange Group and Fujitsu, and a member of the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board, she brings rare, first-hand insight into how attacks unfold and how organizations recover. A bestselling author and seasoned Sky News commentator, she makes complex threats clear and actionable for boards, executives, and wider audiences alike. She is an ideal choice for events on cybersecurity, risk, AI, and resilience. To bring Sarah Armstrong-Smith to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
From 2020 to 2025, Sarah Armstrong-Smith was Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She advised governments and major enterprises on cyber strategy, helping them prepare for, respond to, and recover from serious cyber incidents.
She is the author of Effective Crisis Management and Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset. The latter, an Amazon No. 1 bestseller, explores the motivations and tactics of different cyber adversaries and how organizations can anticipate and disrupt them.
She speaks on cyber resilience and crisis leadership, the attacker mindset, AI and deepfake threats, board-level cyber governance, and inclusion and culture in technology and security. Each session is tailored to the audience, from boards to all-staff events. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to customize a session for your event.
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Sarah Armstrong-Smith as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Sarah Armstrong-Smith's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Sarah Armstrong-Smith or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
Sarah Armstrong-Smith speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Sarah Armstrong-Smith to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Sarah Armstrong-Smith.
We only work with Sarah Armstrong-Smith on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Sarah Armstrong-Smith and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Sarah Armstrong-Smith speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Sarah Armstrong-Smith for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Yes, Sarah Armstrong-Smith is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Sarah Armstrong-Smith for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
