Simon Burson

Simon Burson has a diverse range of work experience in the field of information security and risk management. Simon is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at Auckland Council, where they hold a leadership role in ensuring the security of the organization's information assets. Prior to this, Simon worked at ASB Bank, where they held multiple roles, including Tech, Digital, and Data Risk Lead, Acting General Manager - Operational Risk, and Head of Technology and Cyber Risk. In these roles, they established various oversight committees, developed risk uplift programs, and led line 2 specialists for tech, cyber, data, fraud, and models. Simon also served as the National Manager Cyber Security at IAG, where they partnered with the Digital Team to deliver public awareness campaigns and refreshed the Cyber Security Framework maturity assessment. Additionally, they worked at Paymark as a Security Manager, responsible for transforming the security practice and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Simon has also held positions at Spark New Zealand as a Security Manager and Enterprise Security Architect, at DMZGlobal as a Security Consultant, at Deloitte as a Manager in Security, and at TVNZ as a Security Manager. At Deloitte, they provided people leadership and managed customer engagements, focusing on governance, security architecture, and security management, including aspects such as achieving PCI DSS compliance, developing vulnerability management methodology, and training junior staff. Simon's experience spans over a decade, showcasing their expertise in information security and risk management.

Simon Burson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from The University of Auckland, which they attended from 1995 to 1999. In 2006, they obtained the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification from (ISC)².