Sarah Armstrong-Smith

Sarah Armstrong-Smith – Cyber Resilience Strategist & Former Microsoft Chief Security Advisor for EMEA, Best-Selling Author of ‘Effective Crisis Management’ & Influential Leader Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity in the UK

Sarah Armstrong-Smith is recognised as a trusted leadership voice in cybersecurity and operational continuity. She has guided global organisations through major disruption and helped them build confidence in a rapidly changing threat landscape. Known for her strategic mindset, she brings clarity to complex environments where digital innovation meets organisational risk. She is valued for transforming challenges into long-term resilience and progress.

Speaking Topics:

• Navigating Cyber Threats with Confidence
• Resilience as a Competitive Advantage
• Building Trust in a Digital World
• How Leadership Shapes Cyber Success
• The Workforce Behind Cyber Resilience

Credentials and Impact

Over nearly three decades in the cybersecurity field, Sarah Armstrong-Smith has built a distinguished career leading resilience and security programmes across a wide range of sectors, including utilities, insurance, global technology and financial markets. She began her professional journey in business continuity and disaster recovery roles before progressing into technology-risk management and enterprise security. Her leadership trajectory saw her rise through senior positions at Fujitsu, where she became Head of Continuity and Resilience for Enterprise Cyber Security, before moving on to the London Stock Exchange Group as Group Head of Business Resilience and Crisis Management. She later joined Microsoft, where she played a pivotal role in guiding organisations through secure digital transformation and embedding resilience into global operational strategies. As a Fellow of the British Computer Society and an influential voice in cybersecurity, she has shaped both organisational culture and national strategic thinking, helping senior leaders redefine resilience as a core driving force of sustainable business performance.

Publications and Media

Sarah Armstrong-Smith is the author of two acclaimed titles that translate decades of real-world cyber experience into structured, practical guidance. Effective Crisis Management examines how leaders can remain composed and decisive when operational shock strikes, providing real-world case examples and actionable frameworks for recovery. Her second book, “Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset,” examines adversarial motivations, emerging threat tactics, and how behavioural intelligence can strengthen defence strategies. Her writing has been praised for bridging the divide between technical language and executive priorities, helping leadership teams better understand the risks facing their organisations.

Sarah is a sought-after media contributor, frequently invited to share insights on news platforms, specialist cybersecurity publications, business panels and global industry forums. Through interviews, podcasts and keynote events, she helps audiences navigate rapidly evolving threats, challenge outdated perceptions of cybersecurity and adopt a more proactive and confident approach to digital resilience.

Why Hire Sarah Armstrong-Smith?

Sarah excels at inspiring organisations to act before a crisis strikes. Her delivery combines expertise with empathy, helping people understand their role in protecting operations and customers. Audiences gain clear next steps that strengthen resilience and reduce the impact of disruption. She is particularly effective at aligning executives, risk leaders and operational teams behind a unified direction. By highlighting prevention and preparedness, Sarah empowers organisations to operate securely while embracing change and innovation.

To book Sarah to speak at your event, call SpeakOut on +44 (0) 20 8914 8966. Alternatively, complete our contact form to begin your enquiry.

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