Lisa Ventura MBE FCIIS
Nominee Profile
Location: Worcester
Lisa Ventura MBE FCIIS is a globally recognised cyber security leader, advocate, and change-maker whose work spans gender equity, neurodiversity, and invisible disabilities. As Chief Executive of Unity Group Solutions and Founder and CEO of the AI and Cyber Security Association (AICSA), she has dedicated over two decades to building a more inclusive, empowering, and human-centred security industry.
A passionate champion for women in cyber security, Lisa consistently amplifies underrepresented voices, mentors emerging talent, and actively dismantles the exclusionary cultures that persist across the sector. As Co-Founder of International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day, she brought global attention to one of the most significant confidence barriers facing women in professional life, helping countless individuals recognise their value and step forward with renewed purpose.
Lisa is herself neurodivergent (diagnosed with autism, ADHD, dyspraxia and dyscalculia), and she channels that lived experience into her founding of Neuro Unity www.neurounity.org.uk, a dedicated community providing support, representation, and genuine understanding for neurodivergent people and those living with invisible disabilities. She speaks openly about her own journey, reducing stigma and encouraging others to embrace rather than mask their identity.
Across both areas, Lisa's approach is rooted in empathy, trauma-informed practice, and an unshakeable belief that difference is a strength. She challenges organisations to move beyond compliance and build cultures where every person can truly thrive.
A published author with Kogan Page, MBE recipient honoured by King Charles III for services to cyber security and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security, Lisa Ventura is a role model in the fullest sense of the word.
A passionate champion for women in cyber security, Lisa consistently amplifies underrepresented voices, mentors emerging talent, and actively dismantles the exclusionary cultures that persist across the sector. As Co-Founder of International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day, she brought global attention to one of the most significant confidence barriers facing women in professional life, helping countless individuals recognise their value and step forward with renewed purpose.
Lisa is herself neurodivergent (diagnosed with autism, ADHD, dyspraxia and dyscalculia), and she channels that lived experience into her founding of Neuro Unity www.neurounity.org.uk, a dedicated community providing support, representation, and genuine understanding for neurodivergent people and those living with invisible disabilities. She speaks openly about her own journey, reducing stigma and encouraging others to embrace rather than mask their identity.
Across both areas, Lisa's approach is rooted in empathy, trauma-informed practice, and an unshakeable belief that difference is a strength. She challenges organisations to move beyond compliance and build cultures where every person can truly thrive.
A published author with Kogan Page, MBE recipient honoured by King Charles III for services to cyber security and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security, Lisa Ventura is a role model in the fullest sense of the word.