Christine Maxwell

Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), SSE plc
United Kingdom

“Attitude is the most important characteristic. Be enthusiastic, work hard, and learn as you go.”

Christine Maxwell became Group CISO of SSE plc in November 2024, bringing cybersecurity leadership experience from roles at the UK Ministry of Defense, BP, RBS, and KPMG. As former Director of Cyber Defense at the Ministry of Defense (MOD), she led national defense initiatives with a sharp focus on resilience and collaboration. Christine is passionate about uniting teams around a shared cyber mission, and proudly brings both a distinct perspective and a sense of fun to the table. 

What is one skill, interest or talent of yours that makes you great at your job? 

Smiling and warmth! Making people feel engaged and eager to talk.

What is the best piece of unconventional career advice you’ve gotten? 

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

What is your proudest moment working in the cybersecurity industry? 

Seeing a Secure by Design initiative adopted across multiple defense organizations and embedded into business-as-usual processes in order to help transform and modernize how security is delivered in projects and programs. I went to an industry show and saw it on multiple stands!

When did you become interested in pursuing a career in cyber and what prompted it?

It was really after the Sarbanes Oxley legislation was introduced. I was already in IT and project risk, but at that time I wanted to move to security.

What are the top 3 things you would tell people hoping to enter the cybersecurity industry?

  1. Attitude is the most important characteristic. Be enthusiastic, work hard, and learn as you go.
  2. You can enter the industry when you are experienced in your career as long as you have a passion for defending your company. Leverage your previous skills.
  3. Don’t be frightened of starting in IT operations and making the move to security.

What are some misconceptions people might have about the cybersecurity industry and what can we do to change these misconceptions?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that everyone in this space has to be deeply technical, when in fact, a wide range of skills is needed.

Do you feel like you’re contributing to helping keep our world secure and can you share why that matters to you? 

The world is a dangerous place, and the cyber and digital landscapes are constantly changing. Cyber professionals understand things that many people don’t want to worry about, and I always feel proud when we close problems down.

What positive change do you think will take place as we bring the next generation into the cybersecurity industry? 

I think they’ll contribute greatly to how AI can help in cyber defense.

Who is your role model in the cybersecurity industry and why? 

My peers and how we share our experiences to help the collective.