WISP Leadership Talks: "What Got You Here Won't Get You There"
Part of WISP's mission is to help women of data protection, cybersecurity and related areas develop their networks and leadership skills. In our third session of 2026, we'll be gathering inspiring women leaders in these fields for a night of learning and connection, as they share their journeys with us and we explore what modern leadership looks like in an age of rapid technological and social change.
On the evening we'll be hearing from:
Dr Valerie Lyons, COO, BH Consulting
Elena Donea, CEO at Whatsexposed
Indu Sajeev, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Strategic Advisor at Nebulock
Dr. Aleksandra Aytova, FIP, Group Head of Privacy, Applegreen
After these talks we'll have a structured networking session (think discussion prompts around the theme of leadership) over drinks and nibbles.
We're keen to ensure that the event is an inclusive and welcoming as possible, so do feel free to bring a friend who might be new to WISP, even if they aren't in a "traditional" data protection or cybersecurity role.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Speaker Bios:
Dr. Valerie Lyons
Winner of the Most Inspiring Woman in Cyber award 2026, and included in the Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity in Europe, Dr. Valerie Lyons is Board Director and COO at BH Consulting, where she advises boards and executive leaders on cybersecurity, AI governance, and data protection. She also serves as INED on the board of Legend Trading, one of the first fintechs to be authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland under MICAr. Valerie has over two decades of leadership experience, including 13 years leading cybersecurity risk at KBC Bank. She holds an award-winning PhD in Privacy and Ethics and is currently undertaking the Chartered Director programme, further strengthening her board-level governance expertise. She is author of The Privacy Leader Compass: A Comprehensive Business-Oriented Roadmap for Building and Leading Practical Privacy Programs (2024), recognised as a significant contribution to modern privacy leadership practice. A faculty lead on the Institute of Directors Cybersecurity Programme, Valerie holds CISSP, CDPSE, and CIPP/E certifications along with certifications in Corporate Governance. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Irish Information Security Forum since 2003 and serves on advisory and policy initiatives including CeADAR (Ireland’s National Centre for AI), the EDPB, Cyber Ireland, and the UN Internet Governance Forum. Valerie has spoken and keynoted at major international conferences and was the first woman in Ireland selected to present at RSA Conference. She is a passionate advocate for advancing women’s leadership in cybersecurity and for strengthening industry resilience through principled, governance-driven practises.