From turning down promotions to Global CISO at an AI cybersecurity company with Michael Beck

Michael Beck’s career has never followed the expected path. From turning down promotions at GCHQ to keep his options open, to helping dismantle a group attempting to cut power to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, to scaling one of the world’s most recognised names in AI cybersecurity — his journey to Global CISO at Darktrace is anything but conventional. In this episode, Michael sits down with Scott Simons to explore the role curiosity has played at every stage of his career, why he believes the zigzag path is often the most valuable one, and what the experience of building a tech startup teaches you that nothing else can. He also shares his perspective on how AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, the pivotal moment that changed how security teams thought about artificial intelligence, and what he believes the next generation of technology leaders need to understand about the world they’re walking into. Honest, unexpected and full of hard-won insight — this is a conversation worth your time.