National Head of Cybersecurity Practice (Director) (JHB Illovo) at BDO South Africa

Purpose for this role:

• To lead, grow, and manage BDO Digital’s cybersecurity practice by bringing cybersecurity advisory, cyber solutions, and managed security services together as a cohesive, commercially successful business.
• The individual will take responsibility for an established practice, maintain its operations, retain key talent and client relationships, and build on its capabilities, reputation, and market presence to drive further growth.
• The role requires a leader who can turn clients’ cybersecurity challenges into compelling, commercially viable offerings; expand the portfolio of services and solutions; and develop multidisciplinary teams to advise clients, implement security solutions, and deliver ongoing managed services.
• The leader will be accountable for the practice’s strategy, commercial performance, and service delivery, driving sustainable, profitable growth, strengthening trusted client relationships, and ensuring consistently high-quality outcomes.
• The leader will position BDO Cyber as a trusted adviser, centre of excellence, and delivery partner, helping organisations manage cyber risk, protect information and critical assets, strengthen cyber resilience, and enable secure business transformation.

Principal Accountabilities:

Strategy and Practice Leadership 

• Develop and execute a cybersecurity strategy reflecting current market positioning, target sectors, competitive differentiation and strategic alignment with the firm's strategy.
• Build and manage an integrated business model that integrates cyber advisory, cyber solutions and managed services.
• Identify opportunities and qualify them to expand services, enter new markets and develop recurring revenue.
• Set and manage clear priorities, responsibilities and performance expectations across the practice.
• Monitor market developments, client demands and emerging technologies to inform strategy and investments.
• Manage the existing practice portfolio and prioritise client retention, strategic talent and brand.
• Report practice performance, material risks and strategic priorities to relevant relationships.

Business development and client relationships

• Develop and convert business opportunities across cyber advisory, solutions and managed services.
• Identify and develop opportunities through client relationships, strategic account planning, partnerships, and market stakeholders.
• Lead bids, tenders, proposals, solution development, pricing and commercial negotiations.
• Build trusted relationships with board members, executives and decision makers.
• Translate technical capabilities into clear propositions with measurable outcomes.
• Lead marketing initiatives with marketing to drive visibility and business opportunities.

Financial and commercial management

• Take accountability for practice revenue, gross profit, profitability, budgets and forecasts.
• Manage the commercial performance of sub-service lines and client engagements with the cybersecurity practice.
• Ensure pricing for engagements reflects delivery costs, commercial risk, client value and applicable firm margin requirements.
• Oversee resource utilisation, project recovery, work in progress, billing and collections.
• Manage vendor and subcontractor costs, licensing commitments and delivery dependencies.
• Maintain visibility of revenue concentration, pipeline coverage and client retention risks.

Cybersecurity advisory, solutions and managed services business

• Lead the growth and delivery of advisory services across relevant or strategic industries and sectors.
• Lead the growth and delivery of security solutions across relevant or strategic industries and sectors.
• Enhance and oversee a scalable managed services business that delivers reliable, measurable and commercially sustainable security outcomes.

Delivery quality and technical governance

• Establish and maintain delivery methods, technical standards, and quality review processes.
• Oversee complex, high-risk engagements by providing senior guidance and resolving escalations.
• Ensure each engagement has a clear scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, budget, and ownership.
• Review significant findings and recommendations for accuracy, relevance, and business impact.
• Govern security testing through documented authorisation, an agreed scope, and appropriate rules of engagement.
• Ensure client information is handled securely, and access controls are appropriate.
• Maintain compliance with professional standards, firm policies, and contractual obligations.
• Monitor delivery risks and intervene early when quality, timelines, or profitability are at risk.
• Capture lessons learned and develop reusable methodologies, tools, and intellectual property.

People and capability development

• Build and lead a multidisciplinary team of cyber advisers, engineers, security specialists and service delivery professionals.
• Develop workforce plans that align with business demand and strategic growth priorities.
• Recruit and retain the right talent, balancing specialist expertise with commercial sustainability.
• Coach managers and future leaders in client management, delivery, business development and commercial decision-making.
• Set clear performance objectives and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Create career paths, succession plans and professional development programmes.
• Encourage collaboration across advisory, solutions and managed services teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, technical excellence and respectful leadership.

Partnerships and market presence

• Build relationships with technology vendors, distributors, specialist providers and industry bodies.
• Evaluate partners’ technical capabilities, commercial terms and delivery reliability.
• Ensure partnerships enhance BDO Cybersecurity Practice offerings and deliver clear client value.
• Represent BDO Cybersecurity Practice at executive forums, conferences and other industry engagements.
• Develop credible market content grounded in client challenges and delivery experience.
• Strengthen the practice’s reputation through consistent service quality and professional conduct.

Requirements:

Qualifications:

• A relevant bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or information systems.
• A master’s degree in technology, risk management, business administration, or a related field will be preferred.
• Relevant professional information security certification will be an advantage, e.g. CRISC, CISSP, CISM, etc.
• Strong understanding of recognised cybersecurity frameworks and their practical application.

Experience:

• 15 years or more of relevant experience in cybersecurity, technology risk, consulting or related professional services.
• At least 10 years in a senior leadership role, overseeing teams, client portfolios or a business unit.
• A track record of building or growing a cybersecurity consulting or services business.
• Accountability for revenue generation, budgets, and engagement or practice profitability.
• Experience leading complex cybersecurity advisory and transformation engagements.
• Experience overseeing security solution implementation and ongoing service delivery.
• Demonstrated strength in business development, proposal leadership, and commercial negotiations.
• Experience advising executive stakeholders and presenting to senior governance forums.
• A track record of recruiting, developing, and retaining multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience leading an integrated portfolio of advisory, solutions, and managed services.
• Experience in a consulting firm, professional services organisation, systems integrator, or managed security service provider.
• Experience developing recurring revenue and scaling service operations.
• Established relationships across relevant South African client sectors and the cybersecurity partner ecosystem.
• Experience serving regulated industries, public sector organisations, or critical infrastructure environments.
• Experience overseeing partner-led delivery and vendor or subcontractor arrangements.

Measure of success:

• Revenue growth, gross profit and overall practice profitability.
• Sales pipeline quality, conversion rates and strategic account growth.
• Recurring managed services revenue, renewals and client retention.
• Engagement quality, on-time delivery and client satisfaction.
• Managed service performance and achievement of contracted service levels.
• Resource utilisation, billing discipline and collections.
• Development and commercial success of new offerings.
• Team retention, capability development and succession readiness.
• Effective management of delivery, contractual and operational risks.
• Contribution to the firm’s market reputation and broader client relationships.