Keys for Recruiting Top Tech Talent

By Shaun Cooney

Trying to recruit talent and build a security team may feel like spotting unicorns these days.

But finding — and keeping — top talent can be achieved if you cast a wide net, find individuals with copious curiosity and aptitude, and build a culture where it’s safe to fail.

I sat down with Neal Potter, head of security operations, and Richard Fawcett, lead security operations engineer from Just Eat Takeway. During our conversation, we discussed the challenges of hiring security practitioners that have technical skills as well as the need to build a team that’s multidisciplinary, as opposed to overly specialized.

But it doesn’t just stop at hiring. How do you retain and empower standout individuals on your team to do their best work without suffering burning out? Tune in to our conversation with Neal and Richard to learn from their insights.

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Shaun Cooney

Shaun is a business technologist who’s spent much of his career in intelligence, defence & telecommunications where he has experience in Cyber Security, resilience, data and product development leadership roles. Most recently Shaun held a senior leadership role as head of Engineering for the UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), leading the development of digital services and guidance across the UK Government and beyond.

Shaun's role, Strategic Advisor, Technology & Innovation for EMEA sees him spending most of his time helping organisations through their transformations and large change programmes, helping them to think more strategically or differently about their use of data and technology to validate and implement their business strategies.

As a child, Shaun told his parents that he wanted to be a giraffe when he grew up. Standing at 6 foot 8 inches (203cm) Shaun is proud to have achieved his childhood dream.

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