"Amazing! You are such a talented speaker. I heard you speak at Scot Secure last year for the first time and I messaged someone during your talk saying wow she is phenomenal."
Sarah Armstrong-Smith is a leading authority within the cybersecurity industry, best known for becoming the Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft. Having been appointed in 2020, Sarah has already transformed the organisational practices; she is utilising her previous industry experience to push the boundaries of the world-renowned organisation. Recognised on the ComputerWeekly longlist of the UK’s Most Influential Tech Leaders, Sarah is now highly sought-after to share her specialist knowledge and experiences at events internationally. When looking to hire a passionate technology speaker, look no further than Sarah today.
An inspiration to audiences globally, Sarah has secured numerous high-profile roles throughout her illustrious career, including becoming the Group Head of Business Resilience & Crisis Manager at The London Stock Exchange Group, and the Head of Continuity & Resilience, Enterprise & Cyber Security at Fujitsu. In 2020, Sarah was selected to become the Chief Security Advisor in Microsoft’s Europe sector, a role which allows her to develop the company’s digital transformation and cloud adoption. Admired for her career-driven mentality, Sarah’s professionalism has been recognised by being named in the Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders by SC Media and becoming a finalist for the Cyber Citizen of the Year by The National Cyber Awards in recent years.
What sets Sarah apart is her work on multiple major cybersecurity incidents, including the Millennium Bug. Esteemed for learning on the job throughout these difficult scenarios, she has become well-respected for her professionalism and ability to work under pressure. Keen to share her expertise with audiences globally, Sarah released her debut publication ‘Effective Crisis Management’ in 2022 and has most recently published ‘Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset’, two books which aim to educate audiences on a wide range of important topics. Most recently, in 2025, Sarah became a member of the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board, further showing her commitment to the cybersecurity industry.
A leading authority in her field, Sarah Armstrong-Smith is now highly sought-after to attend speaking engagements internationally, and Champions Speakers are proud to be an official speaker agent of Sarah Armstrong-Smith. In her speeches, Sarah shares the importance of the human aspects of technology, as well as explains why effective crisis management is crucial for a business to succeed in today’s workplace environment. Her commitment to the industry has earned her the recognition of being named a ‘Distinguished Speaker’ by Microsoft, whilst also becoming one of the Most Influential Women in UK Tech and one of the Most Influential Women in Cyber Security. When looking to hire an experienced speaker to inspire audiences at your next event, do not hesitate to hire Sarah today.
Our Senior Content Executive, Megan Lupton, conducted an exclusive interview with Sarah Armstrong-Smith - check it out! In honour of her expertise in cybersecurity, Sarah Armstrong-Smith was recently listed as one of the Top Trending Cyber Security Speakers Ideal for Events. As a pioneering woman in cybersecurity, Sarah is also empowering women to pursue STEM careers, additionally listed as one of the Top 15 Inspirational Women in Tech Speakers to Hire!
Social Media
Books
Effective Crisis Management: A Robust A-Z Guide for Demonstrating Resilience by Utilizing Best Practices, Case Studies, and Experiences
Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset: Build a Strategic Security Programme to Counteract Threats
Reviews
Sarah Armstrong-Smith received a 5 star rating across 19 events in 2023
Agent Recommendation
"Sarah Armstrong-Smith is an outstanding keynote speaker on cyber security. As Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft, she has transformed organisational practices and pushed technological boundaries. Recognised among the UK’s Most Influential Tech Leaders and Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders, Sarah’s expertise is unparalleled. Her engaging talks emphasise the human aspects of technology and effective crisis management. For a knowledgeable, inspiring speaker, Sarah Armstrong-Smith is the ideal choice."
Sarah Armstrong-Smith's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Cyber Security
- Resilience
- Crisis Management
- Women in Business
- Inclusion
Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from Virtual Events:
"I want to thank you for joining us this morning, especially at such short notice. The content covered in your presentation was absolutely spot on- there were some poignant examples and excellent take-home points. Thank you also for pitching it so eloquently for our sector. Whilst cybersecurity is on the minds of the SLT, I'm still not entirely convinced it's getting the full attention and investment required and we are keen to make sure those conversations are taking place... thank you from my team and I" - Lisa, Marketing Director, iSAMS
Feedback from In-Person Events:
Sarah is also booked for a range of in-person events, read her latest feedback from in-person events below.
"Just wanted to say a big thank you for your session yesterday - super engaging delivery" - Lindsey, CISO, M&G
"Thank you, it went great! Sarah was absolutely brilliant and it was all a great success. Thanks for your help!" - Jim, SVP Customer Experience, Exclaimer
"Having Sarah as part of the first UK Cyber Week was an absolute pleasure. Her session was insightful and left a lasting impact on the audience, it was great to have her there!" - Hannah, Roar B2B
"Sarah was very professional and spoke with ease and conviction on IT security and it was evident that she is a subject matter expert. She delivered on the spec that was provided and discussed a detailed insight into her career and the future of the IT sector. She arrived with plenty of time and caught up with the team, then spent a good time afterwards in the networking session talking and I believe enjoying the discussions. Please thank Sarah it was good to meet her and then see her over the weekend on Sky News!" - Gary, Chairman, IWFM
"The event went really well and Sarah's presentation was exceptional! I had time to speak with Sarah after the event with a glass of wine." - Nicola, Property & Estate Manager, Savills
"The event was great and Sarah's session was perfect. Sarah's content was exactly what we wanted and hit the spot perfectly." - Megan, Marketing Manager, Computer World
"Please can you pass on our thanks to Sarah for presenting at our Cybersecurity event on Tuesday. A very interesting presentation to set the scene, we've had some great feedback from the delegates." - Richard, Fordway
"Thank you for presenting at the National Information Security Conference last week. Your presentation was exceptionally well received, and the feedback has been fantastic - thank you for doing such a sterling job (as always)." - Tina, Marketing Manager, Sapphire
"Thank you so much for accepting our invitation. It was amazing and our team gave us great feedback about your presentation. Thank you again!" - Patricia, Ambev Tech
"It was an absolute pleasure to work with you in preparation for the conference and it was a delight having you there! As far as I have heard, your speech was one of the highlights of the conference. It was great meeting you and I wish you all the best." - Botond, XDays
"Sarah was an absolutely fabulous speaker – so interesting and a wealth of knowledge and stayed around afterwards for photos and a chat (I think she was actually last to leave!). I would really recommend her for future speaking jobs." - Samantha, Leicester Tigers
"Following our event yesterday, I just wanted to ask you to pass on our thanks to both Nikki Dean and Sarah Armstrong-Smith. Our event was a huge success and we are really grateful to Nikki for doing such a great job as our host and to Sarah for her valuable insights as part of our panel of experts. They were both great to work with and their support was really appreciated. Thank you for the introduction to both speakers" - Paula, Events Manager, Buckinghamshire Business First
"Thank you for the talk at the Future of Cyber Conference; very useful and informative and stimulated some good points about much-needed synergy of tech/ security/ assurance/ governance etc." - Justin, Intelligence Manager
"I absolutely loved your interview on CxO Summit with Marcos Chistodonte. Thank you for all your contributions as an aspiring female leader in technology!" - Omar, Director, Cloud Security
"Great discussion. I really like the point that the more diverse the people, the better the business is. Clearly much more work to do in this area but recognising the benefits is key - diversity as a key business enabler/strength!" - Rob, CEO & Founder
"This is excellent Sarah, definitely reflects the journey that many companies are on with regards to their roles of CISO at Board level with an understanding of the Business and Technical challenges that the organisation faces. Love these Cyber Insights" - Andy, Head of Security & Compliance
"Loved this sessions and your personal and professional journey. You are true inspiration to us Sarah, thank you for all the great suggestions too." - Milena, Resilience Specialist
"IE University acknowledges Sarah Armstrong-Smith for her distinguished accomplishments and services to the community within the area of corporate ethics and compliance. Sarah Armstrong-Smith has persistently taken the opportunity to empower individuals to build a culture of ethics and compliance in the business environment, which reflects not only within corporations around the world but also in the society." - Letter Of Endorsement From Professor, Ethics & Compliance Club
"Wow, fantastic day. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with the community. It's very much appreciated." - Mark, Cyber Security Manager
"Sarah's content are simply compliments. Timing is perfect, the whole video lecture has natural structure, the content is relevant and interesting." - Peter, Project Manager, Readycon
"I am writing to thank you for the role you played in Empowerment Week. Please accept this note of appreciation for your support. Thank you for the role you played, please be aware that you notably contributed to the success of the week. Your contribution was integral to help attendees understand that innovation does not magically happen. It requires a motivated, empowered work force and a curious mindset that is open to experimenting and trying different things, whilst being prepared to take risks and fail fast. Feedback from both senior officials and attendees has been extremely complimentary of both the planning for the event, the ‘buzz’ of the event and the impact it had. This would not have been possible without you." - Ministry of Defence
"She was brilliant! She did exactly what we asked for and had discussed in our briefing chat. Her deck was slick, her presentation accurate and her timekeeping flawless." - Sam, Digital Engagement Consultant, M&G
"What a way to start our AnnualConference 2023! Huge thanks to Sarah Armstrong-Smith who delivered a powerful and compelling opening keynote." - Charity IT Leaders
"Thank you so much for your inspiring talk today! Your positive and energetic energy, as well as your sage advice, made this such a fantastic event. We had over 200 attendees (online and in-person) and over 90% positive score on our post-event survey which is just brilliant! Thank you for making this such a successful event for our Women’s Network. It has been a pleasure working with you." - Service Now
"Sarah’s session heavily anticipated and it did not disappoint the audience were incredibly engaged." - The Channel Company
"We had so many employees reach out to say how much they enjoyed listening to her. Sarah is extremely relatable, but at the same time a great public speaker. Thank you very much for all your help with arranging this at such short notice." - Susan, Tradeweb
- 2025 - Became a Board Member for the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board
- 2024 - Published ‘Understand the Cyber Attacker Mindset’
- 2023 - Finalist for the Cyber Citizen of the Year by The National Cyber Awards
- 2023 - Named on the ComputerWeekly longlist of the UK's Most Influential Tech Leaders
- 2022- Published 'Effective Crisis Management', which reached number 2 in the Amazon Best Selling List
- 2022 - Named as one of the Most Influential Leaders in UK Tech by Computerweekly and Top 30 Female Cybersecurity Leaders by SC Media
- 2021 - Named as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech by Computerweekly, Fellow of the British Computer Society and Top 30 Women of Influence by SC Media
- 2020 - Named as one of the 25 Most Inspiring Women in Cybersecurity by IT Security Guru, No.10 in Cybersecurity Thought Leadership on IFSEC Fire & Security Global Influencers and one of the Most Influential Women in UK Tech by Computerweekly
- 2020 - Chief Security Advisor EMEA for Microsoft
- 2019 - Group Head of Business Resilience & Crisis Management for the London Stock Exchange Group
- 2019 - Named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Cyber Security by SC Magazine, PrivSec 200, honoured for Contribution to the Security Industry by Professional Security Magazine, one of the Most Influential Women in UK Tech by Computerweekly and Business Role Model of the Year by Women in IT Awards
- 2018 - Named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Cybersecurity by SC Magazine, one of the Most Influential Women in Tech by Computerweekly and Digital Leader Global Hero by Digital Female Leaders
- 2017 - Head of Continuity & Resilience, Enterprise & Cyber Security for Fujitsu
- 2017 - Awarded Continuity & Resilience Professional of the Year by the Business Continuity Insitute
- 2016 - Awarded the IT Solutions & Strategy Highly Commended award by Fujitsu Japan, named Business Continuity Manager of the Year at the Continuity, Insurance & Risk Awards, Category Winner of Business Consulting by Fujistu EMEA and a Fujitsu Distinguished Engineer
- 2010 - Management Consultant, Enterprise & Cyber Security for Fujitsu
- 2007 - Principal Consultant, Enterprise & Cyber Security for Fujitsu
- 2005 - Manager of Technology Risk Services for EY
- 2001 - Disaster Recovery Consultant for AXA
How to hire Sarah Armstrong-Smith
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Sarah Armstrong-Smith for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
