Berlin Cybersecurity Social

We are kicking off the year by celebrating 2 years of Berlin Cybersecurity Social and starting strong with two highly practical sessions focused on impact, growth, and doing more with less.

As budgets tighten and expectations rise, security leaders are being asked to optimise spend while also advancing their own careers. This anniversary edition of BCS is all about exactly that. How to make smarter security decisions, stretch limited resources, and make sure your work gets the recognition it deserves.

Think new year, new priorities, and new momentum.

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Talk 1: Why Risk Appetite Statements Matter: Getting the Board Onboard
James Tucker, Group Head of Information Security at Awin Global

This session explores how risk appetite statements can be used to connect technical security controls to board-level decision-making. James will share how framing security through risk appetite enables clearer conversations about prioritisation, investment, and trade-offs, particularly when budgets are tight.

Key Takeaways

• How to use risk appetite statements to frame security decisions
• How to translate technical controls into business and board-level language
• How to support risk-based investment and prioritisation discussions
• Talk 2: Making Invisible Security Work Visible

Alisa Reznik, COO, tech consultant, and mentor for tech leaders

Security professionals protect the company constantly, yet their impact is often invisible by design. In this session, Alisa will show how to make security work visible without bragging, translate technical outcomes into business value, and build career momentum alongside fast-moving threats.

What you will learn

• How to make your work visible without bragging
• A simple system to gain recognition and career momentum
• How to communicate security impact in business terms

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We will be celebrating the 2-year anniversary of Berlin Cybersecurity Social with networking before and after the talks, familiar faces, new connections, and the same community energy that has shaped BCS from the start.

A practical start to the year. Smarter budgets. Clearer impact. Stronger careers.

About Berlin Cybersecurity Social: This meetup is open to cybersecurity professionals of all levels, from beginners to experts. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey in the field, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for cybersecurity.

About James Awin: James is Group Head of Information Security at Awin Global, where he leads global security strategy across cloud, infrastructure, and enterprise environments. With a background spanning hands-on network security, incident response, and executive security leadership, James brings a pragmatic, business-focused approach to building effective security programs at scale.

About Alisa Reznik: Alisa is a COO, tech consultant, and mentor for technical leaders. She helps engineers and security professionals gain visibility, advance their careers, and build work lives aligned with what they actually want. With experience leading engineering and product teams under pressure, Alisa brings a practical perspective on influence, impact, and growth in technical roles.

This session is part of the Berlin Cybersecurity Social community’s monthly meetup, where security professionals, leaders, and enthusiasts come together to share knowledge and connect. So are you a cybersecurity professional looking to connect with like-minded professionals, share experiences, and make friends? Look no further!

About Berlin Cybersecurity Social: This meetup is open to cybersecurity professionals of all levels, from beginners to experts. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey in the field, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for cybersecurity.

This session is part of the Berlin Cybersecurity Social community’s monthly meetup, where security professionals, leaders, and enthusiasts come together to share knowledge and connect. So are you a cybersecurity professional looking to connect with like-minded professionals, share experiences, and make friends? Look no further!

About Berlin Cybersecurity Social: This meetup is open to cybersecurity professionals of all levels, from beginners to experts. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey in the field, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for cybersecurity.