Exceptional Women Recognised for Contribution to Cyber Industry at Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2026 - IT Security Guru

The 21 winners of the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards were announced at a ceremony held at the iconic BT Tower in London on the 26th February 2026. The awards celebrated the achievements of women working in cybersecurity around the globe – whether recognising personal achievements, efforts to close the gender divide in the industry or those mentoring the next generation of women in cyber. The award ceremony was organised by Eskenzi PR and sponsored by Fidelity International, Plexal, Bridewell and BT. To welcome attendees, Priyanka Tyagi, Global Supplier Cyber Assurance at Fidelity International, and Rose Calzado, Global Cyber Supplier Management at Fidelity International, gave an inspiring opening keynote, which covered the journey of its internal Women in Cyber community, from its formation to its future goals. Due to the international nature of the awards, the event was also live streamed for those who were unable to attend in person. Photos from the night can be found here: https://www.itsecurityguru.org/most-inspiring-women-cyber-2026/ This year’s winners were selected by an esteemed panel of judges, who had a difficult time narrowing down a pool of 200 exceptional women to just 21 ‘most inspiring women in cyber’ and 5 ones to watch. As a result of community partnerships with WiCyS UK&I Affiliate, WiTCH and Seidea, we’ve been able to reach women we might never have been able to reach without their support, truly celebrating the unsung women of the cyber industry. Each of these organisations are at the forefront of spearheading change in cyber and are devoted to making cyber a more inclusive industry. The judges were: Rebecca Taylor, Threat Intelligence Knowledge Manager and Researcher at Sophos Adaora Uche, GRC Lead at THG Joanne Elieli, Cyber Lead and Litigation Partner at Stephenson Harwood LLP Adam Haylock, Head of Global Cyber and Information Security Department at Fidelity International Hannah Arnold, London Ambassador for WiTCH Diane Gilbert, Senior Innovation Lead for Programmes at Plexal Yasemin Mustafa, Security Portfolio Director at BT Jennifer Cox, Director of Solutions Engineering EMEA and APAC at Tines Yvonne Eskenzi, Co-Founder of Eskenzi PR Regarding the awards, Yvonne Eskenzi, Co-Founder of Eskenzi PR & Marketing, said: “It was such an honour to be in the company of so many incredible women at this year’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards at the BT Tower. I am continually blown away by the achievements of women in this industry and our ability to come together as a community to celebrate and empower one another time and time again. Every woman nominated was exceptional and every winner thoroughly deserving. Congratulations all!” The evening also included a panel discussion that focused on topics including authentic leadership in the workplace and knowing your value. The panel was chaired by Yvonne Eskenzi, Director and Co-Founder of Eskenzi PR. Panellists included: Janette Bonar Law, Information Security Manager, Culture and Awareness, at Channel 4 Dr. Valerie Lyons, COO at BH Consulting Jess Matthews, Head of Community at WiCyS UK&I and Information Security Officer Cheryl Martin, Cyber Security Executive at COMPANY86 Lorna Armitage, Co-Founder and COO at CAPSLOCK Full List of Winners: Top 21 Dr. Stav Elbar, Software Engineer at Google Lennig Pedron, CEO of Trust Valley Anmol Agarwal, Senior Security Researcher at Nokia Indu Sajeev, CISO of ASOS Nkiruka Joy Aimienoho, CISO at Standard Chartered Bank Evin McMullen, CISO and Co-Founder of Billions Network Nicole Bucala, CEO of DataBee; General Manager & VP2 at Comcast Corp. Motunrayo Fransisca Ogundipe, Cyber SOC Analyst at TikTok Dr. Valerie Lyons, COO of BH Consulting Meera Tamboli, Digital Forensics and Incident Response Analyst at Aveva Moona Ederveen-Schneider, Founder and CEO of Resilia Connect Harriet Farlow, Founder and CEO of Mileva Security Labs Funke Omolere, Senior Technology Compliance Product Owner at Adobe Kerlyn Manyi, Penetration Tester and Founder of CyberFoundHer Initiative Dr. Chi Opara, Lecturer in Computer Science at Teesside University Charlotte Wilson, Head of Enterprise Business UK&I at Check Point Software Sonia Kumar, Senior Director of Cyber Security at Analog Devices Laura Price, Outreach and Skills Partnerships at BT Catherine Knibbs, Cybertrauma Specialist, Author and CEO of Children & Technology Adenike Ajayi-Iweka, Security Consultant at Accenture Laura Kaung, Information Security Manager & Group DPO at Next Generation Security Ones To Watch Yasmeen Bey, IT Cybersecurity Apprentice at Volkswagen Group UK Ltd. Gizem Acar Tekin, CEO and Co-Founder of Photarix Amelia Hewitt, Co-Founder and Director of Cyber Consulting at Principle Defence Amelia Javed, Chair and Founder of Manchester Intelligence Society Rebecca Lindley, Senior Cyber Consultant at Deloitte Ireland Hear from our winners: Chidimma Opara, Lecturer in Computer Science at Teesside University and Project Lead at GUARD, said: “Being recognised as one of the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber 2026 among so many brilliant women in cybersecurity is a real career highlight. It’s also a wonderful affirmation of the mission behind CipherSeen, a platform created to help close persistent gaps in our industry by increasing visibility for underrepresented professionals. This award has strengthened my motivation to contribute even more to women in the cyber community.” Sonia Kumar, Senior Director of Cyber Defence and Cyber Testing at Analog, said: “Being recognised alongside so many incredible women is a reminder of how far our industry has come, and how much opportunity still lies ahead. Cybersecurity thrives on diversity of thought, and I’m proud to be part of a community that is actively opening doors and redefining what leadership in this field looks like.” Adenike Ajayi-Iweka, Security Consultant at Accenture, said: “This win is a recognition of how far I’ve come in my cybersecurity career, and a nudge that there’s more ahead. I am deeply honoured by the three words used to describe me – “inspiring, innovative, resilient”, and motivated to continue to live true to those words. I’d also like to encourage everyone on their journey, to keep going, in their own authentic way, and not be afraid of their brilliance!” Charlotte Wilson, Head of Enterprise Business UK&I at Check Point Software, said: “Thank you for an award that makes me feel seen for the things I do that make me human and hopefully make everyone else feel they matter.” Dr. Valerie Lyons, Board Director and COO at BH Consulting, said: “I’m incredibly proud to receive this recognition. It reflects not just my own work, but the collective effort of so many incredible women in cyber and their allies who continue to raise standards, challenge assumptions, and lead with courage. Cybersecurity is ultimately about protecting people and shaping a safer digital future for us all. To stand alongside such talented and principled women, all committed to this cause was energising – every woman in the room was inspiring in her own right. I feel truly honoured to be part of such a purposeful community, and I hope this recognition helps shine a light on the extraordinary work being done by women across our profession.” Laura Price, Outreach & Skills Partnerships Lead at BT, said: “This recognition means so much to me because it reflects the work I care most about; helping more people feel they belong in cyber. Sharing the stage with so many brilliant women is an honour and a proud moment for BT, where commitment to inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.” Harriet Farlow, Founder and CEO of Mileva Security Labs, said: “I’m incredibly grateful to receive this award. Building a cybersecurity start-up has been one of the hardest and most rewarding challenges of my life. This recognition makes the long hours and persistence feel meaningful, and I hope it encourages more women to pursue ambitious paths — even when they seem daunting.” Rebecca Lindley, Senior Cyber Consultant at Deloitte Ireland, who was named a One to Watch at the event, said: “I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised as a ‘One to Watch’ alongside such an inspiring group of women who are driving real change in cybersecurity. For me, this award represents the power of community, mentorship, and the support of the people who have believed in me throughout my journey. I hope it encourages more women to step into this field with confidence and see that there is a place for them, and that their voice and impact truly matter.” Named a ‘one to watch’, Amelia Hewitt, Co-Founder & Director of Cyber Consulting at Principle Defence, said: “It’s a privilege to be a recipient of the ‘one to watch’ award. I am continually proud of the progress we’re making as an industry, and to be a part of that is incredibly rewarding.”