Catherine Goodwin-Gracia

As a dynamic Australian living in France, I have thrived in collaborative environments, embracing change to develop innovative solutions.  My journey from being a performing artist in Tokyo, Japan to pivotal roles at Citi in London and Paris, where I advanced from being a Secretary to Vice President, Senior Control Officer and Principal Business Information Security Officer for Citi’s Corporate & Investment Banking groups for the EMEA region, showcases my adaptability and leadership abilities in regulatory  compliance technology and cybersecurity sectors from Information Security Management principles.

From 2008 to 2018, I chaired two boards: as first woman to Chair the  US Embassy in Paris’ Overseas Security Advisory Council, as part of the US Department of State; and for the France Chapter of ADVANCE, a global organisation for Australians living overseas.  These roles underscored my commitment to security and international collaboration.

With extensive experience in leading and developing Information Security & Risk Management Programs, I have specialised in compliance and frameworks including ISO 27001 and NIST.  My expertise spans AI Governance, Cyber Security, Awareness, Risk & Control Management, Business Continuity and Third Party Information Security Risk Assessor for Vendor Management.  I obtained all my certifications through Citi and recently obtained my AI Governance Certification through BlueDot Impact in the UK.

I am the Group Manager for the leading LinkedIn group “*Financial Crime Risk, Fraud and Security*” that was founded by Jim Oakes, a wonderful ex-colleage, friend and mentor from my very early Citi days in the EMEA Regions Fraud office CSIS

Over the past decade, my work with SaaS platforms for Intellectual Property Law Firms, organising events, consulting as a Business Development & Sales Manager, Advisor, Content Writer, Information Security & Controls Manager, and my enthusiasm to unite people over specific causes highlights my versatility and dedication.

I am particularly passionate about the future of digital transformation, especially in the space of AI, Cyber Security and Future Tech.

I am deeply interested in how legality and regulation will impact the advancement of women into this industry.  As a global connector and facilitator, I am committed to bringing people together to drive innovation and progress.

Why CyberChix?

I founded CyberChix after attending several conferences across Europe, especially after the pandemic, that effected everyone, especially women.  From attending Cyber and Tech conferences, I realised there was an inherent imbalance of representation between women and men in the technology space, most venues were catering for approximately a 75% show up of men and at most less than 25% show up of women.

Considering there are scores of women in tech groups across the world, its just not where it could be and we are not “really” collaborating or crossing over to work together.  It’s just not really happening, so I began to question this imbalance, not only between men and women in the industry but also between women towards women.  Are we talking bias? Well, I started experimenting and with curiosity starting to navigate AI in the summer of 2022 in the South of Spain. I was hooked, lined and sinkered..

I am a mother of 3 adopted siblings, and being me, I questioned everything.. career, progression, raising kids, trying to keep a healthy relationship, consulting from time to time and landing disappointment after disappointment when applying for so many permanent jobs when I was ready to return to full time work.  What happened?

From disappointment and constant rejection from job applications and scores of interviews, I decided to follow my passion in “balancing up” women for the future, for ourselves, for our daughters for the generations following us… especially as we speed into the future of AI…

We can do this.. together..

Follow me on LinkedIn and lets start to “balance up”!!!