PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT & SIG CHAIR EMEA | ENVISTA CONSULTING LTD. & IIBA CYBER SIG
Mark Cross
Mark Cross is the Regional Chair for EMEA of the IIBA’s global Special Interest Group for Cyber, and an Independent Cybersecurity Consultant who specialises in the secure delivery of transformation and innovation.
Over 25 years, he has helped achieve robust and secure outcomes in enterprises such as Spark NZ, Luminor Banking Group and New Day Financial Services in the UK.
He is a regular conference speaker at business analysis conferences such as the European Business Analysis Conference, the American Building Business Capability conference, BA & Beyond and BA Life, however this will be his first appearance at the Festival of Business Analysis.
Presentation: From BA to BISO: The art of building enterprise resilience through better business analysis
Business analysts help organisations solve complex problems and deliver lasting value by translating vision into action and aligning people, processes, and systems, but in a world of constant digital disruption, that value is increasingly endangered by cyber risks that many BAs are not trained to recognise or mitigate. When important details are missed, even the best-designed solutions can introduce vulnerabilities that may disrupt operations, or erode customer trust.
Fortunately, cyber-aware BAs are perfectly positioned to solve this problem by operating in the early stages of strategic analysis to play an essential role in cyber defence. We can work to improve collaboration between teams, integrating security requirements in user stories and process models to dramatically improve enterprise resilience and reduce security debt.
This session introduces the Business Information Security Officer (BISO) as a powerful emerging role that bridges the gap between business strategy and cybersecurity execution. It explores how organisations are using BISOs to embed secure-by-design thinking within change programs—and why business analysts are exceptionally well-positioned to work alongside, support, or even grow into these roles themselves.
Attendees will gain insight into how the BISO function operates, and how developing this skillset can elevate their impact, relevance, and career opportunities in an increasingly risk-conscious world. Whether you’re seeking to strengthen your influence, future-proof your role, or contribute to safer, more trusted transformations, this session will give you the clarity and confidence to take the next step.