mary carmichael, web summit, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast entrepreneur, helen siwak, portfolioyvr

Mary Carmichael: Building Cyber Resilience Across Canada

Mary Carmichael stepped into one of the more consequential roles of her career when she was appointed Field CISO, Western Canada with Bell Cyber. The position is deliberately outward-facing — less internal mandate, more market engagement — and it suits her. “I spend time with customers, partners, and the broader cybersecurity community, listening to what leaders are dealing with and where the market is moving,” she explains. Advisory, advocacy, research, and industry engagement are all part of the remit, as is connecting market insight to Canadian-led innovation. Alongside that appointment, Carmichael continues her leadership role with the ISACA cyber community, providing guidance on how to turn technology risk into business-aligned strategy. Together, the two roles place her at the centre of how Canadian organizations are thinking about cybersecurity right now. “What I like most is the impact: helping leaders make better decisions and build stronger cyber capability across Canada,” she adds. mary carmichael, momentum technology, web summit vancouver, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc, yvr

WHAT LEADERS ARE ASKING

The word Carmichael hears most often when she sits across from security leaders is resilience. Organizations know they cannot prevent every disruption — the question is whether they are ready when something happens. “Do they understand their critical dependencies? Have they tested their assumptions? Can they recover?” It is a framing that cuts through the noise of compliance checklists and technical controls, and it reflects how she approaches every client discussion: cyber risk is a business issue, and it belongs in the same conversation as strategy, growth, and decision-making.

AI GOVERNANCE ON THE GROUND

As a Fellow with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Carmichael leads research on third-party AI risk with a focus on public sector use — and what she is seeing in that work is directly shaping how she advises organizations on emerging technology readiness. The progress is real: leaders are beginning to ask better questions about AI governance before tools are deployed, and about the value AI actually delivers beyond efficiency gains. The persistent gap, however, is in the handoff from principle to practice — many organizations can articulate their AI values but have not yet built out the approval processes, vendor accountability structures, or monitoring frameworks that responsible adoption requires. That is precisely where her advisory work in the cyber field focuses.

SECURITY AS A CULTURAL ASSET

At the heart of Carmichael’s advisory philosophy is a conviction that security works best when it is embedded in the business rather than bolted onto it. Her ABC model — awareness, behaviour, and communication — is the practical expression of that belief, designed to make security a cultural asset rather than a compliance burden. Her GRC guidance builds on the same foundation, helping organizations move from reactive compliance to proactive risk management, with frameworks that support board oversight, operational planning, and clear metrics. The goal is not more controls. It is better questions, stronger governance, and leadership that understands what it is actually managing.

mary carmichael, momentum technology, web summit vancouver, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc, yvr

COMMUNITY AS PRACTICE

Carmichael’s influence extends well beyond client work. She authors the Tips column for over 200,000 ISACA professionals worldwide and speaks regularly at RSAC, ISACA North America, and ISACA Europe. Recent recognition — including a place on SC Media’s Women to Watch list and ISACA Global’s Leadership Award — reflects a career built as much on contribution as on expertise. “Those moments meant a lot because they reflect the work I care about: leadership, visibility, community, and helping the profession grow,” she shares. For Carmichael, community has never been incidental to the work. “I have had people share advice, make introductions, and open doors for me. I know how much that can matter, so I try to do the same for others.”

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Collaborator: This story is created in collaboration between Helen Siwak and the featured subject. As the founder and publisher of Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, Helen works closely with entrepreneurs to share their paths of innovation, resilience, and growth. Each story in this series is co-developed through interviews and first-person insights, blending authentic voices with Helen’s editorial expertise to highlight the remarkable individuals shaping British Columbia’s business landscape.