Top Woman in Security: ASEAN Award 2026
Celebrating recognition in the 2026 Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards
By Yvonne Sears, Founder and Director, Elev8 Resilience
I’m proud to share that I have been recognised as a joint Top 12 Winner in the 2026 Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards, with recognition across the following award categories:
Risk & Resilience Professional
Cyber Risk Leader (Open Category)
Cybersecurity
Together, these acknowledgements mean a great deal to me. They reflect the breadth of a career spanning more than 26 years across information security, privacy, governance, business continuity and resilience in the UK and Australia.
They also speak to something that has shaped my work throughout that time: these disciplines are deeply connected. Understanding those connections helps organisations make better decisions, protect what matters and move forward with confidence.
Connecting cybersecurity, leadership and resilience
Cybersecurity decisions affect people, services, trust and an organisation’s ability to achieve its goals. Understanding the technology is essential, alongside understanding the business, its responsibilities and the consequences when things go wrong.
For me, cyber risk leadership means helping people make sense of those consequences. It means asking useful questions, explaining uncertainty clearly and supporting decisions that people can put into practice.
Risk and resilience work extends that thinking: anticipating disruption, recognising deterioration, preparing to respond and ensuring recovery is achievable.
Being recognised across these areas is particularly meaningful because bringing them together is central to how I work.
Bringing that approach to Elev8 Resilience
I founded Elev8 Resilience to help organisations turn complex security, privacy and resilience requirements into practical ways of working.
That might involve building an information security management system, helping leaders understand their risks, testing continuity arrangements or making responsibilities clearer across a business.
The same approach shapes what we’re building through Elev8ai: helping organisations explore AI opportunities, understand their implications and maintain visibility and accountability as their use evolves.
Across these activities, my focus remains on helping organisations build the knowledge, confidence and evidence they need to make informed decisions.
Sharing knowledge and supporting the profession
This recognition also gives me an opportunity to reflect on the value of contributing beyond individual projects.
Through my book, Resilience by Design, professional communities and standards contributions, I aim to make complex issues easier to understand and act on. Sharing experience helps us challenge assumptions, learn from one another and improve our practice.
Recognising women across cybersecurity, risk and leadership makes the breadth of our profession more visible. There are many ways to contribute, and we benefit from people bringing different experiences, perspectives and strengths to the work.
Thank you
Thank you to the organisers, MySecurity Media, Space & Earth Partners and Advisory, and MySecurity Marketplace and to the judges for this recognition.
Congratulations to the other women recognised in this year’s awards. It is a privilege to be included alongside you.
To my clients, colleagues, partners, friends and family: thank you for your trust, encouragement and support. Building a business and contributing to this profession is a journey shaped by many people, and I’m grateful to those who have been part of mine.
I’m taking a moment to celebrate this milestone, with plenty of enthusiasm for the work still ahead.
Yvonne Sears
Founder and Director, Elev8 Resilience
