As cybersecurity challenges continue to evolve and AI transforms both attack and defense strategies, Black Hat is advancing its mission to serve the global security community. We're excited to share that Suzy Pallett has joined as our new Brand President, bringing a fresh perspective to how we unite and strengthen this community. If you missed the announcement, you can find all the details in our official press release HERE.
Suzy Pallett
For those who may not yet know Suzy, she officially joined the team on September 1 and brings over 20 years of experience across global B2B and B2C events, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Europe and Middle East at Money20/20, the world's leading global FinTech event series. In her new role, Suzy will be focused on accelerating the growth of Black Hat's global events, working closely with the community to ensure a smooth transition and continued excellence.
Since joining in September, Suzy has been developing a transformative vision for how Black Hat can better unite and empower the cybersecurity community. Earlier this month, we sat down with her to explore her vision for continuing to transform Black Hat from a series of events into a year-round ecosystem where the cybersecurity community collaborates, shares intelligence, and builds collective defenses against evolving threats.
Read on to discover how Suzy plans to foster deeper connections, drive innovation, and ensure Black Hat remains at the forefront of cybersecurity's most critical conversations.
Q: Hi Suzy! Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.
A: Thank you! I've been looking forward to it.
Q: What initially drew you to the cybersecurity field, and how does that influence your vision for Black Hat?
A: What drew me to cybersecurity was the realization that this field touches every aspect of modern life. Much of our identity is digital now, and the work we do in cybersecurity is fundamentally about protecting what matters most to people and organizations. This understanding that cybersecurity isn't just a technical discipline, but a business and societal imperative directly influences my vision for Black Hat. I want to ensure we're serving the practitioners who implement security, alongside the decision-makers who champion and fund it, creating a comprehensive platform that addresses the full spectrum of cybersecurity needs.
Q: You've mentioned the personal stakes of cybersecurity, such as protecting family members from being hacked. How does this personal connection inform your leadership approach?
A: As a mother and global citizen, I understand that cybersecurity isn't abstract, it's deeply personal. When I think about protecting my family's digital identities, it reinforces why Black Hat's mission is so critical. This personal connection drives my leadership approach to be both passionate and purposeful. It reminds me that behind every vulnerability discussed, every defense strategy shared, and every connection made at Black Hat, there are real people whose lives and livelihoods depend on our collective success. This perspective keeps me grounded in the human impact of our work while pushing us to expand our reach and effectiveness.
Q: You've worked across various event communities and sectors. How has this diverse experience shaped your perspective on what Black Hat can become?
A:My experience across different event communities has shown me that the most impactful platforms are those that create genuine connections and drive meaningful outcomes. What I've learned is that successful events aren't just about content delivery, they're about creating ecosystems where knowledge transfer leads to real-world impact. This perspective has shaped my vision for Black Hat as more than just a conference series. I see it as a catalyst for strengthening the entire cybersecurity ecosystem, where the connections made and knowledge shared directly translate to improved security postures worldwide.
Q: One of our Keynotes from Black Hat USA 2025 (Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer, WithSecure) emphasized that "when you do your job perfectly, the end result is that nothing happens." How does this paradox of success in cybersecurity resonate with your vision?
A: Mikko's insight perfectly captures the unique challenge and beauty of our industry, we are the industry where when nothing happens, it's everything. This paradox is central to my vision for Black Hat because it highlights why our platform is so essential. We need to celebrate and showcase the invisible victories, the prevented breaches, and the strengthened defenses. Black Hat serves as the place where these 'nothing happened' success stories are shared, analyzed, and built upon. It's where the community comes together to ensure that more organizations can achieve that perfect outcome where nothing happens because everything was protected.
Q: How do you communicate the importance of cybersecurity to those outside the industry when success often means "nothing happens"?
A: This is exactly why Black Hat's evolution is so important. We need to help translate the technical excellence of our community into business language that resonates with decision-makers. When we talk about the $10.5 trillion in cybercrime costs by 2025 and attacks happening every 30 seconds, we're making the invisible visible. Our role is to help people understand that 'nothing happening' represents tremendous value; prevented downtime, protected customer data, maintained trust, and preserved business continuity. Black Hat is uniquely positioned to bridge this communication gap between practitioners and the broader business community.
Q: What excites you most about Black Hat's ability to unite diverse minds in cybersecurity?
A: What excites me most is witnessing the collaborative spirit of our community. I've been surprised by how ready our community is for transformation and how genuinely they want Black Hat to evolve. When you bring together researchers, practitioners, decision-makers, and innovators in one space, the collective intelligence that emerges is extraordinary. The principle that 'offense sharpens defense' creates this unique dynamic where diverse perspectives strengthen everyone's capabilities. This isn't just networking, it's the formation of alliances that lead to tangible improvements.
Q: You've emphasized that the "collective moves better than the individual." How do you see the community aspect of Black Hat evolving under your leadership to foster this collaborative spirit?
The community aspect is evolving from what some might categorize as passive consumption to an increased rate of active collaboration. Fostering this collaborative spirit requires intentional design. We're developing initiatives such as our matchmaking platform to facilitate more meaningful connections between our audiences. We're also working toward extending our main days, reworking schedules to eliminate conflicts, and creating more structured networking opportunities.
We're expanding our content to serve both practitioners and decision-makers, ensuring that technical insights can be translated into strategic action. The goal is to transform Black Hat from a series of events into a year-round ecosystem where the community continues to engage, share intelligence, and strengthen collective defenses. We want to create an environment where attendees don't just consume content but actively contribute to the collective intelligence. Every connection made, every piece of research shared, and every skill developed through our Trainings potentially prevents a breach and strengthens the entire ecosystem. Ultimately, we want every attendee to leave not just with new knowledge, but with new allies in the fight against cyber threats
Q: With the ever-increasing volume of threats and the emergence of AI, what role should Black Hat play in helping the industry adapt and become more united in facing these evolving challenges?
A: Black Hat plays a critical role in helping the industry stay ahead of these evolving threats while fostering greater unity across sectors. While AI presents new challenges, it's also empowering defenders with unprecedented capabilities. Unlike other industries where AI might be purely disruptive, in cybersecurity, it's fueling growth and enabling new approaches to protection.
Our role is to be the platform where these new AI-powered defense strategies are researched, tested, and shared across the entire ecosystem. Black Hat's strength lies in creating an environment where knowledge sharing strengthens everyone. When one organization discovers a vulnerability or develops a defense, that knowledge needs to flow throughout the ecosystem. We're positioned to facilitate this intelligence sharing across industries, helping break down silos that can leave organizations vulnerable.
By bringing together diverse sectors and perspectives, we create cross-pollination opportunities where a defense strategy from one industry might solve a challenge in another. We need to ensure our Briefings and Trainings stay ahead of the curve, delivering cutting-edge research and skills development that help practitioners harness these new technologies effectively. This collective approach is essential because no organization can go it alone in this space.
Q: How do you envision Black Hat contributing to the broader ecosystem of security tools and approaches?
A: Black Hat serves as the proving ground for new security tools and approaches. Through demos at Black Hat Arsenal, Briefings, and Trainings, we provide the platform where innovations are tested, refined, and adopted by the community. We're not just showcasing tools, we're facilitating the evolution of security approaches. Our role is to ensure that the most promising innovations reach the practitioners who need them while maintaining our technical credibility and practitioner focus. This creates a feedback loop where real-world needs drive innovation, and proven innovations strengthen real-world defenses.
Q: What balance do you see between defensive and offensive security focuses at future Black Hat events?
A: The balance between offensive and defensive security is fundamental to Black Hat's DNA; 'offense sharpens defense' isn't just a tagline, it's our core principle. This balance will remain central to our programming because understanding attack methodologies is essential for building effective defenses. Our Briefings will continue to showcase cutting-edge research from both perspectives, while our training programs will equip practitioners with both offensive techniques and defensive strategies. The key is ensuring that offensive research is always channeled toward strengthening defenses.
Q: Thank you for sitting down with us and sharing these details with us. We look forward to catching up with you again soon!
A: Thank you for the opportunity to share my vision for Black Hat's future. I look forward to continuing this journey with our incredible community and seeing the impact we can make together.