In this exclusive interview, Dr. Harrison Nnaji, an accomplished cybersecurity professional and the Group Chief Information Security Officer (GCISO) at First Bank of Nigeria Ltd & Its Subsidiaries, shares his profound leadership insights and forecasts for the financial services and cybersecurity industries. Harrison’s distinguished career is marked by numerous accolades, industry recognitions, and active roles in various cybersecurity initiatives.
About Dr. Harrison Nnaji
Dr. Harrison Nnaji’s illustrious career has earned him numerous organizational, industry, national, and global awards, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in the cybersecurity domain. He served as the Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigeria Financial Institutions (CCISONFI) and holds the position of Cybersecurity Workstream Lead for the Nigeria Bankers sub-Committee on Payments & Infrastructure. Additionally, Harrison serves as a Director at International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) Nigeria Chapter, showcasing his commitment to advancing cybersecurity practices. A member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (MNSE) and a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), Harrison’s expertise extends beyond cybersecurity, contributing to the broader engineering and credit sectors.
Harrison’s academic prowess is reflected in his impressive educational background. Holder of four master’s degrees, including two in cybersecurity, and a Ph.D. from Walden University, USA in Management, leadership, and organizational strategy. Harrison’s dedication to continuous learning is also evident as he is currently undertaking a second Ph.D. program in Offensive Cyber Engineering at Capitol Technology University, USA. He remains at the forefront of cutting-edge cybersecurity knowledge with a deeper interest in emerging technologies. Harrison’s commitment to professional development is further underscored by his acquisition of several industry certifications, attesting to his expertise and leadership in the field.
Leadership Qualities and Strategies Recap
Harrison’s leadership insights, as outlined in the interview, reflect his rich experience and commitment to effective leadership. His emphasis on understanding organizational strategy, leading with empathy, embracing delegation, and fostering a culture of continuous learning demonstrates a holistic approach to leadership in the cybersecurity and financial services sectors.
Key Trends and Challenges Recap
In predicting industry trends, Harrison’s observations on the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, collaborative efforts against cybercrime, and the transformation of traditional banking align with his role as a forward-thinking leader. His assessment of the challenges posed by cybercrime, the shortage of cybersecurity talent, the volatile and evolving nature of the threat landscape, and the persistent threat of ransomware attacks and data breaches provide valuable perspectives for industry professionals and organizations navigating the complexities of the digital era.
Adapting to Change
As Harrison delves into preparing for business adaptability, he emphasizes the critical role of understanding the organizational aspirations, strategies, and objectives. Drawing from his extensive leadership experience, he underscores the importance of foresightedness, emphasizing the need to align capabilities with the organization’s present and future goals. In this context, he stresses the significance of building a team with diverse skills and knowledge, particularly as businesses embrace technologies like artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Additionally, Harrison delves into the human aspect of leadership, recognizing the individual needs and emotions within the team. He highlights the importance of conflict management, team composition enrichment, compensation and benefits, and effective leave management. Education, according to Harrison, goes beyond training as it involves understanding the unique aspirations of team members and providing avenues for feedback, promoting a sense of unity and collaboration.
Overcoming Obstacles and Failures
When confronted with obstacles or failures, Harrison advocates for a proactive approach to preparedness. Acknowledging that unforeseen challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic can impact businesses, he underscores the need to develop strong processes and procedures, reducing dependence on key individuals. Harrison also emphasizes the significance of change management practices, including the ability to rollback where necessary. He encourages simulations and crisis management exercises to enhance and test preparedness.
Fostering a Culture of Innovation
In cultivating a culture of innovation, Harrison underscores the importance of continuous improvement. He challenges his team to question and interrogate current processes and persistently seek more efficient ways of achieving tasks. Harrison provides examples, such as consolidating tools and introducing technologies like robotic process automation and other service orchestration tools to improve productivity and repeatability of activities. His approach involves encouraging a mindset of continuous improvement and leveraging technologies that enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Leadership Skills and Learning Experiences
Reflecting on his leadership journey, Harrison emphasizes the need for self-leadership before leading others. He advocates for continuous learning, both formally and informally, to enhance leadership qualities, capabilities, and capacities. Harrison highlights the importance of understanding various leadership styles and adopting a flexible approach based on the team’s needs per time and per situation. Additionally, he stresses the significance of self-awareness, emphasizing that leaders must recognize their weaknesses and work towards continuous improvement.
Social and Environmental Responsibility
Incorporating social and environmental responsibility into business practices is a key aspect of Harrison’s leadership philosophy. He actively engages with the community and industry, participating in roles that contribute to social impact and industry development and practice maturity. Harrison emphasizes the importance of monitoring social media and staying attuned to community needs to modify and improve business practices.
Digital Transformation
Harrison sees digital transformation as pivotal for businesses in 2024 and beyond. He stresses the need for businesses to evolve to meet changing business landscapes, regulatory and privacy requirements, and varying customer expectations. Harrison shares his proactive approach to embracing digital transformation, highlighting the importance of providing services through various channels to reach a broader audience, provide a bouquet of services and enhanced customer experience round the clock. He acknowledges the challenges, particularly in cybersecurity, and underscores the need for continuous and consistently secure digital infrastructure.
Essential Skills for Success
Discussing essential skills for success in the business world, Harrison places a strong emphasis on the importance of soundness of mind. He stresses the need for leaders to appropriately navigate chaos, conflicting business interests, and knowledge overload while making strategic decisions. Harrison advocates for developing a technique for decision-making, emphasizing strategic thinking over reactive decision-making. He underscores the value of self-awareness, consulting relevant stakeholders, understanding personal weaknesses, and building a technique for making effective decisions.
Influencing the Business Landscape
Looking towards the future, Harrison sees his role as a facilitator of personal transformation. He aims to empower individuals to become leaders in their own right. Harrison emphasizes the importance of creating value and projecting into the future. He mentions his pursuit of courses in offensive cyber engineering, data sciences, and artificial intelligence to stay at the forefront of emerging trends. Harrison encourages collaboration and coopetition with like-minded individuals to drive innovation, creativity, and rightful societal impacts.
Message for aspiring leaders
Harrison’s advice for aspiring leaders is for them to focus of developing the right capacity and capabilities across board rather than focusing on monolithic roles. He also advised vertical and horizontal growth trajectories to ensure that the right foundation and knowledge balance is created and maintained. He also advised them to identify and join relevant associations and peer groups to improve knowledge acquisition and grooming opportunities. He advised identifying and adopting different mentors in the areas of interest to serve as lighthouses as they navigate through career intricacies.
Significant Achievements and Milestones
In reflecting on his career, Harrison modestly mentions receiving various awards on different scales, recognizing his contributions to the field. He also highlights achievements such as being ahead of the curve, implementing strategies that anticipate future needs. Harrison emphasizes the importance of celebrating small wins and paying attention to sales prowess, people intricacies, and deep understanding of numbers as key metrics of success.
As the interview concludes, Harrison shares his vision for leadership, emphasizing the philosophy of unifying the strength in everyone to achieve more. He encourages individuals to recognize their leadership potential and lead themselves towards an impactful followership. Harrison’s leadership style is rooted in empathy, continuous improvement, and creating value for individuals and the community. His journey serves as a beacon for aspiring leaders.
