Why Cybersecurity Needs a Champion at the Board Level with Trent Johannesson

In This Episode

Trent Johannesson brings a unique voice to cybersecurity—one shaped by decades of field experience and a determination to learn from the ground up. In this conversation, he explains how Phoenix Energy’s broad service portfolio led to hosting client data and prompted the need for internal reorganization, ultimately landing him in the CSO role. With honesty and humor, Trent discusses being “CISO Light,” balancing critical security responsibilities with a growing company’s operational demands, and how his journey from instrumentation tech to executive was fueled by asking the right questions and seizing hidden opportunities.

As the conversation unfolds, Trent and Matthew dive into the ethical implications of AI in security—from its potential to automate attack detection to its misuse in crafting nearly flawless phishing emails. Trent shares insights from a Public Safety Canada hacking lab where he learned firsthand how easily industrial systems can be breached—a moment he describes as an awakening. This first-hand understanding of operational risk drives his passion for merging practical safety culture with cyber readiness.

Toward the end of the episode, Trent addresses the compliance challenges facing small and mid-sized companies. He warns that many executives acknowledge the importance of cybersecurity without dedicating sufficient resources. He emphasizes the importance of finding internal champions—executives who can amplify cybersecurity concerns to the board—and advocates treating cyber not as a one-off IT project, but as a core competency and integrity program embedded in company culture. With real-world anecdotes and candid reflections, Trent offers a roadmap for how industrial companies can protect themselves in an age of rising digital threats.