How Heads of Cyber Can Build Teams That Speak to Business Stakeholders

Most cybersecurity teams excel at identifying vulnerabilities and implementing technical solutions, but they often struggle when presenting their findings to executives and business leaders. The disconnect between technical expertise and business communication creates a significant barrier that can derail security initiatives, limit budget approvals, and undermine the organisation’s security posture.

Building a cybersecurity team that communicates effectively with business stakeholders requires more than hiring skilled technical professionals. You need team members who can translate complex security concepts into business language, demonstrate clear ROI on security investments, and align security initiatives with organisational objectives.

This approach transforms how your security programme operates within the broader business context. When your team speaks the language of business stakeholders, you’ll see faster project approvals, increased security budgets, and stronger organisational support for your initiatives.

Why technical expertise alone fails cybersecurity leaders

Technical proficiency in cybersecurity doesn’t automatically translate to leadership success. Many technically brilliant professionals struggle when they need to explain why their organisation should invest £500,000 in a new security platform or why a particular vulnerability requires immediate attention.

The challenge stems from fundamentally different perspectives. Technical professionals focus on threats, vulnerabilities, and solutions, while business stakeholders prioritise revenue impact, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. Several critical communication failures emerge from this disconnect:

• Budget rejections from unclear value propositions: Presentations about implementing multi-factor authentication that focus on authentication protocols receive less support than those emphasising customer data protection and brand reputation preservation
• Project delays due to misaligned expectations: Security teams that can’t communicate timelines and resource requirements in business terms see their initiatives deprioritised in favour of projects with more obvious benefits
• Organisational resistance to security policies: When teams can’t explain security measures in business language, employees and management often push back against necessary procedures
• Limited stakeholder buy-in: Technical jargon and security-focused metrics fail to resonate with executives who need to understand business impact and competitive implications

These communication barriers create a cycle where cybersecurity becomes viewed as a cost centre rather than a business enabler. When security professionals cannot articulate how their work supports broader organisational objectives, they lose credibility and influence within the business. This fundamental misalignment undermines even the most technically sound security programmes and limits their potential impact.

How to identify team members with business communication skills

Recognising candidates and existing team members who can bridge technical and business worlds requires looking beyond traditional cybersecurity qualifications. The most effective cybersecurity professionals possess both technical competence and the ability to communicate complex concepts in accessible language. Key indicators of strong business communicators include:

• Natural translation abilities: During interviews, ask candidates to explain complex security incidents to non-technical audiences—strong candidates use analogies, avoid jargon, and focus on business consequences rather than technical details
• Business-focused achievement descriptions: Candidates who describe previous work in terms of problems solved, risks mitigated, and organisational value delivered demonstrate understanding that technical excellence requires demonstrable business impact
• Curiosity about business context: Professionals who ask about your business model, industry challenges, and organisational goals during interviews show they understand cybersecurity’s role in supporting broader objectives
• Adaptive communication styles: Observe how existing team members interact with colleagues from finance, marketing, or operations—those who naturally adjust their language demonstrate stakeholder engagement potential
• Diverse professional backgrounds: Consider candidates from consulting, project management, or client-facing roles who possess valuable communication skills that translate well to stakeholder engagement

The most valuable team members combine deep technical knowledge with an intuitive understanding of business priorities. They recognise that cybersecurity success depends not only on implementing robust technical controls but also on building organisational support and securing adequate resources. These professionals become invaluable bridges between technical requirements and business realities, enabling more effective security programmes.

Building communication bridges between cyber and business teams

Effective communication between cybersecurity and business teams requires structured processes and shared understanding. Creating formal communication frameworks ensures consistent, clear information flow that supports decision-making and builds trust between departments. Essential bridge-building strategies include:

• Regular business-focused security briefings: Monthly sessions that emphasise how security activities support business objectives, featuring business-relevant metrics and upcoming initiatives rather than technical implementation details
• Shared vocabulary development: Create glossaries with business-focused definitions—describe “advanced persistent threats” as “sophisticated, long-term attacks targeting specific organisations to steal valuable data or disrupt operations”
• Two-way feedback mechanisms: Implement surveys and feedback sessions that allow business stakeholders to express concerns, priorities, and constraints, helping security teams align with business realities
• Business-friendly reporting formats: Develop executive dashboards highlighting key risk indicators, compliance status, and security ROI using visual representations and clear metrics without technical jargon
• Cross-functional project teams: Include representatives from affected business units in major security initiatives to ensure projects consider operational requirements and business constraints from the outset

These structured communication approaches transform cybersecurity from an isolated technical function into an integrated business capability. When security teams establish regular dialogue with stakeholders, they gain valuable insights into business priorities and constraints while building relationships that support future initiatives. This collaborative foundation enables more strategic security decision-making and improves organisational security outcomes.

Training your cyber team for stakeholder success

Developing business communication skills within your existing cybersecurity team requires a comprehensive approach that addresses presentation abilities, business understanding, and relationship-building techniques. Investing in communication training transforms technically competent professionals into influential security advocates who can drive organisational change. Key training components include:

• Non-technical presentation skills: Train team members to structure presentations around business outcomes, use compelling visuals instead of text-heavy slides, and anticipate common business questions through practice sessions with cross-departmental colleagues
• Business acumen development: Encourage participation in business strategy meetings, industry conferences, and cross-departmental projects to understand organisational business models, competitive landscapes, and strategic priorities
• Compelling storytelling techniques: Teach professionals to frame security metrics meaningfully—instead of reporting “99.9% uptime,” position this as “our security measures ensured continuous operations supporting £2.3 million in quarterly revenue generation”
• Structured mentorship programmes: Pair technical experts with business-savvy colleagues who can review presentations, provide communication feedback, and share stakeholder engagement insights
• Business-focused education opportunities: Support team members in pursuing project management, business analysis, or financial literacy training to understand business operations and decision-making processes

This comprehensive training approach creates cybersecurity professionals who understand both technical requirements and business imperatives. When team members can articulate how security investments support revenue generation, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage, they become powerful advocates for necessary security initiatives. The result is stronger organisational support, better resource allocation, and more effective security programmes that truly enable business success.

The transformation from purely technical cybersecurity teams to business-savvy security organisations requires intentional effort and ongoing commitment. However, the investment pays significant dividends in terms of organisational influence, budget approvals, and security programme effectiveness. When your cybersecurity team can effectively communicate with business stakeholders, security becomes an enabler of business success rather than a perceived barrier to progress.

Building teams that speak to business stakeholders represents a competitive advantage in today’s cybersecurity landscape. We understand the importance of finding professionals who combine technical expertise with strong business communication skills. Our global network spans 23 countries and includes more than 120,000 cybersecurity and eDiscovery professionals, many of whom possess the rare combination of technical competence and business acumen that drives organisational success.

If you are interested in learning more, reach out to our team of experts today.