AGL finds new CISO at NBN Co

AGL Energy has appointed NBN Co’s former head of IT security operations Maryam Bechtel as its new chief information security officer.

Maryam Bechtel

Bechtel joined the electricity provider and gas supplier last month, making her the third CISO to join the company in less than two years.

She replaces Heng Mok, who left the company in December 2021 and has since resurfaced at security vendor Zscaler, and Samantha MacLeod before that.

Bechtel comes to AGL after three years as NBN Co’s head of IT security operations.

Prior to her stint at NBN Co, Bechtel worked five years at Deloitte, including almost three as senior manager for cyber strategy and operating mode, and cyber culture and awareness.

Bechtel also has previous experience at T-Systems Enterprise Services in Germany and Saab in Sweden.

As AGL CISO, Bechtel will oversee a team of 65-plus staff charged with protecting AGL’s information, people, customers and assets from security threats and cyber attack attempts.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Maryam Bechtel as our new CISO,” an AGL spokesperson told iTnews.

“Maryam has significant experience across both operations and strategy and will be driving our cyber security strategy and its implementation forward, aligned with AGL's priorities and strategic objectives.

“Maryam will help us explore ways that cyber security can facilitate growth and increase operational resilience.”