James Fernley

James Fernley is a cybersecurity leader with more than a decade of experience spanning cyber strategy, security operations, risk and managed security services. He currently leads the client facing Cybersecurity practice at Acora, helping organisations translate cyber risk into pragmatic strategies that deliver measurable business value. Before joining Acora, James held senior cybersecurity roles at BDO UK and McLaren, giving him first-hand experience of the challenges CISOs and security leaders face when balancing risk, investment and business priorities. Having worked on both sides of the table, James brings a unique practitioner’s perspective to cybersecurity. He focuses on cutting through industry hype and helping leaders build resilient organisations, accepting that security isn't about preventing every attack, but understanding what matters most and being prepared to respond when incidents happen.