Our people
19 December 2025
Emma Kirby, Associate Director in Macquarie’s Cybersecurity team, brings a unique blend of organisational psychology, people-focused leadership, and industry innovation to her role. Recognised in 2024 as Australia’s Most Innovative Educator in Cybersecurity at the Australian Women in Security Awards, Emma’s journey to the forefront of cyber strategy and culture is defined by her commitment to continuous learning, collaboration, and elevating others.
Emma Kirby’s journey into cybersecurity began with a foundation in learning and development and organisational psychology, before a pivotal career move introduced her to the world of cyber. Now an Associate Director at Macquarie, Emma draws on her diverse background to lead cyber awareness, strategy, and culture initiatives, helping teams across Macquarie stay secure in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Emma’s background in organisational psychology and HR is not just relevant - it’s essential to her approach. “Cybersecurity isn’t just a problem for technology teams. It’s an organisation’s shared responsibility, that requires managing holistically across people, process, and technology.”
Her role is as much about education and behaviour change as it is about technical expertise. “My job is to engage people, change behaviours, and provide them with the tools to be cyber safe.”
Emma joined Macquarie nearly five years ago as a Senior Manager responsible for cyber awareness, outreach, and culture – an area she has since grown into a team of seven.
“We’ve continued to evolve over the past five years,” she shares, noting Macquarie now holds the highest industry benchmark for cyber awareness as a critical control.
As her team has expanded and cyber awareness has matured, Emma credits this progress to Macquarie’s unique culture, which she describes as highly collaborative and opportunity-driven.
“People here have a strong achievement drive and are always looking for innovative solutions to challenging problems,” Emma explains. “But what’s different is the collaborative way we do it - less focus on individual wins and more on collective and organisational success.”
Emma’s current role as Associate Director sees her leading both Macquarie’s groupwide cyber strategy and the cyber culture function - in an industry defined by rapid transformation and where the threat landscape is constantly shifting, fueled by emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and quantum computing.
“It’s always a chess game between us and threat actors,” Emma says. “The tactics are more advanced and sophisticated than ever. Gone are the days of obvious scams - in today’s world, they are often much harder to spot.”
However, Emma is quick to point out how the same technology can be used for good. “The same tools that can be used for attacks can also help us defend. By leaning into technology for good, we gain better visibility and can respond faster to threats.”
She emphasises the importance of being proactive, continuously benchmarking, learning from external threats, and regularly reviewing systems through penetration testing and red team exercises. “It’s not a set-and-forget environment. We must evolve constantly.”
Emma is passionate about demystifying cyber security and highlighting its breadth. “There are so many roles in cyber: pen testing, incident response, threat intelligence, security architecture, governance, risk and compliance, business engagement, engineering, AI-focused roles and more. It’s not just technical; it spans people, process, and technology.”
She encourages those considering a career in cyber to look beyond stereotypes. “A computer science degree is one pathway, but it’s not the only way in – people join from backgrounds in risk, psychology, law, policing, the military and more. The skill sets needed are equally varied.”
For Emma, this diversity of backgrounds is not just welcome, but essential.
We need diverse skill sets and perspectives. Understanding how people interact with technology is critical.”
Emma’s advocacy for an inclusive workplace goes beyond policy – it’s about impact.
“Diverse perspectives are essential for servicing a wide range of people and for better business outcomes. Higher-performing teams come from diversity.”
Emma values the energy and commitment of Macquarie’s people-led Employee Network Groups (ENGs) that champion diversity and inclusion across the organisation.
She’s also seen how this passion for an inclusive and welcoming workplace translates into meaningful action.
Emma celebrating Wear it Purple Day in the Brisbane office.
“As someone in a same-sex relationship, joining the Pride ENG (LGBTQ+ & Allies), which is open to everyone, provided a firsthand look at the meaningful work Macquarie does to drive inclusive policies, such as non-gendered and flexible parental leave, gender affirmation leave, and more.”
“I’m proud that Macquarie was named a Platinum Tier Employer at the Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards in 2025, and that our Pride ENG won Employer Network of the Year in both 2024 and 2025.”
Emma’s commitment to inclusion is matched by her passion for making a difference - both within Macquarie and in the wider community. For Emma, the real-world impact of her work extends far beyond policies and procedures.
“What I like most about the role is that I get to genuinely help people - not just at work but also in their personal lives,” she shares.
A highlight has been Macquarie’s Cyber Safe Week, an all-staff event that has grown from 800 to 9,000 attendees in just five years. With sessions covering everything from protecting children online to risks for seniors, the initiative reflects Macquarie’s broader purpose: investing and innovating for a better future.
Emma with her team at the annual Cyber Safety Week event.
As Emma looks ahead, she remains energised by the opportunity to empower others, foster inclusion, and help shape the future of cybersecurity.
Every day brings new challenges, but also new chances to learn, collaborate, and make a meaningful difference – that’s what excites me about working at Macquarie.”
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