John McCarthy
Dr John McCarthy is a Chartered Cyber Security Professional, founder of Oxford Systems, and an internationally recognised author and advisor working across cyber security, leadership communication, and strategic interpretation.
About
Dr John McCarthyThe translator role exists because cyber decisions rarely fail on information alone.
They fail when strategic meaning is blurred, when the audience hears risk without consequence, or when ownership stays implied rather than explicit.
Founder since 2003
Chartered Cyber Security Professional
PhD (Brunel)
Freeman of the City of London
Why the translator role matters now
Boards, executives, and transformation leaders are expected to govern cyber with confidence, but often receive material that is either too technical, too diluted, or too fragmented to guide action.
Sector Experience
Sector context shapes how cyber must be translated.
Aviation
Experience shaped by airport cyber resilience, transport ecosystems, and operationally sensitive environments.
Critical Infrastructure
Experience where cyber decisions affect essential services, public confidence, and governance scrutiny.
Advisory and committees
Active contribution to cyber and aviation committees, review programmes, and good-practice discussions.
Working Philosophy
Keep the technical truth intact. Change the framing so leadership can govern it.The objective is not simplification for its own sake. It is precision, sequencing, and executive usefulness.
- Preserve nuance instead of flattening it into generic risk language.
- Convert cyber meaning into choices rather than passive updates.
- Make ownership visible across executives, sponsors, and boards.
- Prefer clear, durable language that teams can reuse after the workshop or briefing ends.
Next Step