Christina Tueje, one of our esteemed Judges asked Wayne Churchill a few questions about his dedication to the PICCASO community and his accomplishments since receiving his PICCASO award.
The Breakthrough Impact of Collapsing Silos Between Privacy and Cybersecurity
Meet Wayne, CEO for Norm and Bridging the Data Privacy and Security Gap Award winner in 2024 and proud PICCASO Awards alumus. Wayne discusses how breaking down barriers can drive impact.
At a time when threats are escalating, board-level expectations are rising and trust is everything, what set Norm apart wastheir bold decision to unify two historically siloed disciplines: cyber security and data protection. This wasn’t just operational; it was transformational — for their clients, their team, and the broader privacy professional community.
Their integrated approach to managing risk model gave clients clarity on their exposure to information and security risks, providing them with confidence to prevent and respond to cyber threats. Technical and legal requirements were translated into business-ready insight, enabling real action by real people — not just those with technical or legal credentials.
And that human-centric approach changed everything.
In 2024, they were honoured to receive the PICCASO Bridging the Data Privacy and Security Gap Award, recognising their pioneering Focal Analyst (FA) service — a dedicated approach to blending cyber intelligence and privacy fluency to deliver tailored guidance, faster response times, and board-level confidence in both regulatory and risk management metrics.
This is about confident alignment of strategy and execution.
And the true magic? Cross-functional collaboration.
The redefined workflows, co-developed insights, and reshaped services to create seamless coordination between previously siloed functions. The outcome:
- New models consistently delivering strong results
- High customer satisfaction
- Strengthened trust across technology, legal, and other functions
They didn’t just stay ahead. They created a path forward —integrating strategy, people, tech, and regulation with a creative dynamic solution.
In a world where policies and compliance box-ticking exercises are no longer enough, they believe privacy and security must be:
- Proactive
- Purposeful
- Preventive
This isn’t just a story about blending disciplines — it’s about rethinking services, reshaping outcomes, and leading meaningful change.
They’re proud of their journey to have the opportunity to contribute to the privacy professionals’ community which celebrates innovation, raises standards, and equips tomorrow’s leaders.
Here’s to bold thinking, shared purpose, the power of staying curious and the PICCASO Awards as an amazing celebration of excellence.
You won Privacy Author of the Year. What do you think set your work apart?
Wayne: What set NormCyber apart was our ability to bring together two traditionally siloed
disciplines – cyber security and data privacy – to offer clients a truly integrated approach to managing risk.
At a time when threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and board-level expectations are rising, we focus on making the complex clear. This means translating technical and legal jargon into a language that even non-technically trained people can understand, placing them in the best position possible to take mitigating action.
Weare constantly evolving our offering to provide highly specialised, top-tier services, and our unique Focal Analyst (FA) model underpins this mission. Each client is assigned its own dedicated FA, a senior security engineer that combines intelligence from Norm’s internal security and data protection teams to deliver prioritised, actionable guidance tailored to the client’s unique risk profile and operational needs. This drives faster incident response and demonstrable security posture improvements, with many of our customers citing the FA model as critical in securing board-level buy-in for cyber and data protection initiatives.
What has been the most surprising aspect of receiving recognition? And how did you feel?
Wayne: We were honoured to receive PICCASO’s Bridging the Data Privacy and Security Gap Award in 2024 – recognition that reflects the strength of our integrated cyber security and data protection services. Our approach is built around giving clients total clarity on their exposure to information and security risks, confidence in their ability to prevent and respond to cyber threats, and support in maintaining on going regulatory compliance.
What sets our offering apart – and what we believe resonated with the judges – is the seamless combination of two disciplines that are often siloed. Cyber security demands deep technical expertise in systems architecture, threat intelligence, and risk mitigation. On the other side of the coin, data privacy is grounded in regulatory fluency, legal acumen, and a deep understanding of how data moves within complex organisations. Specialising in these two worlds required careful coordination and the right people.
To succeed, we needed a team that could operate confidently across the intersection of technology and law. We needed cyber security specialists who could work hand-in-hand alongside privacy professionals, and both needed to be excellent communicators, capable of translating complex concepts into jargon-free insights that business stakeholders could understand and act upon. Consequently, cross-functional collaboration became our cornerstone. We introduced integrated frameworks, redefined workflows, and created shared touchpoints that encouraged our teams to co-develop insights and deliver cohesive outcomes.
The result is a service model that’s not only compliant and resilient, but also adaptive –keeping pace with emerging threats and regulatory change, fostering long-term trust and resilience.
Has your organisation adopted or scaled any practices from your award-winning work?
Wayne: At Norm, we’ve always taken pride in our integrated approach to data privacy and cyber security –a model that’s consistently delivered strong results and high satisfaction for our customers. But in a landscape defined by rapid regulatory shifts and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, standing still simply isn’t an option.
Building on the foundation ofour cyber security and data privacy offerings, we’ve evolved and expanded our services to stay ahead of emerging risks. This has included the rollout of enhanced threat detection and response capabilities, advanced tools for risk and compliance management, and specialist support to help clients navigate complex regulatory environments across the UK and further afield.
We believe that cyber securityand data privacy strategies must be as dynamic as the threats and frameworks they’re built to address – which is why our teams are constantly learning, iterating, and innovating to help clients build long-term resilience.
By anticipating our customers’ needs and scaling our offering to match the complex needs of enterprise organisations, we continue to deliver clarity, confidence and peace of mind in high-stakes environment.
What advice would you give to others hoping to make a meaningful impact in this space?
Wayne: Making a meaningful impact begins with listening. Paying careful attention to the people whose data and assets you’re protecting doesn’t just foster a relationship of trust, it also ensures their security strategy aligns with their business needs. Privacy and security aren’t just technical challenges – they’re also a human one.
Rather than treating cybersecurity and compliance as a box-ticking exercise, businesses must create a culture of awareness that exists within every level of the organisation and becomes a shared responsibility, rather than just a policy.
Why do you think the PICCASO Awards matter?
Wayne: The PICCASO Awards shine a spotlight on the people and ideas pioneering meaningful
change in the privacy and information security industry.
As threats become more sophisticated and the regulatory environment grows increasingly complex, organisations must continuously evolve to stay resilient and retain trust. PICCASO recognises those who are not just keeping pace with change, but leading it – highlighting novel approaches, disruptive thinking, and programmes that challenge convention and raise industry standards. By championing innovation, challenging convention, and celebrating best-in-class practices, PICCASO brings critical visibility to the projects setting new benchmarks for excellence.
But the Awards are more than a celebration of excellence. PICCASO is helping to build a dynamic, forward-looking community that educates, inspires, and equips the next generation of leaders to navigate a fast-moving and high-stakes landscape.