The Journey of a Digital Leader — The Somerford Podcast

In this episode, we welcomed Phil Lea, Vice President & Head of Privacy and Cyber Security at Landmark Group, UAE, to the podcast for an in-depth discussion on modernising retail security at scale. Phil brings over two decades of experience in cybersecurity and privacy, and shared his philosophy as a “cybersecurity socialist”, viewing security and privacy as enablers rather than obstacles for business.

The conversation explored Landmark Group’s recent transformation, including the move to a unified SSE platform with Netskope, implementing Zero Trust principles across a dynamic workforce, and protecting sensitive data at cloud speed. Phil also reflected on the challenges of maintaining consistent security and compliance standards across multiple regions, and shared how AI and automation are turning raw telemetry into actionable intelligence for his team.

Looking to the future, Phil outlined his vision for achieving excellence in retail security over the next 3–5 years, emphasizing risk-based controls, automation, and a leadership mindset focused on business enablement. The episode concludes with a personal reflection from Phil, offering advice he would give his 21-year-old self—highlighting a career built on innovation, resilience, and the drive to align security with business success.