Stu Hirst

Stu Hirst is a leading cybersecurity and AI speaker, best known as the Chief Information Security Officer at Trustpilot, where he oversees global security strategy, digital trust and cyber resilience for one of the world’s most recognised consumer review platforms. With more than two decades of experience across financial services, ecommerce, travel and large-scale technology businesses, Stu has built a reputation for helping organisations navigate the rapidly evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and customer trust. Drawing on hands-on leadership experience, he explores topics such as responsible AI adoption, AI driven cyber threats, digital trust, cloud resilience and the future of secure innovation. Stu is a popular choice for leadership summits, technology conferences, cyber security forums and innovation events. Whether speaking to senior executives, technical specialists or wider business audiences, he delivers clear, forward-thinking perspectives on how AI is reshaping customer experience, operational security and the future of digital business.

His career progressed through a series of influential security leadership roles at globally recognised technology brands. At Skyscanner, Stu worked as Information Technology Security Manager, helping to strengthen security operations during a period of rapid digital growth. He later joined Capital One as Head of Security Systems and Infrastructure Operations, overseeing critical infrastructure security and operational resilience. At Photobox, where he served as Head of Cloud Security, Stu focused on securing cloud transformation initiatives and developing modern security frameworks for large-scale ecommerce operations. He then moved to Just Eat Takeaway, initially as Principal Cloud Security Engineer before becoming Director of InfoSec, leading security strategy and cloud protection. During this period, Stu became an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and co-founded Cyber Scotland Connect, an initiative designed to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing across the cybersecurity sector. His contribution to the industry was further recognised when he was named a finalist for Cyber Evangelist of the Year at the Scottish Cyber Awards in 2026 and 2017.

Today, alongside his role at Trustpilot and his position as a Member of the Board of Advisors, Stu is hired as an AI speaker for his ability to connect technical innovation with commercial reality. He delivers engaging and insightful talks on AI governance, cyber resilience, digital trust and the future of secure technology adoption, drawing on experience gained at some of the world’s leading technology and ecommerce businesses. Audiences value his clear communication style, practical case studies and balanced perspective on both the opportunities and risks created by AI. Whether speaking to executives, technology leaders or wider business audiences, Stu brings credibility, depth and actionable insight that helps organisations better understand how AI can be implemented securely, ethically and effectively in a rapidly changing digital landscape.