AI & Cybersecurity Specialist. Real-World Experience. Real Results.
John Mackenzie is an Australian AI and cybersecurity specialist, technology developer, and independent researcher. With 85 qualifications and certifications spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, governance, risk, and business strategy, John brings a rare combination of technical depth and real-world execution to every engagement.
Over the past eight years, John has provided advisory and assessment services to 14 different billion-dollar organisations, evaluating more than USD $350 billion in assets. His work spans financial institutions, critical infrastructure, and government-adjacent entities — bringing enterprise-grade thinking to complex, high-stakes environments.
1.Ventures & Experience
A track record across enterprise advisory, founded ventures, government, speaking, and endurance sport.
Enterprise Advisory
Confidential digital transformation, privacy uplift, and cybersecurity improvement programs across billion-dollar organisations, with high-level clearances for various functions.
Scaled a Digital Agency
Built a digital agency from the ground up to 65+ staff in 18 months — operating across design, development, content, video, and digital growth.
Hotel Owner & Operator
Previously owned and operated an 84-room Quest Serviced Apartments hotel — grounding advisory work in the realities of running organisations at scale.
Federal Government Advisor
Appointed as a Business Advisor under the Australian Federal Government's Entrepreneurs' Programme (2015–2017), advising high-growth businesses on strategy, commercialisation, and capability uplift.
Cybersecurity Speaker
Spoke most recently at the Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum 2026 on Understanding Cyber DNA and the Omega Point — covering governance failure, defensibility, and organisational cyber risk.
Endurance Athlete
22+ marathon and ultra-marathon wins, 7× Country Victorian Marathon Champion, and 2× Country Victorian Cycling Champion — discipline and long-horizon thinking that underpin every engagement.
2.Where John Works
Domain expertise that powers CyberTown's role-based decision practice and evidence layer.
Artificial Intelligence
Machine learning fundamentals to enterprise AI deployment and governance.
Cybersecurity
Threat intelligence, risk frameworks, and security strategy for complex environments.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
GRC frameworks, regulatory alignment, and institutional risk at scale.
Digital Strategy
Technology adoption roadmaps and digital transformation for forward-looking organisations.
Business Growth
Scaling ventures, market entry, and enterprise development from lived experience.
Independent Research
Original research and frameworks published in books and applied in advisory work.
3.Credentials at a Glance
Real-world enterprise exposure, authorship, accreditation, and lived operational experience.
4.Published Works
Original research and practical frameworks on cybersecurity, governance, and organisational risk for leaders and decision-makers.
Black Snow: Boardrooms Playing Billion Dollar Chinese Whispers
The leader's playbook for resilience and cyber defensibility — how governance failures cascade and what it takes to build institutions that survive real-world shocks.
Hacked: Why You? Postcode Targeting
Cybercriminals don't pick victims at random. The mechanics of postcode targeting and the practical steps to protect yourself and your organisation.
Black Snow: Banking & Finance — Credit Stress and Liquidity Crisis
Volume two of the Governance Failure Series — structural vulnerabilities inside banking and the fault lines between credit stress, liquidity, and governance.
5.Coming Soon
The next volumes in the Governance Failure Series.
Black Snow for CISOs — Structural Drift, Risk Appetite & Accountability
A frank examination of the governance and leadership dynamics that make the CISO role one of the most consequential — and most exposed — in modern organisations.
Hacked: Why You? — Path of Least Resistance
Attackers are deliberate, patient, methodical — and they follow the path of least resistance. How behavioural and structural vulnerabilities get exploited.
6.Boardroom Cyber Intelligence — Podcast
A weekly podcast for directors and executives who need to understand cyber risk at a boardroom level. JMac cuts through the jargon to deliver actionable intelligence, real-world case studies, and strategic insights on cybersecurity, AI threats, and digital resilience.
Bring this experience into your organisation.
See how CyberTown turns enterprise-grade cyber-risk thinking into role-based decision practice and evidence-ready reporting.