Deep Passion for People and Technology
Championing a Safer Digital World through Innovative Cyber Resiliency Strategies. As a seasoned Senior Leader and former Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Swift, I bring a wealth of experience in steering organizations and individuals, from emerging startups to established enterprises, towards robust cyber capabilities. My expertise lies in demystifying complex security concepts with a pragmatic, straightforward approach, enabling leaders to implement effective solutions that truly make a difference.
Driven by a deep passion for the convergence of technology and its human impact, I am actively seeking opportunities for strategic advisory, interim management, mentoring, speaking engagements, and board positions in this evolving field. I am a firm believer in the philosophy of embracing life fully and seizing every moment. This ethos, coupled with a ‘people-first’ mindset, infuses my work with enthusiasm and purpose.
I welcome the chance to connect and collaborate, aiming to foster a more secure, joyful, and technologically advanced society.
My services
Strategic Advise
Harnessing decades of high-level leadership experience—including as former CSO and senior security executive—I offer tailored strategic counsel to help you confidently navigate the evolving cyber threat landscape. Whether you’re scaling a startup or steering a global enterprise, I work closely with your leadership team to align cyber resiliency with your broader business objectives, translating complex security imperatives into actionable direction.
Tactical Improvements
Sometimes, it’s the focused, hands-on enhancements that deliver rapid and impactful results. I collaborate directly with your teams to identify vulnerabilities, streamline incident response workflows, refine security operations, and bolster threat intelligence capabilities. My approach is pragmatic and results-oriented, helping organizations strengthen their cyber posture with clarity and effectiveness.
Speaker / Educator
Cybersecurity isn’t just about systems—it’s about people. As an experienced speaker and mentor, I bring insights on cyber risk, resilience, leadership, and security culture to life for boards, executives, technical teams, and broader audiences. Whether through speaking engagements, workshops, or one-on-one mentoring, I deliver engaging and insightful sessions that inform, empower, and inspire.
About Me
At Swift I ensured the integrity and availability of Swift’s systems and services, and ran a part of the Customer Security Program, which advances cybersecurity standards and information sharing among Swift’s 11,000+ users worldwide. I helped to establish Swift as a leading promoter of cybersecurity in the financial sector and in more than two decades with the company held a number of crucial roles.
I also led Swift’s Command Centre, which coordinated the organization’s response to a significant crisis, incidents and issues, while as Head of Security Operations I established the Customer Security Intelligence team, which analyses cyber incidents and develops threat intelligence for the financial community.
Prior to joining Swift in 1994, I was a business analyst at ING Bank Belgium.
What people are saying
“Especially today, you want someone like Karel De Kneef on your team, who understands what digital transformation means in our industry.”
Articles / podcasts / panels:
- https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/33042/swift-operations-forum-europe-2018-amsterdam—day-2-report
- https://www.thebanker.com/Cyber-a-weapon-of-choice-for-nation-states-1517475616
- https://engage.isaca.org/belgiumchapter/events/eventdescription?CalendarEventKey=182b9e1a-c345-4bc6-bc60-74875596a9c5&CommunityKey=c017fae9-cee4-404f-a1f1-cd4ad89cb31a&Home=%2Fbelgiumchapter%2Fhome
- https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/07/16/carnegie-launches-cyber-resilience-and-financial-organizations-capacity-building-tool-box-pub-79511
- https://www.finextra.com/the-long-read/29/cybersecurity-the-never-ending-challenge
- https://www.centralbanking.com/central-banks/financial-stability/3326761/swift-warns-of-greater-cyber-threats-as-security-control-deadline-nears
- https://www.beyondtrust.com/blog/entry/swift-compliance-deadline-nears-new-attacks-raise-stakes
- https://kpmg.com/cy/en/home/insights/2021/08/broaden-your-horizons.html
