From Advisory to Ownership - Writing my next chapter in Zip's Security team

Get to know ANZ Security Governance Risk and Compliance Manager Fiona Liu and hear about her career transition from consulting to an in-house Cyber Security role with Zip.

Starting out and seeking more ownership

I started my career in Manchester, UK working in IT and Cyber Internal Audit and Advisory within professional services. For a few years, I worked across different clients, identifying gaps, assessing controls, and making recommendations. It was fast paced and a great way to build a strong technical foundation.

Over time though, I realised I wanted more ownership. Internal audits allowed us to propose improvements, but I rarely got to see the outcomes or long term change. I wanted more variety in my day to day work and the chance to shape decisions rather than hand them off.

After moving into an in-house cyber role, and later relocating to Sydney and joining a Big 4 consultancy, it became clear that my next role needed to give me more control over the work I was doing and the direction I was heading in.

Why Zip felt like the right move

Zip stood out to me because of its Values and the people. The Stronger Together Value is genuinely reflected in how teams work together every day. There’s a high level of trust, open communication, and a shared focus on doing the right thing.

The quarterly wellbeing leave was also a big draw. Seeing a business visibly prioritise balance and put people first mattered to me, and it reinforced that Zip lives its Values, not just talks about them.

Consulting Vs in house, what really changes

For me, the biggest difference between consulting and working in house at Zip is the level of ownership you get, because you’re accountable for outcomes, not just recommendations. You get to see the long term changes and the day to day improvements, and success relies on building strong relationships across the business.

Working in house has changed how I approach security and risk. It’s less about documenting issues and more about making practical decisions. Early engagement with Engineering and Product teams is critical, as is balancing customer impact, delivery speed, and regulatory expectations.

What surprised me most after joining Zip was the level of trust and empowerment I get. There’s an expectation that you take ownership of your role, your growth, and your impact. The culture is supportive, empathetic, and encourages different perspectives.

Making an impact through meaningful work

One of the pieces of work that I’ve felt most proud to lead at Zip was achieving ISO 27001 Certification for ANZ. Zip had been working towards this for some time, and being able to come in, own the implementation, and successfully achieve certification was incredibly satisfying.

Being embedded with Product, Tech, and Risk teams has shown me how important open communication is. By working together early and being transparent about potential risks, we’re able to enable teams while staying secure and compliant.

Growing through trust and autonomy

Since joining Zip, my skills have grown quickly, particularly in building relationships and communicating risk. Zip’s flat structure means you have access to leaders from day one, and your perspective is genuinely valued.

I’ve been encouraged to take initiative, lead projects, and improve ways of working. Having the autonomy to engage directly with senior stakeholders has built my confidence in making and owning risk decisions, rather than simply escalating them.

What I wish I’d known before going in house

For anyone thinking about moving in house, my advice is to shift your mindset. It’s about building long term relationships, gaining deeper context, and enabling outcomes.

At Zip, I’ve learned how to balance security, risk, and commercial outcomes by engaging early, understanding delivery timelines, and framing cyber risk in terms of impact and options. That approach allows the business to move forward while staying secure and compliant.

Owning the work, seeing the impact, and being trusted to make decisions is what makes working at Zip so rewarding and I’m excited to see what my next chapter brings!