Five enablers to achieve ISO 27001 Certification: A CTO’s perspective

In today’s financial services landscape, trust is everything. When we began our ISO 27001 journey, it wasn’t about ticking compliance boxes, it was about building a security-first culture that allows Opera to scale with confidence.

For me, certification wasn’t the finish line; it was the foundation for long-term transformation. Here are the five factors that made it possible and why this milestone means more than the certificate itself.

1. Leadership buy-in: making cybersecurity a boardroom priority

Every transformation starts with alignment. From day one, it was clear that ISO 27001 wasn’t a technology initiative, it was a necessity. Client trust and regulatory confidence sit at the heart of our growth and achieving certification was a way to strengthen both.

To win leadership support, I focused on outcomes, not acronyms or technical jargon. I translated technical requirements into strategic advantages: risk reduction, competitive positioning and business growth. By making ISO 27001 part of our group’s long-term ambition and giving the leadership team visible ownership we elevated information security from an IT project to a business priority.

2. Building the business case: investment, not cost

Securing resources came next. ISO 27001 requires more than software, it demands investment in people, training and independent assurance.

Our business case focused on three core returns:

• Risk mitigation: A single breach could cost far more than certification. Prevention was the smart spend.

• Client confidence: Institutional clients increasingly demand ISO 27001. Certification opened doors.

• Operational efficiency: The process streamlined how we document, manage risk and deliver consistent standards.

By framing the initiative as strategic investment, not compliance overhead, the budget decision became simple.

3. Building the right team

With leadership and funding secured, the focus shifted to execution. Success depended on assembling a capable, cross-functional team, with a blend of cyber specialists, compliance professionals, operations leaders and external experts.

We used a RACI model (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) to define responsibilities and ensure transparency. But the real differentiator was culture. Collaboration and trust were non-negotiable. Everyone understood that certification wasn’t a box-ticking exercise, it was a collective achievement.

That sense of shared purpose sustained momentum, even when the path wasn’t easy.

4. Embedding security and sustaining momentum

Certification marked the start, not the end. To keep security at the heart of how we operate, we embedded ISO 27001 into our governance framework. From quarterly security reviews to integration planning and continuous training.

The result? Information security isn’t a side function; it’s part of how we think, plan and grow.

5. Lessons for business leaders

Looking back, a few lessons stand out for anyone driving large-scale transformation:

Translate the technical into the tangible. Senior teams support what they understand.

Build cross-functional ownership from the start, not halfway through. Bring in other departments from day one.

Celebrate progress throughout. Momentum matters.

And finally, look beyond certification. The real win is the culture of security you create.

Looking ahead

Achieving ISO 27001 certification was a proud milestone for Opera and a foundational one for Oak. At the time of applying for certification, Amber Trust (now Oak Bahamas) and Oak were the only businesses in the portfolio and are benefiting from operating on a solid foundation for future growth and innovation. Since, we’ve welcomed Accuro (pending regulatory approval) and HFL so we will be extending certification across these businesses following successful certification.

The certification demonstrates our commitment to delivering secure, resilient and trusted services across the group. It sets the benchmark for the entire Opera portfolio.

When you align people, process and purpose, certification stops being a compliance exercise and becomes a catalyst for lasting success.