When NAB Innovation Centre Vietnam first began assembling its security function three years ago, the team could fit into less than half a meeting room. But in just the last 18 months, that picture has changed dramatically. From 45 people, the security team in Vietnam has tripled in size to over 130 professionals. It is now one of the bank’s fastest-growing global capability groups.
At the center of that momentum is Sandro Bucchianeri, Group Chief Security Officer of NAB - a leader shaped not by technology first, but by a lifelong instinct to protect people.
For Sandro, security has never been an abstract concept. It started with a childhood moment of fear: watching his uncle get robbed when he was only five years old. That experience would spark a belief that has guided him through decades of leadership across South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United States, United Kingdom, and Australia: security exists to protect livelihoods, dignity, and trust.
During his visit to NAB Vietnam, Sandro sat down with the Vietnam Innovators team to share why Vietnam has become a cornerstone of NAB’s global security strategy, and why the next generation of world-class security talent might come from here.
From Empathy To Purpose: A Leader Built On Protecting People
Most technology leaders enter the field through engineering. Sandro entered through empathy.
“It made me wish I could protect not just him, but everyone,” he recalls of the childhood moment when he watched his uncle get robbed at age five. That early fear became the foundation of a lifelong philosophy: security isn’t about systems, it’s about people.
For Sandro, this purpose has guided decades of leadership across South Africa, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and Australia. And it continues to shape his role today, one he sees not as threat prevention alone, but as:
- Building trust at scale
- Enabling frictionless safety for millions of customers
- Protecting grandmothers from scams just as much as safeguarding global infrastructure
This human-centered lens elevates Sandro’s leadership beyond technical expertise, it becomes a philosophy of care. And that philosophy is exactly what he brings to NAB Vietnam.
The Invisible Force Field
For many, the concept of "security" conjures images of strict gatekeepers and endless red tape. Sandro challenges this outdated view. He describes his team’s role as the "invisible force field" of the bank: essential, protective, but frictionless for the customer.
"When you cross the street, you look both ways... because you're doing those things instinctively, that shouldn't change when you go online," Sandro explains.
The goal is to weave security into the fabric of the organization so seamlessly that customers remain unaware of the complex controls protecting their livelihoods. Whether it is preventing scams or securing digital transactions, the objective remains the same as it was for the five-year-old Sandro: building and maintaining trust.
"Security is not about saying no," he emphasizes. "It's about being an enabler to the business... so we can better protect our customers".
Sandro also connects this philosophy directly to NAB’s overarching ambition: becoming the most customer-centric company in Australia and New Zealand. For him, Group Security succeeds when customers feel protected without ever noticing the systems behind it. “Whatever we do, even if unseen, is as important as a frontline staff member,” he notes — a reminder that trust is built quietly, consistently, and often invisibly.
In a world where digital threats evolve daily, this shift from “blocking” to “enabling” is becoming the new benchmark for modern cybersecurity teams. Organizations no longer win by building walls, they win by building trust.
NAB Vietnam’s Winning Formula: Hunger For Learning
Three years ago, NAB’s security team in Vietnam barely existed. Eighteen months ago, it was just 45 people. Today, it’s nearly triple that size.
Why has NAB chosen Vietnam as a critical hub for its global security operations? For Sandro, the answer lies in the unique DNA of the local talent. He cites the "sheer brilliance" of the team, defined by their curiosity, tenacity, and an insatiable hunger for learning.
- Curiosity: asking “why” and “how” instead of accepting legacy ways of working.
- Tenacity: pushing through challenges, continuously improving.
- Hunger for learning: the determination to master any skill, even one as complex as cybersecurity.
"I would love to just bottle up the energy and take it back with me because it's just fantastic," Sandro admits.
This cultural alignment is a strategic advantage. While the cybersecurity market in Vietnam is relatively young, roughly 12 to 15 years old compared to more mature markets—Sandro views this youth as a strength rather than a deficit. The team’s eagerness to challenge the status quo has even led to innovations in legacy systems like mainframes, where fresh eyes have improved decades-old processes.
Beyond Vietnam’s individual strengths, Sandro highlights another advantage rarely discussed: cultural diversity across NAB’s global security organization. With teams spanning Australia, India, and Vietnam, differences in perspectives, working rhythms, and problem-solving styles have become a “superpower.” Time-zone spreads extend productivity windows, while diverse cultural thinking helps unlock solutions that decades-seasoned engineers sometimes overlook. “There’s no point bringing in experience if it always solves the problem the same way,” he notes. Diversity is what moves innovation forward.
Investing In The Next Generation
With senior talent being scarce in a developing market, NAB has taken a proactive approach to recruitment. Through initiatives like the "StarCamp" program, the bank identifies young, high-potential individuals and provides them with the pathway to become world-class security professionals.
Sandro believes that skills can be taught, but attitude is innate. "If they don't know something, I can pretty much guarantee ‘in three months time’ they'll know almost everything about it," he says, highlighting the adaptability of Vietnamese engineers.
This focus on continuous learning is crucial in an era where technology evolves at breakneck speed. From Generative AI to the future of "physical AI" and robotics, the landscape is shifting rapidly. Sandro’s advice to the younger generation is simple yet powerful: "Always be learning... and take a risk. If you don't fail, you don't learn and you don't grow".
He also leads by example. Sandro shares that he is actively learning Generative AI, even calling himself a “prompt engineer”, and practicing disciplined focus time to stay creative in a chaotic world. His daily transcendental meditation and morning conversations with his 12-year-old son remind him that leadership starts with clarity, humility, and curiosity. For the next generation entering security, he believes the mindset matters just as much as the skillset.
Advice For The Future "Guardians"
Looking ahead, Sandro envisions the Vietnam team growing continuously, acting as a future-proof engine for the wider security organization. But beyond the numbers, his message to the tech community is one of pragmatic optimism.
He encourages aspiring security professionals to move away from the persona of the "policeman" and embrace the role of the problem solver. "It's about how can I help, how can I provide a pragmatic solution to your problem," he advises.
He also emphasizes that cybersecurity is a far broader field than most imagine. It isn’t just penetration testing, it spans governance, identity, risk, threat intelligence, AI safety, fraud prevention, and more. “You can be anything in cyber,” he says, reminding young engineers that the industry welcomes diverse backgrounds and strengths.
Ultimately, Sandro’s journey from a protective five-year-old to a global executive underscores a timeless truth: technology may change, but the need to protect people’s livelihoods remains constant. By combining global expertise with the vibrant energy of Vietnam, NAB is building a foundation of trust that is ready for whatever the future holds.