.png)
At the Coalface
At the Coalface is a series of conversations hosted by Philippe Rose.
Philippe's guests share stories about their life beyond the headlines of international affairs. They look for lessons learned about making an impact in the world as practitioners in diplomacy, international organisations, NGOs, journalism and the private sector.
Many of Philippe's guests are connected by their common experience of taking time away from work to attend graduate school at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University.
At the Coalface
Siobhán MacDermott - Risk, Identity, and a Life Between Worlds
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode, I speak with Siobhán MacDermott, a cybersecurity and public policy expert whose career spans Silicon Valley, global finance, and advisory.
Siobhán reflects on an itinerant childhood and how constantly being the “new kid” shaped her relationship with risk, identity, and belonging. What began as an ambition to become an ER doctor took unexpected turns, from scouting mobile tower locations to eventually working at the intersection of cyber risk, geopolitics, and financial stability.
We talk about how she found her voice in high-stakes, often male-dominated environments, and the role risk-taking has played throughout her life.
Siobhán also reflects on her current focus protecting children from the risks of social media, connecting her work today to her own experiences of vulnerability, parenting, and growth.
TeenAegis is accessible at: https://teenaegis.com/portal/platform-danger.
Siobhán mentions The Anxious Generation: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com.
Recorded on 20 March 2026.
Connect with Siobhán on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/siobhanmacdermott/.
Instagram: @at.the.coalface
And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.
Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!
