Coaching for security professionals

Sparring with someone who knows the seat you're sitting in.

From your first step in the field to the boardroom. Security is a profession where you gain serious responsibility fast, and rarely have anyone beside you who truly understands it. That's the gap I fill.

Book a free intake call See if this fits your stage
CISSP CISM CRISC CISA AAISM · AI Security Management
Portrait of Joost Kouters Joost Kouters

About Joost

Not five years ago. Right now.

I'm Joost Kouters, Director of Cybersecurity at a US AI scaleup. I carry the full security and privacy responsibility there: strategy, governance, audits (SOC 2, ISO 27001), customer negotiations, board reporting and AI security architecture.

Not a team of twenty beneath me, but the reality of most security leaders in the Netherlands: fully accountable, small team, high expectations.

I've made the journey myself, from specialist to final accountability, and I know which choices matter at which moment. The pressure, the boardroom dynamics and the dilemmas are current for me, not memory. And as one of the first AAISM-certified professionals worldwide, I help you figure out where you stand in the AI era of our profession.

Who it's for

Every rung of the ladder. Including the ones nobody talks about.

Security professionals get plenty of content support: training, certifications, no shortage of consultants. But role-specific guidance, from someone who understands your context, is rare.

A generic career coach doesn't understand why an audit finding costs you sleep, what it means to be the only person saying “no” in a commercially driven organization, or how you bring a board along without spreading fear. A peer does.

Stage 01 · Starter & Mid-level

Choosing direction

Which specialization, which certifications, how to build visibility and negotiate your worth.

Stage 02 · Senior & Team Lead

The jump to leadership

Going from expert to final accountability is a different profession. Most people make that transition without guidance.

Stage 03 · Manager & (Aspiring) CISO

Staying strategically sharp

Positioning toward the board, governance dilemmas, compensation and title questions, and sustaining yourself in a role where you're structurally on your own.

Stage 04 · Looking Ahead

Getting ahead of the AI transition

AI is changing the security profession faster than any development before it. I help you decide where you'll stand in that field.

Expectations

What this explicitly isn't

not /01

Therapy or a burnout recovery program

not /02

Generic soft-skills training

not /03

Consultancy wearing a coaching label

not /04

A no-strings coffee chat with no outcome

What it is: sharp reflection, concrete strategy, and a sparring partner who knows what he's talking about.

How I work

Direct, no detours

I won't tell you what you want to hear, only what you need to move forward. Every session ends with something concrete: a decision, a plan, a next step.

Intake

Thirty minutes, no obligation. Together we determine whether I'm the right sparring partner for your question and stage.

Tailored track

Standalone sessions or focused tracks built around a moment that matters: a job interview, a salary negotiation, a role change, a first board presentation.

Outcome

No endless talking. Every session produces a decision, an approach, or a next step you can act on immediately.

Outcome

What you get

Get acquainted

Want to know if this is for you?

Book a free 30-minute introductory call. By the end you'll know whether this can help you move forward. If not, I'll tell you that too.

Book an intake