Cybersecurity is a key component when building and maintaining a successful consumer app. Glovo is a leading platform connecting users with businesses, and couriers, offering multicategory on-demand services from local restaurants, grocers and supermarkets. And high street retail stores. Glovo’s vision is to build the largest online marketplace to give everyone access to anything in their city within minutes. Founded in 2015 in Barcelona, Glovo operates across 23 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. Glovo became part of Germany’s Delivery Hero group in 2022. As a digital platform that needs to keep up with increasing competition, technology is at the forefront of its business strategies. Enter: Rafael Di Bari, Glovo’s Head of Security, who sits at the helm of an ongoing, business-wide IT/Security transformation.
Cybersecurity supporting the business
As Head of Security, Di Bari leads and manages a range of specialised security teams. These include Security GRC, Corporate Security, Product and Application Security, Cloud Security and Cyber Defence. As a result, all aspects of IT security are viewed and dealt with comprehensively. This is vital for Di Bari, as it’s his responsibility as the head of security to develop and implement Glovo’s security mission. That mission, vision, and strategic plan all align with Glovo’s wider business objectives. The aim is to ensure that security isn’t simply a technical function, but a business enabler.
“I also provide timely and accurate cybersecurity assessments to Glovo’s leadership, effectively serving as the local CISO within the broader Delivery Hero Group,” Di Bari explains. “My role requires clear communication with leadership to ensure that risk-based decisions are informed and actionable. Beyond that, I also focus on driving initiatives that enhance our security posture and resilience.”
Building on Success
With the support of Di Bari’s leadership, his team ended up in the top three finalists of the CIO 100 Spain Awards in the Security Project category last year. This was a major boost for Glovo and its own ongoing cybersecurity project. Glovo has recently been undertaking development of an information security programme. The business is, by nature, fast-paced and innovative. This means it’s always evolving, and there’s no clear beginning, middle, or end when it comes to transforming. What makes Glovo unique, Di Bari believes, is the way that it has embraced constant change.
“As a security team, we’ve learned to adapt quickly and stay flexible,” he explains. “That’s become a strength in such a dynamic environment. It’s led us to shape our security programme around a risk management approach. I’m proud to say we’ve made significant progress in this area, particularly in how we quantify risk. This advancement has been critical in allowing us to communicate more effectively with stakeholders and provide clear, data-driven insights.”
The Transformation Challenge
In a business that’s evolving all the time, Glovo is under constant pressure to transform. And as it does so, good change management is necessary. This requires adaptability. Something Di Bari and his team pride themselves on. In embracing the chaos of change, Glovo has defined a process of figuring out exactly what it needs and what will truly add value to the business before it searches for the tools or services that cater to those needs.
The aim is never to simply chase after the next shiny new thing or implement new technology for the sake of new technology. Instead, Glovo strives to focus on how it can genuinely improve its Cybersecurity posture and integrate seamlessly into its existing ecosystem.
