Meet Isaac Kennington, a Cybersecurity Intern at Mizuho EMEA. With a passion for artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and innovation, Isaac is one of the talented students taking part in Mizuho’s 10-week internship programme this summer.
“I’ve always been curious about how technology works,” recalls Isaac, who first started to code in Scratch at the age of 10. That early fascination developed into a passion for AI, which he explored with an EPQ dissertation on the use of AI in primary care while studying in sixth form.
He now presents his research on AI internationally, with his journey shaped by a longstanding curiosity about how AI works, interacts with people, and affects businesses.
Building a foundation in technology and innovation
Isaac pursued his interests at Durham University, where he studies Computer Science and recently achieved first-class results in his penultimate year.
He also works as a police-led Ethical Hacker with the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group’s Cyber PATH programme. Designed for talented university students, it helps him gain practical cybersecurity experience by delivering technical vulnerability assessments, policy reviews, and staff training for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) nationwide.
Alongside his studies, Isaac has founded and managed several ventures, from drone videography to tutoring. He is now growing a funding-backed, competition-winning company in education technology and AI training for non-technical business teams.
“Running businesses alongside my studies has taught me to look for gaps, understand what people actually need and communicate with clients from a range of backgrounds,” Isaac points out. “It has also shown me that a strong technical solution is only valuable when people can understand it and use it effectively.”
Why an internship with Mizuho ?
Having developed an early interest in finance through data and emerging technology, Isaac was keen to explore how these themes connect within a global corporate and investment banking environment.
After learning that Mizuho has the ambition to become a top 10 global investment bank, Isaac saw an opportunity to gain experience at a firm with strong growth ambitions and global reach.
“I was attracted to the scale and growth aspirations of Mizuho’s Corporate and Investment Banking business, but also to the smaller team sizes and the great culture,” he shares.
“The level of resilience required at Mizuho is at the cutting edge and very different to supporting SMEs in my Cyber PATH programme. It has given me a much wider picture of the cybersecurity industry, and I’m excited to have the chance to focus on the defence against the threat of frontier AI at Mizuho.”
Isaac’s enthusiasm in different cultures, recently having volunteered in rural Fiji, also shaped what he was looking for. He was particularly keen to see how a Japanese-rooted bank serves clients internationally.
“The internship programme’s insight sessions have given me exposure to teams across the bank, including departments dedicated to helping Japanese clients access opportunities across EMEA.”
Building skills and connections
“One skill I’ve learnt is how to identify the depth of technical understanding a task requires, then quickly build that knowledge,” Isaac explains. “This gives me a foundation to base my work on and allows me to propose the most effective solution.”
“I’ve also enjoyed seeing first-hand how regulation shapes the way data and technology are managed,” Isaac says, pointing to one of the key reasons he applied for the internship programme here.
When asked about his favourite part of working at Mizuho, Isaac points to the people.
“My favourite part of working at Mizuho is how kind, supportive, and willing to help everyone is. There is also real diversity in the team members I work with – everyone has incredibly varied backgrounds and perspectives.”
The collaborative culture has enabled Isaac to work with colleagues across the organisation, giving him valuable insight into how cybersecurity supports a global financial institution.
“Cybersecurity is not isolated from the rest of an organisation,” he explains. “You need to understand the technology, but you also need to understand the people using it. It’s been great to be able to sharpen my ability to explain technical concepts to a wider audience.”
Lessons from the internship
Looking ahead, Isaac hopes to build on what he has learnt at Mizuho as he continues his studies and research, while developing a career in investigative AI and cybersecurity.
“I’ve developed a stronger appreciation on how AI can be adopted securely, and in the governance, risk and compliance work that enables organisations to innovate responsibly. At the same time, my time at Mizuho have reinforced my appreciation of how technology supports the wider business, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy,” Isaac reflects.
For Isaac, the value of the internship extends beyond technical experience.
“Mizuho has shown me how many different directions a career combining innovation, cybersecurity and business could take. I’m leaving the programme with stronger professional skills, a broader perspective, and a much clearer sense of the kind of impact I want to make.”
Interested in joining Mizuho? Our internship programme is designed to help ambitious students gain practical experience, broaden their perspective and build a strong foundation for their future careers. Explore our early careers opportunities and discover what a career at Mizuho could look like.
