Can you sum up your journey to now in under five words?
Exciting, evolving, challenging, and fulfilling.

What three qualities do women need to be successful and achieve longevity in Cybersecurity?
Grit, competence, and confidence.

What needs to happen to make the industry truly gender diverse?
A strong commitment from business leaders to making gender diversity a business priority, with clear goals and accountability. To complement leadership commitment, businesses need to define programs and policies that help achieve the diversity goal, such as employee support groups, talent attraction and retention. Businesses must also build an environment that empowers its people with initiatives such as mentorship and flexible working.

How does the culture at Accenture help you to thrive?
Accenture has an unwavering commitment to a culture of equality – and we have set bold goals to accelerate gender equality. Accenture offers flexible work arrangements, including job-shares and part-time work schedules, to meet our people where they are – at all stages of life – and help them thrive. 100% of Accenture’s women are mentored and supported at every stage of their careers. Alongside internal training programs we also partner with third-party organisations to provide free access to online self-development platforms. 

Personally, it's the internal training and mentorship programs which helped me co-create plans for my career advancement and find my unique path to excel in the cybersecurity domain.

Who’s your biggest inspiration? And why?
Inspiration comes in many forms [and] I cannot narrow it down to one single moment or person. In general, it is the attitude of resilience, optimism, positivity, and kindness in honest hardworking people that inspires me in different ways.

What do you love most about your job?
I am grateful that I get to work with organisations to defend them against cyberattacks and build strategies to enhance their security posture – I am passionate about this. I also love the fact that, as part of my job, I get to give back to the community by mentoring young women and providing opportunities for young talent. 

What advice would you give to someone entering the industry? Any tips for success you'd like to share?
Industry certifications will help you lay the foundation and start your journey. Take risks, explore opportunities outside your comfort zone and remember that every little experience adds up and builds your overall skill. Network, connect with people in the cybersecurity industry through conferences or platforms, such as LinkedIn. Reach out and you will be surprised at how many people are willing to support you and open up opportunities for you. Don't forget to give back to the community when you are in a position to offer help and support.

What one thing, do you hope attendees at SC Media's Women in Cybersecurity conference can learn from from your keynote?
This is our time. Businesses are earnestly working towards diversity and equality, each one of us needs to play our part. I hope attendees reflect on the three pillars of Accenture's roadmap I shared in my keynote and see what version of it they can implement, either at an organisation level or at a team level, to achieve diversity.