Her Story
About Jennifer
My typical day involves working with all of the different project managers and following up on project delivery for security initiatives. I'm constantly making sure things are on track and that we are aligning all of the right elements in order to get our security initiatives through the door, because at the end of the day, it's reducing risk. Part of my role is also forward-looking and strategic, looking at what we're doing today with project delivery, but also what we're going to do a year from now. I'm constantly thinking a year ahead, not necessarily 5 years ahead, because cybersecurity moves so quickly, especially with AI right now. We look a year ahead because we have to start lining things up - our resources, our funding. It takes a lot of time to get things approved and kicked off, ready for implementation. I don't make it up on my own. I collaborate with my CISO, I collaborate with my colleagues to determine what are the biggest security risks out there that we want to be tackling. What I love about cybersecurity is that it's constantly evolving and changing, and it's an endless opportunity for learning. You don't get bored inside cybersecurity because there's so much that's happening and changing, and it's like non-stop learning. One of my values is just continuing to learn and grow myself in my industry and in my skill sets, and cybersecurity constantly gives me the opportunity to learn and grow.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jennifer
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think my achievement today is the fact that I've been able to switch industries from technical support within media to running a cybersecurity team, and doing that in my mid-career. Being able to shift industries and honestly find what I love to do - if I knew about this 20 years ago, I would have done it, but it took me 20 years in my career to figure out what I love. So I think the achievement is shifting careers into something that I love doing. You hear people that leave careers or do something completely different. I mean, I did that, but still within corporate, but I was able to shift and find what I love to do. That's everything. I always was good at project management and organization, and that led me to the IT project management realm. And then I bought into the cybersecurity, which is combining my skill set with something that I love. It's constantly evolving and changing, and it's an endless opportunity for learning.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of my values is just continuing to learn and grow myself in my industry and in my skill sets. I love that cybersecurity constantly gives me the opportunity to learn and grow. It's constantly evolving and changing, and it's an endless opportunity for learning. You don't get bored inside cybersecurity because there's so much that's happening and changing, and it's like non-stop learning. With my two kids, I enjoy watching them do the things that they love, like their sports, soccer and softball. And I also play soccer too. I am in my happy place when I'm on a field with a bunch of people that are all out there, weekend warriors. Soccer is a big thing in my life. It's community-based, too, so I get to be with other folks, and it's a community as well.
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