Her Story
About Lauren
Lauren Marie Wellinghoff is an accomplished technology and cybersecurity professional with more than 12 years of experience spanning business development, sales, account management, customer success, and operations. She currently serves as a Strategic Account Executive at NetBrain Techologies, where she has spent more than three years helping organizations address complex operational challenges surrounding evolving network, cybersecurity, and technology needs. Wellinghoff began her career in business development within the automotive industry before transitioning into insurance marketing and sales. She later joined a cybersecurity startup, where she spent five years progressing from account management into leadership roles, including Director of Sales Operations and Director of Operations. Her experience included overseeing post-sale coordination between account management teams and cybersecurity services engineers, strengthening client relationships, refining post sale processes and ensuring the successful delivery of technical services. In her current role at NetBrain, Wellinghoff plays an important role in bridging communication and operational gaps between security and network operations teams, helping clients better understand and address evolving technology needs while mitigating business risk and maintaining operational efficiency. Focusing on prospecting new logos, managing client accounts, and partnering with customer success teams to conduct business reviews that demonstrate measurable return on investment. Her career is distinguished by a strong ability to connect technical solutions with business objectives, build lasting client relationships, and lead strategic initiatives that drive customer retention, adoption, and growth. Wellinghoff holds an associate's degree and many certifications relevant to managing Cyber Operational Risk, Agentic and Generative AI and Strategy for leadership, Network+, and A+. Among her notable professional achievements, she led an 89 percent customer migration to a new platform at a previous organization and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped retain approximately $600,000 in revenue by implementing processes to increase product utilization by 50 percent. As a result, she was able to convert non-paying customers into paying clients, generating nearly $800,000 in annual revenue. Through her combination of cybersecurity expertise, operational leadership, strategic account management, and measurable business impact, Wellinghoff has established herself as a results-driven professional in the technology and cybersecurity industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lauren
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the diverse experiences and continuous growth throughout my 12-year career. I began in car sales, transitioned into insurance, and eventually moved into cybersecurity, where I advanced through roles in account management, sales operations, and operations leadership before becoming an Account Executive with NetBrain Technologies. Each position strengthened my ability to build relationships, solve complex problems, and adapt to changing business needs. One of my most significant accomplishments was helping retain approximately $800,000 in revenue during the pandemic by successfully transitioning customers from a legacy platform to an updated product. These experiences have taught me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and finding creative solutions to help customers align their business strategy to evolving technical concepts
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received came from a mentor, Nick, who encouraged me to always take the extra step and challenge myself to reach beyond what I believed was possible. He saw potential in me that I did not always recognize in myself and encouraged me to have confidence in my skills, challenge conventional thinking, and embrace continuous learning. His guidance helped me recognize the value of my background, but most importantly, he taught me to trust my abilities, use my voice, and pursue opportunities that push me beyond my comfort zone.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to believe in their ability to build a successful career while remaining open to taking calculated risks that expand their skills, experience, and professional opportunities. Growth often requires stepping outside of your comfort zone, pursuing challenging assignments, and continuously developing the expertise needed to advance within your organization. With confidence, a willingness to learn, and the courage to embrace new opportunities, you can position yourself for meaningful career progression and long-term success.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field is the ability to connect and network with like-minded women in business. Building relationships with women who share similar goals, experiences, and ambitions creates opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and mutual growth. In my role, I recognize the importance of expanding my professional network and fostering meaningful connections that can support both personal and professional development.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my professional and personal life are connection, collaboration, family, and service. I value the opportunity to network with other professional women, build meaningful relationships, and collaborate with like-minded women in business, which is one of the reasons I am honored to be featured. Outside of my career, my three amazing children, are at the heart of my life, and I especially enjoy cooking and yoga. I am also passionate about supporting the Buddy Walk. An organization that is meaningful to me given the care, community and opportunity they provide to adults with special needs. Also, as eye witness to the great passion and purpose they provided my aunt while she navigated transitions into adulthood with developmental disability. Through this involvement, I help support efforts to create employment opportunities for young men and women who may need additional support, encouragement, and compassion as they pursue greater independence and fulfillment.
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