Michele Leung

As a woman in cybersecurity, I attribute a lot of my success to actively pushing myself to be heard. I make it a point to ask questions, speak up, and stay fully present in the conversation, always remembering that no question is a bad question. The other key factor is relationship building. I pride myself on building strong, lasting connections and maintaining a reputation for reliability. Following through on exactly what I say I’m going to do is an incredibly valuable competency that is often overlooked. Combining that integrity with the confidence to speak up has really helped me get to where I am today.

There's a piece of advice I received years ago that I still hold onto today. When you're considering something new—like a new project or a new job—the uncertainty of whether to make the jump or stay put can be incredibly intimidating. The advice was to simply ask myself: Which would I regret more, staying or leaving? That question has really stuck with me throughout my career. It helps me tune out the noise of external expectations and grounds me in what truly matters.

I really believe it's about having the curiosity and confidence to ask questions. Ultimately, the most important thing is to always keep wanting to learn. For anyone entering this industry, that relentless drive to understand the 'why' is how you challenge expectations and redefine what's possible. The other piece of advice is to surround yourself with a strong mentor ecosystem. Having people in your corner to bounce ideas off of and ask for guidance is how you continuously learn and grow. I think that's something that has really helped me in my career, and I believe it's crucial for anyone starting out in this industry.

I think the impact of AI is both a challenge and a massive opportunity. It's affecting roles, buying cycles, and everything in between. Right now, my team and I are really grappling with how to best leverage it—not just to increase our day-to-day productivity, but also to rethink how we market and get in front of our target audience. There's no right or wrong answer, so we're continuously testing things out. But the way I market today is completely different than it was even two years ago, and embracing that evolution is a huge opportunity.

Actively sharing my perspective and driving the conversation is incredibly important to me, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field like cybersecurity. I try to maintain the mindset that no question is a bad question, and I actively push myself to be present in every conversation. Another core value is building strong, lasting relationships. I pride myself on my integrity and follow-through—if I say I’m going to do something, I do it. Outside of work, my biggest passion is animal welfare, so volunteering and giving back to that cause is deeply meaningful to me.