Talent First

In this episode of Talent First, I chat to Justin Merhoff, Director of Cybersecurity for Deque Systems about an often neglected topic - digital accessibility and equality.

This is a fascinating discussion about the barriers faced by some to cybersecurity careers because of a lack of accessible products and tools, the need for diversity in tool design and development and Justin's advice organisations looking to improve digital equality and accessibility for cybersecurity and beyond.

Justin Merhoff, a cybersecurity veteran with 26 years of experience, currently serves as the Director of Security at Deque Systems, Inc., a leading accessibility software and services company. Recognizing the profound importance of digital accessibility in cybersecurity, Justin passionately advocates for its integration into security products and services.

In this episode, I speak to CISO at Accurx Diane Abela about her experiences as a woman in cybersecurity - this is an open and frank discussion as well as being solutions-driven.

We also chat about the evolving role of the CISO, the increasing demands it presents and how self-management is the key to success.

Diane is a Chief Information Security Officer of a health technology organisation, with over 10 years of experience working in the information security space. She has spent the past 6 years building and leading information security, and more recently data protection functions, for engineering-first organisations.

Diane is a big believer that information security and data protection, or what she calls Digital Trust, are enablers of the business. As consumers are demanding that their data is protected and their privacy respected, companies taking these areas seriously will definitely reap positive benefits through their customers’ trust. Within the space of health tech, Diane believes that digital trust can take this positive a step further as it can enable more equitable and accessible care through the increased sharing of data that is foundational to health research, decisions and care.

Working in tech for most of her career, Diane is used to operating in environments where women were in the vast minority. She acknowledges, through first hand experience, the challenges and impact that inequality, gender discrimination and sexual harassment can have on ones professional journey and life. As such she seeks to champion women in cyber security through speaking up; representation; mentoring and through always seeking to challenge the status quo.

In this episode of the award-nominated Talent First, I speak to Kate Raulings, CISO at the Environment Protection Authority in Victoria and also a dear friend of mine. This was a great opportunity to catch up, and also to discuss some crucial topics around the role of the Chief Information Security Officer, Kate's advice for those looking to enter the profession and why we are not seeing more women CISOs globally.

Kate Raulings is the Chief Information Security Officer of the independent environmental regulator for Victoria in Australia. She has worked in cyber security related roles for both private and public organisations aligning strategies and practices to a variety of international and local security frameworks and standards. Kate also has extensive experience briefing senior executives and company boards on information governance, privacy regulations and cyber security.

In this second part of my episode with Tennisha Martin, Founder of Black Girls Hack, we chat about the threat to DEI initiatives in corporations, and the ripple effect this will have for nonprofit organisations dedicated to progressing women in tech. We also talk about the current state of diversity in cybersecurity and how it can be improved. Don't miss the final 5 minutes where Tennisha tells me all about what is next for her, including Squad Con 2024.

In this episode, which is part one of a two part special, I speak with Tennisha Martin, Founder of Black Girls Hack about her career journey, her experience as a nonprofit Founder and about the current threats to DEI initiatives. We also talk about the current state of diversity in cybersecurity as well as what the future holds for her incredible organisation.

Tennisha Martin is the founder and Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack (BGH Foundation), a national cybersecurity nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and resources to underserved communities and increasing the diversity in cyber. BlackGirlsHack provides its members with resources, mentorship, direction, and training required to enter and excel in the cybersecurity field. Tennisha has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters degrees in IT, Healthcare Policy and Management, Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics and Business Administration. She has worked in a consulting capacity for over 15 years in penetration testing, project management, risk management, audit, information assurance, quality assurance, software development, and testing roles. In her free time, Tennisha runs a consulting company, is a hacker, co-author of “Securing our Future: Embracing the Brilliance and Resilience of Black Women in Cybersecurity,” mentor, speaker, and an advocate for diversity.

In this episode of Talent First, I speak to three outstanding young women from Norfolk in the UK who are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championships. We discuss their love of STEAM, their resilience in this journey, and how we can attract more young women into STEM careers and subjects.

If you would like to sponsor or contribute to their funding for this exciting venture - head to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Frog44680D

This episode of Talent First is a little different and a slight departure from The CISO Season. I speak to Emily Maxie, StartUp Marketing Advisor about her recent appearance on ABC 11 News. In her interview, Emily talked about Raleigh, North Carolina's climbing of the women in tech rankings, beating other states such as Seattle and San Francisco, not only in terms of the number of women in tech but the number of women in senior positions.

I was intrigued about this, about the link between education programs, mentoring and women in tech groups and about the current issues for startups, especially for those with female founders.

As a seasoned startup executive, Emily Maxie has a proven track record of steering early-stage startups through pivotal growth moments. As Chief Marketing Officer at Very, she scaled revenue from $2M to $26M, securing its position as a category leader. Beyond her corporate achievements, Emily is a vocal advocate for gender equity in tech, frequently sharing her insights through keynote speeches at tech conferences, guest appearances on industry podcasts, and features on news segments, including ABC News.

A fantastic episode of Talent First speaking to Mandy Andress, CISO for Elastic, about how to create efficient and effective cybersecurity teams - whether this is through leadership, tech tools or strategic recruitment.

We also chat about the evolving role of the CISO, what quality leadership looks and sounds like and the myriad benefits of servant leadership to organisations and security teams.

Mandy Andress is currently the CISO of Elastic and has a long career focused on information risk and security. Prior to Elastic, Mandy led the information security function at MassMutual and established and built information security programs at TiVo, Evant, and Privada. She worked as a security consultant with Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche, focusing on energy, financial services, and Internet technology clients with global operations. She also founded an information security consulting company with clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start up organizations.

She is a published author, with her book Surviving Security having two editions and used at multiple universities around the world as the textbook for foundation information security courses. Mandy also tested and reviewed information security products for multiple publications as well as serving as the author for the weekly InfoWorld security column. She has been a sought after expert in the field, speaking at signature security conferences such as BlackHat and Networld+Interop. In addition, she has taught a graduate level Information Risk Management course for UMass Amherst in the College of Information and Computer Sciences.

Mandy has a JD from Western New England University, a Master’s in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University, and a B.B.A in Accounting from Texas A&M University. Mandy is a CISSP, CPA, and member of the Texas Bar. 

In this episode of Talent First, I speak to Arati Chavan, VP for Information Security at McKesson about her career in cybersecurity and about her views on leadership and change management.

Arati gives our listeners a plethora of advice - for organisations managing significant growth to the individual looking for their next challenge in this industry. We also discuss how to attract and retain the best in tech talent.

Arati Chavan is a Vice President of Information Security at Mckesson Corporation and has been a change agent in the information security, digital technology, and leadership development space. She has a successful track record in leading highly complex and large technology and security initiatives in Digital, Banking and Financial verticals in Fortune 50 organizations such as Mckesson Health, Elevance Health, General Electric, Synchrony Financial etc. With over 19 years of experience in leading teams, driving business value, and leading the path that’s unknown, Arati has established herself as a powerhouse of ‘Leader that delivers results and that people want to follow’.

In this Part Two of this episode, Sai and I discuss the importance of diversity, not just to the cybersecurity industry but for the next iteration of tech innovation - AI.

We also chat about the obstacles women often face in this profession, and Sai's continuing journey in the cyber community.

For more information about our guest, please see Part One!