GET TO KNOW
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Going to the gym five or six times a week helps me switch off and focus on myself . I love weight training and basketball , which I try to play at least twice a week . Last year was my final year playing state League ; now it is just scrimmaging with friends on Sundays and playing Wednesday nights for a local club .
I also enjoy sampling new cuisines and cultures . A few years back when I had my first trip to Singapore , I was able to experience their chilli mud crab and if you are a fan of seafood I do recommend it with their Singapore slinger as a drink on the side .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
My region at WatchGuard is Australia and New Zealand . One of the historical challenges , at least where cybersecurity was concerned , was persuading companies to focus on benefits rather than cost . A lot of companies as a whole were short-sighted and didn ’ t want to spend the money but eventually it gets to the point where they realize they ’ re vulnerable and have to act . Considering the advanced threats companies face today , the bare minimum is simply not enough . Enterprises need to implement security from network to endpoint , giving a multi-layer security solution in place . This will assist and at least be a good foundation for companies to be future proof .
All careers have their ups and downs , but the key is to learn as much as possible along the way . I ’ m very happy with where I ’ m at today , and wish that I ’ d gotten into sales a little sooner because I enjoy it so much . My career began as a network engineer , first at a telecoms company , and then at Oracle .
When the opportunity to join WatchGuard became available it was a no brainer for me . The business is a well-recognized network and computer security vendor with over 25 years ’ experience in providing the best of its class from network to endpoint security .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Cybersecurity is going off . We ’ re seeing everyone from SMEs to enterprise customers investing in firewalls and multi-factor authentication and endpoint security . Industries that have historically regarded themselves as low risk have stopped being complacent . That ’ s good because hackers aren ’ t biased . Data is data , and no company is too small to be hacked or held to ransom . Solutions such as our WatchGuard Passport allow users to authenticate , protect and prevent attacks from hitting networks and support businesses to protect their intellectual property .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
Not having face to face interaction with staff and partners , and our customers , has been the biggest thing . It ’ s been good to be able to carry on doing business virtually but seeing people in person fosters a different sort of business relationship . There are no screen freezes or dodgy connections and you can really see how business is going and get a feel for how you can assist .
Hopefully , the vaccine roll-out will allow us to get back to semi-normality and I ’ ll be able to resume that contact . As soon as it becomes feasible , I ’ ll be traveling to every state in Australia , going to New Zealand and catching up with my boss at WatchGuard ’ s Seattle headquarters .
What advice would you offer to someone aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Gain industry experience early and make sure you love the industry . Having a great mentor is also really important . My former boss from my telco industry days showed me the ropes , in terms of managing a team and a business ; she helped me to understand how a good leader leverages all the elements of an organization and gets everyone working together to achieve an outcome . And my father ’ s example has always inspired me . He came to Australia in early 1970s , saved up to buy a service station and worked six days a week for 45 years . A work ethic like his will take you a long way . p
80 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com