At Cyber Audit Team (CAT), we believe that relationships grow when we connect as human beings, not just by knowing what we do for work.
That’s why we’ve introduced our “Staff Focus” updates, where we can proudly introduce you to some of our team members, enabling you to learn more about them and their personal stories.
This quarter, we are delighted to introduce you to Stephanie Robinson. Stephanie recently joined CAT as Director of Strategic Growth. In this article, Stephanie shares her cyber security journey, whilst explaining what drew her to work with CAT and what she is most passionate about.
Stephanie – tell us a little about your career in the cyber security industry to date.
“After studying Law and Social Policy at Nottingham University in England, I worked with academics and industry to establish the UK’s first Cyber Security Centre (CSC) in Higher Education at De Montfort University, now located at Warwick University and part of the commercially successful Warwick Manufacturing Group.
I came through a non-traditional route to Higher Education, and I am committed to paying forward the opportunity I was given to study on a scholarship.
In early 2016, I relocated to Australia to take up the position of Director of Advancement in Engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, and in 2018 founded a cyber solutions company with the support of the National University of Singapore. As a mentor and speaker in this role, I was involved in initiatives geared toward improving access to cyber opportunities for women.
In August, I joined CAT as the Director of Strategic Growth. Working alongside the leadership team, my role involves identifying new opportunities for growth and partnerships and expanding our services portfolio to our existing and potential customers.
Why did you decide to join CAT?
“I was drawn to work with CAT as I see them as thought leaders in what they do and because they share my passion for demystifying the cyber security industry for all.
Additionally, both Damian and Alex highly value and promote gender equality within cyber security. They believe in its importance and put this belief into practice, with 45% of CAT’s workforce made up of passionate and powerful women. Various studies reveal that women account for between 11-25% of the broader cyber security workforce, so CAT is genuinely leading the way in this regard.”
What interests you most about the cyber security industry, Stephanie?
“It is an industry constantly evolving – with threat actors becoming more sophisticated and technologies ever-changing to stay ahead of them. This makes it a dynamic and interesting industry to be part of!
While I am passionate about the cyber security industry, I am particularly fascinated by the history of encryption in ancient civilisations and am currently reading about forensic linguistics and behaviour.”
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
“What I love most about my job is achieving shared goals with clients and seeing our solutions and how they improve and protect their businesses. There’s no better feeling than being trusted by your client to deliver the best solution for them.
Another thing I am passionate about is demystifying the cyber industry. The plethora of acronyms used and the number of solutions available can often overwhelm, and it’s great to help clients navigate these and feel comfortable. It’s exciting to be part of a team that shares this passion – removing as many acronyms and jargon from our conversations and communications to clients as possible.”
We are more than our job titles. What do you enjoy doing outside of work Stephanie?
“Outside work, I am a Mum to two children, Lois and Rowan, and puppy Florence. I am a qualified Pilates instructor and teach a couple of classes on a Saturday morning and try to complete at least two fitness challenge activities each year.”
Thanks Stephanie for sharing your journey with us and giving us a glimpse into your world outside of work.
Last month we profiled Paula Sillars, Security Analyst. Click here to read about Paula and her story. Also, join us next month to meet Brendan Sak, who has recently joined us as a Senior SOC Analyst.
