Ankorstore

Today Ioana Hurubeanu share her vision about her role of Director of Cybersecurity at Ankorstore and what DE&amp;I means for the company. She also gives a lot of advices on what women can do if they are interested in the field.&nbsp; &nbsp;Can you introduce yourself and tell us what led you to Ankorstore today?I was born in Bucharest, Romania and have a background in Communications and PR, but I have always been a fan of technology and questioning things. From a young age, destroying all electronics in the house to find out what was in them (now I get to do it in different ways), and learning to build my own machines from parts. &nbsp;At the beginning of my career (amongst other jobs) I worked in advertising, and for a while, thought that it was to be my forever path. I often felt conflicted though as I sensed there was a level of callousness at the agency I worked for, and was uneasy with sometimes being tasked with selling people products that aren't necessarily good for them, our society, or the environment.&nbsp; &nbsp;After university, I moved to Barcelona and started working at a major bank as a junior fraud specialist, out of sheer luck, as basically my first mentor gave me an opportunity to join this amazing team of specialists after an interview which consisted of a test where I had to solve complicated puzzles.I was trained on the job, while working in a very adrenaline filled environment and learned first hand of the psychological impact that hacking and fraud can have on people and the reverberating damage on their lives. It was then when I discovered what I truly loved to do, and how complex and interesting Cybersecurity is. &nbsp;12 years later,&nbsp; I have worked in numerous areas of Cybersecurity, moving on from fraud investigations, to compliance, incident management, consultancy, and finally building cybersecurity programs for startups.And now I have been with Ankorstore for 8 months, where my main task is to build a security driven culture and protect our company and clients from external threats. &nbsp;As a director of cybersecurity, what advice would you give to women who want to follow your career path?I think it's important to do things that scare you, and to try things that are new and that put you in uncomfortable situations. Don't be afraid to open yourself up to different possibilities and challenges even if they are not on the path that you envisioned initially.&nbsp; Cybersecurity is a huge domain in need of specialists, and there are many possibilities of building a career, from building processes and teaching people how to protect themselves, to pentesting and protecting whole systems and infrastructure.Try also to get experience in as many areas as possible even if they seem scary and daunting.&nbsp;Everyone starts somewhere and not knowing but wanting to learn is the first step.&nbsp;Is there something that Ankorstore did for you, to help you embrace the new role?When you are tasked with building a program, autonomy is very important, as is the trust the leadership puts in you.I have been very lucky to work with Lachlan Laycock, a CTO who gave me the trust I needed to take the first steps confidently, and supported me in taking on this task.Trust is one of the most important things that many women look for in their leaders.&nbsp;We often feel like we have a lot of things to prove especially when working in domains that are generally male-dominated, so having this kind of support takes away from the mental task of showing that we can do it, and lets us focus on actually doing it. &nbsp;At what point is Ankorstore very innovative in the corporate culture?Ankorstore is a company with an amazing mission, and one of the reasons I joined was because I saw that at its core it’s driven by building sustainability and creating business environments that everyone can benefit from, and this kind of cause usually brings together people who are driven by the same principles.The innovation comes from our core value of helping independents be independent, and in turn creating spaces within our company where people have the autonomy and support to thrive and build amazing products.&nbsp;Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome and if so, how do you deal with it?Impostor syndrome is something that I have always had but learned to embrace like an old friend.&nbsp;When it becomes crippling, there are some ways to deal with that. One is to accept it, be conscious of it and use it as a signal that you are in the right place to grow. The other one, is knowing that many people have it and that in a room full of people you consider amazing, probably most of them have experienced it at some point. &nbsp;What actions do you think should be developed for women in tech to promote their development?I think that equality and diversity doesn’t happen organically, and that companies need to pursue it actively, by implementing programs that address the specific needs of the workforce, and building spaces and policies (like flexible working hours for mothers) where women can thrive.&nbsp;I also think that organizational barriers must be addressed, and women supported in having key experiences like mentorships, inclusion in leadership training programs, and access to high-profile projects that help them build their networks and a seat at a table.&nbsp;Unfortunately the current tech workforce lacks equal representation of women leaders, and the lack of examples is something that can contribute to less women thinking that they have a chance to pursue a career in tech.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have there been situations in your career where you thought men would have it easier? And how did you improve that for yourself?As a woman working in tech for over 10 years, I have certainly experienced moments where I felt like my voice wasn’t being heard or I wasn't being paid equally because of gender stereotypes and implicit biases.Unfortunately the accumulation of micro-aggressions and implicit biases that one can experience, can lead to being disillusioned and quitting a good job, or “quiet quitting”. I had to do that once and I hope I never have to repeat it.In terms of addressing it, or improving it for myself,&nbsp; I have always thought that if I don't talk about it, I'm hurting the woman that comes after me.&nbsp;So I always try to address it, and discuss it with my male counterparts, because implicit biases can be discussed (and for the most part fixed), and don’t come necessarily from a place of evilness, but rather lack of perspective or knowledge.&nbsp;That being said, the companies and the leadership at any company have a responsibility to address issues related to ethics, aggression and unequal pay as a continuous process. And it needs to be proactive. Zero tolerance policies also help enforce the message that it is not ok to treat people differently.&nbsp;What would you say to your younger self of about 10 years back?Hang in there. Because I'm happy where I ended up. So, just have patience. It’s going to be okay. Also, wear sunscreen and get a dog in 2019.

"I always thought that if I don't speak up, I'm hurting the women that come after me"

Team 50inTech