GO PHISH
WE ‘GO PHISHING’ WITH PAUL BALKWELL, VP
– INTERNATIONAL SALES, ZIX, WHO TELLS US
ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.
wWhat would you describe as your
most memorable achievement in
the cybersecurity industry?
I’ve been unbelievably lucky to have
attracted incredible talent and built
fantastic teams that have had huge
success penetrating new markets
across EMEA and APAC. Taking
great technology, understanding and
respecting localisation and cultural
challenges to become successful
in multiple geographies is hugely
rewarding. Hard work, lots of travel
but loads of fun. Presently at
AppRiver|ZIX, we are experiencing
incredible growth penetrating the
EMEA markets. We are building great
teams to deliver the AppRiver|ZIX ‘best
of breed’ cybersecurity, productivity
and data compliance through our
secure cloud platform.
Choosing the right
organisations
to work for that
genuinely invest in
their employees is
important.
What first made
you think of
a career in
cybersecurity?
I fell into
technology in my
early 20s which
led to a career
in cybersecurity.
Working for some great organisations
and building an IT Managed Services
practice there is a common theme with
them all, whether building LAN and WAN
networks or the present day push to the
cloud, they all have their vulnerabilities
and need securing. What a great space
to be in, always evolving, fast-paced and
never a dull moment.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
It’s important to attract the right talent
and it’s often advantageous to have it
from differing backgrounds. Equality and
diversity should always be supported.
Recognising individual and team
potential and supporting them to meet
it as well as keeping them happy. In my
current role, it’s about building an agile
team to scale at pace. I’m also very
much hands-on which I enjoy. I’m an
advocate of OKRs ‘Objectives and Key
Results’. It is a collaborative goal-setting
tool used by organisations, teams and
individuals to set challenging, ambitious
goals with measurable results. OKRs
are how we track progress, create
alignment and encourage engagement
around measurable goals. Additionally, I
believe that it is equally important to be
an organisation that attracts talent. It’s a
hugely competitive marketplace.
What do you think is the current
hot cybersecurity talking point?
With the huge shift to homeworking,
there has been an upward trend in
Cybersecurity Awareness Training,
Compliance and Privacy integration. This
is unarguably a more important topic
now, as the way we work in the cloud has
more impact than ever and is fraught with
security and compliance challenges.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
I try to be as active as possible by
cycling or swimming. No one can get
hold of you when you’re underwater.
I also like to unwind with family and
www.intelligentciso.com | Issue 29
71