LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE .

What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the cybersecurity industry ?

I founded Oblix , one of the first Identity management companies in the industry back in 1996 . We were ideally positioned in the market as identity started to climb up the security agenda , and in 2005 Oblix was acquired by Oracle as they sought to build up their identity provision . It ’ s still the foundation of their IDM solution today .

What first made you think of a career in cybersecurity ?

I stumbled upon it as the founder of Oblix and loved taking on the unique challenges that the field presents . As a result , I went on to found two other companies specialising in different aspects of network security . Blue Lane Technologies designed network security platforms for physical and virtual server infrastructure and Determina secured hypervisors and virtualised workloads . The two companies were both acquired by VMware as their capabilities were a strong fit for its virtualisation offering .

What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?

I always want to see high-performing teams where everyone is really pushing themselves . As part of that , I ’ ve always liked to lead by example – never expect your teams to do something you can ’ t or won ’ t do yourself . I also have a strong customer focus , making sure everything we do is centred around their needs rather than just shifting product .

What do you think is the current hot cybersecurity talking point ?

Code to Cloud is getting a lot of attention right now – the approach of securing applications from the point of writing code , all the way through to runtime in the cloud . Having secure coding practices in place helps identify and stop issues right at the source and reduces the chances of them making it into the live environment .

How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?

I like to get out in the fresh air when I can . A combination of hiking , biking and other exercise does wonders . Inside , I also enjoy woodwork and catching up on some reading .

If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?

I ’ d go convince my past self to join Google when I had the opportunity back in 2000 . There would have been some very interesting experiences ahead for sure .

What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in the cybersecurity industry ?

Integration is a major focus right now . We ’ re seeing a big drive in companies investing to bring

I always want to see highperforming teams where everyone is really pushing themselves .

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