Turning Words Into Action: On Being Executive Sponsor for Ujima, the Black Employee Network Group
Malcolm X said, “Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.”
For many people, seeing George Floyd murdered by a police officer in the spring of 2020 was that inflection point — the moment when people were finally angry enough to bring about change.
Born in Queens, New York, and raised just outside Washington, DC, I attended a magnet school in a low-income community where the majority of my peers were Black, Vietnamese, and Latinx. They were my community, and though I certainly can’t say I know what it’s like to live the Black experience, I saw it every day reflected in my closest friends. I saw how the treatment they received was different and usually worse, than that given to whites, me, or others. I saw enough of it to know early on that no one should be treated that way. So after the deaths in early 2020 of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, I was like many who felt so angry that I simply had to do something, to add my voice to the conversation. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”
In June 2020, I wrote an article on LinkedIn where I described the evidence of systemic racism in America and some ideas about how to recognize it and combat it. My colleagues at Palo Alto Networks saw that I am vocal and passionate about this issue, someone willing to talk about it and do something about it. So when the executive sponsor of Ujima, the company’s Black Employee Network Group (ENG), was asked to move into another ENG position, I was approached about taking on the role with Ujima, and I jumped at the chance.
Being an executive sponsor would provide me with a platform to actually put my words into action. Writing an article in which I shared data, statistics and ideas for addressing racism is a small first step, but they’re just words without action. If, as a company, we were going to talk about being committed to diversity and inclusion, we have to walk the talk, and from this vantage point, I could help us to do that.
I sat down with the outgoing executive sponsor, who had written his own thought piece, about the need for national police reform, as a former member of law enforcement and the U.S. military. Together, we worked to create a list of recommendations, drawn from the data and ideas we’d shared in writing, for what the company could start doing to make internal systemic changes. They included a stronger commitment to actively recruiting employees from the Black community, working harder to retain existing Black employees through mentorship and sponsorship, and implementing more rigorous unconscious bias and anti-discrimination training. Our thinking was, if only one person benefits from these efforts, it’s worth it, though we knew we could affect many more.
As an executive sponsor for an ENG, I have a platform in which I can be part of the change I’m seeking. Palo Alto Networks is a leader in the cybersecurity industry, and there’s no reason we can’t be a leader in diversity efforts as well. But I also know and have seen that the Black community may feel they have to think small — they’re so used to encountering a ceiling on what’s possible. But there’s never been a better time, since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, to capitalize on people’s awareness and willingness to knock down that ceiling.
In my role, I can help the ENG to think bigger, to take the existing paradigms, and suggest that we throw them out. I can help channel the energy and funnel it in a productive way toward actual progress within the organization. I can identify talented people in the Black community who are looking to grow within the company and introduce them to people who can help make that happen. I can share the input and stories I’m hearing with the executive team. I can offer guidance, and I can be a roadblock remover to keep us from hearing “no.” If we need money for an event, a connection to a particular speaker, a platform we want access to, or a message that needs to be conveyed across the organization, I can utilize my position in the company to help make those things happen — or to identify the folks who can.
I’m so proud to say that Palo Alto Networks isn’t just talking about diversity and inclusion but is actually doing a lot, too — both in facilitating important discussions of race and in demonstrating its commitment to equity. For example, Palo Alto Networks regularly has compensation reviewed by a third party and makes sure it isn’t paying employees differently based on gender or race.
Obviously, there’s much more to do, and I’m happy to play a small part in making that happen in my role as Ujima’s executive sponsor. But you don’t have to be in my position to make change happen. It can be hard to know where to start, but as Dr. King reminds us, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Speak up, add your voice to the conversation — that’s where change begins.
Understanding Faith Without Fear
By Carl Borsody, Vice President of Sales – Americas Majors and Globals
When companies talk about wanting their employees to feel safe bringing their “whole selves” to work, it’s important to realize that a person’s whole self may be inextricably linked with their faith.
While people of all religions have confronted prejudice and even demonization throughout history, those who practice the Islamic faith have arguably faced the most misrepresentation and discrimination in modern times. Though it is the second-largest religion in the world (behind Christianity), Islam is frequently misunderstood, particularly in the West. The impression of Muslims as extremists to be feared is, unfortunately, pervasive. And for an organization such as Palo Alto Networks, a global organization committed to inclusiveness for its 9,000+ employees, one important way to help combat such misunderstandings is to offer a safe space in which to discuss concerns, find connections, and build bridges instead of walls. That’s why Salam, the Muslim Employee Network, was established.
It may seem odd that I, a middle-aged, white American man, would be asked to assume the role of executive sponsor for this group. When I was offered the role just a few months ago, I certainly asked whether I was the right person for the job. But the role of executive sponsor — the person who provides executive-level support, advocacy, and guidance to an Employee Network Group (ENG) — means providing a much-needed outside perspective that can be valuable. Part of an ENG’s charter is to address negative stereotypes, so someone in my shoes can play an important role in heading those off. Plus, if cross-cultural understanding is the goal, a great place to start is with an executive sponsor who is open to learning more and can act as an advocate and facilitator of important discussions and activities.
With an active membership of roughly 180 employees, Salam is the only faith-based ENG at Palo Alto Networks. It may surprise you to learn that while our members live around the globe, particularly in the Middle East, a large percentage of them were born and now reside in the U.S., and about 60% of them identify as female. Discussions among members frequently revolve around the Islamaphobia and racism directed at them, from both other Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Many have indicated a desire to break down the mystery of Islam, to shed light on the various differences that exist between them and the extremists they’re often associated with. There seems to be a real sense of fear and confusion about their faith, which often leads to people presuming they are bad people. Education is the only way to move past such misconceptions. It’s appropriate, then, that salam, an Arabic word meaning peace, was selected as the name for the ENG.
Though the pandemic has affected the group’s ability to bring people together for events or discussions, we are increasingly finding ways to connect virtually. Though I’m still learning about my new role as executive sponsor and how I can best serve, I am happy to be someone to bounce ideas off, to raise important questions, and to give structure and consistency to the group from an executive level.
Though I often saw flyers in our company elevators promoting various ENG activities (before the pandemic sent us all home to work), and though I knew Palo Alto Networks was committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce and creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness, I didn’t truly understand the value of ENGs before taking on the role of executive sponsor. I’m sure I’m not alone in that. I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the power of these groups and seeing the influence they can have on the company as a whole. In fact, in the last six months alone, the company has received roughly 1,800 referrals for potential employees from ENGs across the company, which will significantly bolster our diversity efforts.
Overall, serving as executive sponsor for Salam not only provides me with greater understanding of and exposure to other cultures, but it will help me to see my team with new eyes, to think more about how diversity can improve our business. Of course, though Palo Alto Networks is making huge strides toward being a robustly diverse company, it — like many other businesses — has a long way to go. The more voices and perspectives there are in the room, the better our decisions will be. ENGs are a first step in making sure everyone’s voice can be heard.
Research repeatedly shows that ENGs benefit both employees and employers, boosting employee engagement and satisfaction, generating greater opportunities for professional development, increasing employee retention, and improving recruitment efforts. The leaders at Palo Alto Networks understand that ENGs are good for business. If you’re an employer, consider how to make ENGs a part of your community, and continue to be vocal about their value for everyone on your team.
If you’re an employee, I encourage you to seek out an ENG that interests you, whether you’re technically part of that affinity group or not — the learning, connection, and personal growth that often take place are sure to be valuable.
An Unexpected Detour
A lot of us go into our careers with a plan for where we want to go and how we’re going to get there. But sometimes we’re presented with opportunities we never planned for and discover we’re right where we want to be.
I started my career in the United States Marine Corps, where I held several positions, including roles that involved network and systems administration, telecommunications, network builds, upgrades, migrations, and more. I enjoyed that so much that I enrolled in an associate degree program in enterprise networking at Foothill College in California.
During that time in 2017-2018, I also participated in a program called Year Up, a nonprofit technical training and career development program that works with corporate partners to help young adults ages 18-24 get a head start on their careers. For my program year, Palo Alto Networks was the corporate sponsor. Because of my background and degree program, I was fortunate to be offered a six-month internship as a Desktop Support Specialist. As someone with no prior professional experience, I truly appreciated the learning I was able to do during my internship, and I worked with an amazing team. However, I still had a passion for routers and switches, for how networks are designed and built, so I was still focused on a career as a network engineer. During my internship, I made that desire well known to my manager.
In the last few months of the internship, I was placed in a rotation with the Corporate Systems Engineering team. SEs here are an integral part of the sales team, helping to convey technical information to potential customers and devising security solutions that address their needs. This experience helped not only to provide me with a wealth of knowledge about Palo Alto Networks’ products and sales, but also to connect me with a number of people from departments across the organization.
When I finished my internship in July 2018, I received a full-time offer to continue working as a Desktop Support Specialist. I knew this was a great opportunity I couldn’t pass up and I accepted right away, knowing I had a lot more to learn but also making it known what my ultimate career goal was. By August of that year, I was a full-time employee. I felt blessed to have been given this chance.
In this role, I was collaborating with a couple of network engineers in the company, and one of them unofficially became a sort of mentor to me. I confided to him that I was interested in eventually moving into the same sort of role, and he suggested that if that was truly my goal, I should gain a bit more knowledge in Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls, which was how the company implemented its network. I realized he was right — although I’d had a few courses on that at school but nothing substantial.
I reached out to the team lead in Corporate Systems Engineering whom I’d worked with during my internship SE rotation and learned that, coincidentally, they had an opening for a Systems Engineer. “I know you’re still interested in becoming a Network Engineer,” he told me, “but I think this would be a great way to learn more about our products on a daily basis.” I accepted his offer and in June 2019, I became a full-time Systems Engineer.
My plan was to perform this role for a while until I could eventually work my way into a Network Engineer position. But once I began working as an SE, I absolutely fell in love with it. I love sales, I love working with customers to help them find the right solutions and close those security gaps they have in their environments. Helping to steer them in the right direction to improve their security posture is so satisfying. I’m learning new concepts every day; it’s never boring, and no two days are the same. Sure, it can be stressful at times, but it’s well worth it. In this role there is immediate gratification in solving problems. I’m developing public speaking skills, strengthening my customer service abilities, and contributing to the important sales work taking place in the organization.
I’m so thankful to have worked with managers that were fully supportive of my desire to pursue my chosen career and willing to do whatever it took to help me get there, even if it meant leaving their teams. They weren’t going to let that stop me from being successful, and they never stopped encouraging my growth, wherever that happened to lead me. That openness on their part, combined with my openness to taking an unexpected detour on the road to my goal were what led me to a position I’m really happy in today.
Since starting this role, my goal has changed from becoming a Network Engineer to moving up within Systems Engineering to eventually work on named, major, or global accounts or even become a consulting engineer. If you’d asked me a year ago whether I’d even consider these fields, I would have said no. That’s why I’m a firm believer now in trying everything — new roles, new experiences, new foods. You just don’t know what you’re going to fall in love with.
Best of Both Worlds
By Miki Kisaka, Regional Account Sales Manager, JP-Named
Before joining Palo Alto Networks in November, 2019, I spent 15 years working for a domestic (Japanese) IT company. We handled a wide array of digital technology products from multiple vendors, including PCs, servers, printers, middleware, workflow systems, Office 365, video conferencing systems, and document consulting. I had worked in sales throughout my career and had worked very hard to become successful at my job.
However, like many women in the workforce who become mothers, after my two children were born, I realized that my salary had dropped to roughly 80% of what it had been, even though, upon my return to work, I still managed to surpass 100% performance. The reasoning behind this was that my shift had been shortened to seven hours per day, instead of the usual eight and a half hours, because of my family obligations.
To me, it seemed that I should be paid for my performance on the job, not simply for the number of hours when I was at work. Although my family was my top priority, I believed I was still fulfilling the duties of my role. Because of this, my motivation at work started to wane. I realized that I might be a better fit for a position with a company that paid for performance, not strictly for my workday hours.
A friend of mine was working for Palo Alto Networks and indicated to me that it might be a good fit for me. I gathered from what he had told me that decisions were made very quickly within the company. I liked that the values of speed and agility were emphasized here. At the company where I had been working, I had been frustrated about the fact that decision-making sometimes involved as many as 10 levels of approval before action could be taken — a very common feature at most Japanese companies — so the fast pace at which things happened at Palo Alto Networks was very appealing to me. Not only that, but I wanted an opportunity to connect more deeply with my customers in addition to reaching sales targets, no matter what product or solution I might be selling.
Fortunately, I eventually did secure a role with the Palo Alto Networks Sales team. I’m very happy to have made the change. I really enjoy the workplace culture here, in which everyone is willing to cooperate with and support each other. We are all working toward the same goal, so we are all highly motivated to work hard and assist each other when needed to overcome challenges. This work environment is the best of both worlds: It is both entrepreneurial and collaborative. We are each encouraged to develop and work toward solutions at a pace that’s appropriate for us. This means we can learn new tasks and gain new skills quickly. Yet none of us is working alone. Everyone is open-minded and willing to exchange ideas, because when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.
Also, it isn’t always about work — we like to have fun together, too! We are always finding opportunities to celebrate and connect with each other. For example, we had a virtual year-end party, and all our families (even our pets!) were invited to participate. We had a lot of fun playing games (such as a scavenger hunt and Rock, Paper, Scissors), watching dance videos, and more! It was wonderful to realize that we can be innovative, have fun, take care of our work, and be there for our families, all at the same time, thanks to having an employer who believes all these things are important.
Also, as long as I’m accomplishing my work, I have the flexibility to determine a schedule that works for me and my family as well as my customers; I’m not locked into a predetermined schedule. It’s about the quality of my work, not the quantity of hours.
In fact, in 2020, the leaders at Palo Alto Networks announced that the company was beginning a new initiative called FLEXWORK. They had realized that in a COVID-19 world, people’s needs and their style of work have completely changed, so the company’s expectations have had to change too. Under FLEXWORK, we are empowered to work on a schedule that suits our needs, and we are given the tools we need to perform that work remotely, as well as the resources we need to nurture our health and wellbeing.
This is only possible in an environment where diverse opinions are respected and accepted. This culture, which also emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity, provides a high level of mental safety and makes it easy to find inspiration, develop ideas, and seek innovation. Sometimes our ideas don’t work or we might make mistakes, but that’s okay. The important thing is that people here respect each other exactly as they are, share their thoughts in a positive way, and create agreement. That’s why I encourage others to join this company and find out for themselves what a pleasure it is to work in this uplifting, satisfying environment.
Carving My Own Career Path with Internal Mobility
I’m not sure anyone wakes up and says, “I want to be a software salesperson!” But as I started thinking about what career would be a good fit for me, I looked at my strengths and interests. I had always been passionate about and good with technology. But I was also outgoing, which was different from the more introverted personality often associated with those in technology careers. Drawing on those strengths and interests, I decided to earn a dual degree in information systems and business so that I could merge the technical side of myself with my natural ability for communicating technical information to others clearly and effectively. I was fortunate to join Palo Alto Networks in 2019 as a Major Accounts Manager — a job where I could do the work I love every day to provide security solutions for our customers.
My role involved overseeing a portfolio of retail accounts while also keeping my thumb on operational technology and heavy industry. But as the months went on, I could see an opportunity presenting itself to develop a whole new aspect of the business. One multinational business that appeared on my radar was a tremendous opportunity that started to present itself in our business dealings. At that time, though my Systems Engineers and I made for a strong, effective team, we simply couldn’t put in the time and effort to cover an organization of that size and scale — yet I had a growing desire to do so.
I’m notorious for taking on far too much. I can’t help myself, I love being busy and taking on new projects and responsibilities. So when I saw an opportunity to develop this new area of business for Palo Alto Networks, I naturally dove in head first. While I continued selling our solutions to our regular retail customers, I also began trying to formulate a strategic approach to this multinational company’s business.
I never set out to become a Global Client Lead, but it began making sense as the months went on. I began getting more and more into the planning side of going into the global market and increasingly realised I really enjoyed running large, global, strategic accounts. I reflected back on my career and could see that when given those opportunities in my work, that was when I was happiest and did my best work.
I started having conversations with my leaders, suggesting that we double down on this opportunity — whether it was with me or somebody else — because the opportunities were too great to ignore. I think it was the easiest conversation I’ve had in my career. In my positions at other organisations, when I’ve wanted to move to a different role, I’ve found that, politically, it’s been quite hard to have those conversations. But first of all, this conversation was the right thing for the company, which was my approach — whether or not it was me heading up this effort, this was something I believed the company needed to be doing. Obviously, I wanted it to be me, but I would have understood if it wasn’t; it was the right thing to do, regardless. Yet our leadership was really supportive from the start.
Once those conversations began happening, I began calling out to others within the organisation, asking for resources and people to help work on that account, and we started looking to restructure and move into global accounts work. And as we solidly moved into fiscal year 2021, my new role became more formalised. It became obvious right away that this was going to be a full-time job and that juggling 15 other accounts was not going to be possible.
That meant I was leaving a gap where someone else would have to fill the role I was leaving behind, and in some organisations that’s a roadblock to internal mobility. Yet the managers at Palo Alto Network believe, wisely, that the pros outweigh the cons. Not only was this new aspect of our business going to add value, but when people are truly performing the right jobs, doing something they’re passionate about and is a strength, that’s when they do their best work, and the business benefits from that.
In addition to advocating for my new professional role, I also recently identified a gap in the corporate responsibility work in the Australia-New Zealand region, particularly around volunteer work. I saw an opportunity to structure that better and get more involvement across our countries to make a greater impact. Though it’s outside my official job duties, I followed my passion for giving back to my community by setting up a strong new Corporate Responsibility program, which helps the organisation with its recruitment efforts, a really important component in the ANZ region, and it boosts morale, which is essential to our success. It also has helped me to make many new, valuable professional connections and build skills that are useful in any role. Again, in those efforts, I have received the full support of my managers, who knew that not only was it something I felt very strongly about, but it was simply the right thing to do.
When I was young, someone gave me a great piece of advice that I’ve ever forgotten: Don’t let anyone make decisions for you about your career. You must communicate your interests, take the reins, and make purposeful decisions to get where you want to be. If you express what you want with confidence and purpose, and build the business case just as you would when selling our solutions to customers, I have found that people want to help you get there.
At the Speed of Technology
By Akira Ikenaga, Systems Engineer Specialist
Before joining Palo Alto Networks, I worked in multiple roles for four different, prominent technology companies. But none of them offered the comprehensive, integrated product line nor the speed of innovation that Palo Alto Networks does. This is why I wanted to come to work here.
I began my career doing sales and marketing for a Japanese systems integration company that was focused on the small- and medium-business (SMB) market. My six years with that company led me to become interested in the security industry. From there, I spent one year as a regional product marketing manager with a public key infrastructure vendor before joining an internationally recognized endpoint security company, where I held multiple roles over the course of nine years, including systems engineer, pre-sales engineer, and regional product manager/field enablement. From there I moved into a sales specialist role working with vulnerability assessment products and services for another major multinational tech company.
In all of these roles, I realized that I was most drawn to systems engineering because I enjoyed being able to help customers by tailoring technology solutions to their problems. I learned of an available SE Specialist position for Palo Alto Networks’s endpoint security product, Traps, and was fortunate enough to be offered the position in November 2014.
The role involves sales — working alongside sales representatives to approach customers and explain the technology behind our products — but it also allows me to demonstrate the technology in a hands-on way to help address customers’ real-life concerns so that they feel comfortable with our products.
When I first started this job, no one on the Japanese team knew the Traps product, so I had to co-work with members of the Tel Aviv team to learn about the product. This was my first time working with developers and product managers from Israel. The first large deployment of Traps did not go smoothly. At companies where I had previously worked, such issues might have taken several months to address. But the engineers in Tel Aviv were very supportive and fixed customers’ issues overnight. That’s when I began to truly understand the speed and agility present in this company, and it reinforced my belief that this was the right company for me.
I also admired that the company, which originally was strictly focused on its Next-Gen Firewall product, had evolved to develop a full suite of complementary cybersecurity products to secure enterprises. Unlike my previous company, Palo Alto Networks’ products are easily integrated for the benefit of our customers. It’s very exciting for me to see our products really work together in a meaningful way.
The pace at which work takes place here is very exciting. In fact, the speed of new-feature and new-offering releases is much faster than any other company I’ve worked for. At Palo Alto Networks, I can work with a range of new security technologies, rather than being entirely focused on one product, and we are constantly innovating, so we are able to see our ideas brought to life rapidly. Here, I don’t have to wait for someone else to solve my problems; instead, I’m empowered to seek solutions and to reach out to others for help. Everyone takes responsibility for the quality of our products, and the results speak for themselves.
I would encourage anyone who is interested in working with the latest and best technology in the cybersecurity industry, with a company that encourages and nurtures creative solutions, to consider working with Palo Alto Networks.
To All Those Who #ChoosetoChallenge
For more than 200 years, women have been pushing barriers, speaking up, challenging expectations, and fighting on the frontlines of change. They’ve carried heavy burdens, lightened others’ loads, met and exceeded expectations. Yet they’ve often been relegated to the background, faced with prevailing inequities that still exist today.
As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who established the first National Women’s History Week in 1980, proclaimed, “Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed.”
At Palo Alto Networks, we know there are no human rights, no freedoms, and no peace without the equality and development of women. This Women’s History Month, we recognize those who have paved the way as well as those who are still fighting for and representing women today.
We see the thousands of employees who raise their hands and speak up to challenge the status quo, and we celebrate you. In honor of this year’s theme, Choose to Challenge, we asked our employees to nominate peers whom they see choosing to challenge, in big and small ways, and we address this open letter to sing their praises.
To the women who strive hard to ensure that anything they know, they share with everyone. “If she opens a door,” said one employee, “she is sure to keep it open for anyone else … and if someone is hesitant, she’ll happily hold their hand.”
To the women who are “passionate advocate(s) for equality and social justice and an ally to all groups.”
To all the men who challenge stereotypes and biases and are advocates for women in the workplace. “I can’t think of many male leaders in my career who have ever promoted someone while they were out on leave, and I thought it spoke volumes about who he is as a leader. It didn’t matter that I had taken maternity leave; what mattered was my value to the organization … He has inspired me to be a better leader, challenge the status quo, and shatter any glass ceiling that gets in my way.”
To the female colleagues who encourage conversations around compensation. “Women fear speaking out about their compensation,” one female manager told a team member. “Do not feel awkward or ashamed to discuss what you feel is fair or right to you. Men do not fear discussing this, so don’t, for one second, doubt yourself when it comes to these very important matters.”
To the women who write blogs about returning to work after maternity leave, reassuring their colleagues that they, too, can successfully return and deliver results. “Being a mother is an additional power and brings a lot of good qualities not only in personal lives but also our professional lives.”
To those dedicated to programs designed to inspire and educate girls, such as the Girl Guides program. They are “doing the hands-on work to help mold the next generation of dynamic female leaders!”
To the woman who is “the most driven person I know,” whose “commitment to quality when no one is watching is inspiring … her capability, her passion, and her ability to create an environment that challenges the way things are.”
To the recruiter who “hunts for the best-of-the-best diverse candidates,” and who is eager to increase the diversity pipeline. “Her passion is representing the minorities and helping qualify, network, and share their best qualities to help them land outstanding opportunities.”
To the woman who “has been an incredible energy and force in challenging bias and inequality and raising the level of consciousness in our everyday lives. By not being silent but instead openly and constructively communicating, as well as being deeply aware, analytical, and articulate, she has influenced and become a role model for all around her.”
To the “inclusive leader with the unique ability to lead an international team of people of various nationalities and cultures … She is always leading us by example and very appreciative of the contributions of everyone involved.”
To the woman from a third-world, patriarchal culture who never had a choice but to challenge stereotypes. “I chose STEM education as I believed that women can contribute to tech just as men can. Despite all discouragements, I have continued my cause by mentoring my junior fellows and hoping to be the voice for those women for whom there are no advocates.”
To all the women who demonstrate integrity and character in every personal and professional interaction. They “break barriers and challenge the status quo while empowering, aligning, and inspiring those around them.”
To the vice presidents with transformational, result-oriented leadership styles who “fire up peers and team members with clear communication, meaningful engagements, and measurable goals, unleashing others’ competitive spirit.”
To every woman who is “committed to doing what she can to make her world a better place… She always does this with a smile, a chuckle, and an incredibly positive outlook.”
We dedicate this letter to all the women and men who inspired this letter by choosing to challenge themselves and those around them every single day:
Nicole Tate
Cait Grimm
Steve Januario
Sarita Dogra
Meghan Marks
Roshni Dattagupta
Nancy Yu
Carolina Peters
Elizabeth Wheeler
Shea Trautwein
Elina Vartanyan
Mehrnaz Amjadi
Lynette Owens
Sumita Sharma
Megan Wilson
We hope this inspires you to do your part, spread the message, and Choose to Challenge!
A Great Place to Grow
I started working for Palo Alto Networks in November 2019, joining the front-end team for Prisma Cloud Compute, part of Prisma Cloud, the company’s cloud-native security platform. Prisma Cloud secures the host, container, and functions across the application lifecycle and provides vulnerability management, compliance, and runtime defense.
I work with the team responsible for the user-interface functionality and visualization that enables the user to secure, monitor, and manage the application security. We take pride in our efforts to provide a unique user experience, creating most of our visual components ourselves while also being consistent in design with other aspects of the Prisma Cloud platform. We want to ensure that the experience we would like to have with the application is the one we offer the customer.
In the short time since joining the company, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the industry’s best technologies and talents. I have also learned so much about my field.
I was fortunate to conduct independent technology research as part of our migration to a new front-end framework. I was assigned to research a solution that can fit our styling demands. During this research, I consulted with other front-end teams at Palo Alto Networks — people with whom my team usually does not work — about their technologies. This research allowed me to get in-depth, front-end styling knowledge and have an impact on our product development. I appreciated the opportunity I received to cross-collaborate with others in the organization, gain new insights into technology, and make significant contributions to our product.
Why Palo Alto Networks?
I started my career in 2013, working as a software engineer and an endpoint security team leader. When I decided to go back into software development, I wanted to stay in the cybersecurity field. So the opportunity to work at Palo Alto Networks, a company on the front line of cybersecurity technology, was a perfect fit.
The technological aspect was an important one in my decision to join the company, but just as important was its workplace culture and the investment it makes in its employees.
In fact, Palo Alto Networks places a strong emphasis on employees’ professional and personal development and makes significant investments to provide it. The company offers various resources, courses, and workshops in a multitude of subject areas, so employees who would like to develop their skills in certain areas may do so. These resources are customized according to employees’ interests and knowledge levels so that the information provided is of value to employees. In my short time at the company, I was able to take part in several such courses and workshops. That enriched my knowledge and gave me tools beyond the scope of my work.
Palo Alto Networks’ Culture
Palo Alto Networks has a positive and welcoming culture. It is also an environment of empowerment — employees are encouraged to take full responsibility for their tasks rather than going through a hierarchy or being forced to remain locked in by titles or job descriptions. The company empowers employees to push themselves forward and places value on the sharing of different ideas. That ensures that employees feel heard and that their contributions matter.
Employees are an integral part of this positive culture. In every interaction I have had, professional or other, I have encountered a willingness among others to help as much as possible. There is a very comfortable working environment with a healthy feedback culture that advances and lets us help each other to grow professionally.
Palo Alto Networks is also committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace, which is why the company has implemented several programs, some to which employees can contribute, to ensure a more diverse industry in the future.
Since coming to Palo Alto Networks, I have learned a lot about both cybersecurity technology and myself. I have been able to research new technologies, improve my presentation skills, and even publish my first blog post — all with company encouragement and support. For all these reasons, I highly recommend working for Palo Alto Networks.
Reach for the Career You Want
By Dilruba Malik, Software QA Manager
My background is proof that if you work hard, reach for what you want, and refuse to become derailed by obstacles, you can have the career that you desire. Today, as an Engineering Manager, leading a highly talented software QA engineering team with Palo Alto Networks, I feel I am living the dream I have held since I was a child.
I grew up in rural Bangladesh, where education is a privilege, not a right. But I had a dream that I would someday become an engineer. This goal would by no means be easy to reach, but I had learned early on that I would have to persevere and work extra hard if I were to achieve this goal. I put in many hours of studying, which helped me to take and score well on my college entrance exams.
Just as I was beginning my studies at college, I had to move to the U.S. with my family. I didn’t speak any English, so here I was at age 21, working my way up from the bottom once again. Because I then had to support my family, I had to take a series of odd jobs, at times earning only $5 an hour, and I worked both day and night so that my younger brothers could complete their education.
My first job in the U.S. was at McDonald’s, which gave me a great opportunity to interact with many Americans each day, which helped me to quickly pick up the English language. Eventually, I earned a promotion to assistant store manager. And though I had experienced a setback on the journey to reach my goal of becoming an engineer, I didn’t become discouraged — I knew in my heart that it would happen, but it just might take longer than I had wanted. My hard work paid off and I was accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, where I earned an electrical engineering degree, all while continuing to work and support my family.
After years of hard work, I graduated from Georgia Tech, and I went on to secure engineering roles with several multinational companies, from Microsoft to Cisco, Hitachi Vantara, and, in May 2020, my current role with Palo Alto Networks. I also have been fortunate to be involved in Women in Tech, giving talks and sharing my story to hopefully inspire other women who face challenges. I have a great opportunity through this network to show others what is possible through vision and hard work.
Since joining this company a year ago, I feel I am where I belong. This is a company that welcomes and celebrates the many differing cultures and experiences that our employees bring. I have been welcomed wholeheartedly by my colleagues, despite (thanks to COVID) never having met them in person. In the short time I’ve been here, I have been empowered to introduce many new processes and allowed to bring positive changes that were inspired by my past experiences. This is a company where anyone can voice any concern without hesitation and always feel that you are working together as a very committed and engaged team.
My experiences have taught me to appreciate what I have, to make do with very little, and to treat everyone with respect by understanding each individual’s unique challenges. You never know what someone else is going through or how a little support and encouragement can be just what that person needs to achieve their goal.
As someone who still finds inspiration in challenge and pushing myself to the next level, I am happy to have found a role with Palo Alto Networks, a company that encourages this mindset and offers every employee the chance to take on new responsibilities and push boundaries to see what’s possible. And it makes every employee — no matter where they come from or what they’ve experienced — feel included and welcomed.
A Seat at the Table
By Aneesha More, Senior Customer Success Engineer, Cortex
I grew up in Mumbai with the goal of studying engineering and becoming a hardware designer. I was fortunate to earn a bachelor’s degree in electronics and telecommunications in India — an opportunity that few women in India get to experience. In 2017, I moved to the United States to earn my master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University’s Silicon Valley campus. Upon graduation, I was ready to put my skills to test in the industry. I soon realized that getting a job wasn’t going to be that easy.
I was told by many that companies are more likely to hire if you are referred by an employee. I reached out to a friend who was working at an exciting cybersecurity company named Demisto and asked if he knew of any open positions. He suggested that I come to interview there. I was a little uncertain about entering an industry that I had little experience in. But I did my research and was fascinated by this product. I learned that in only three short years, Demisto had made huge strides in the area of cybersecurity automation.
During my interview, I could see that they were extremely talented people, and I could also hear the passion in their voices. This made me even more excited. As I cleared the different stages of the interview process and was offered the job, I was thrilled about working with this amazing team on this dynamic product. I feel extremely grateful that my friend referred me to this role, and I have never regretted for one moment that I didn’t stick to electrical engineering.
Inclusive Culture
I was hired in August 2018, and seven months later, Demisto was acquired by Palo Alto Networks. I was apprehensive at first. After all, I had just joined Demisto, a company I loved, and I was worried about being able to keep my job, whether my team would remain intact, and whether the product would change. But, very soon, I realized that my current team and managers would remain the same, yet with Palo Alto Networks, we had a much larger presence and endless potential, so this incredible, small team now had an opportunity to shine on a much larger scale.
Not only that, but the workplace culture was wonderful. The company had a true commitment to inclusion and diversity. As an early-in-career woman of color in tech, I appreciated the efforts being made to increase diversity and to discuss a lot of the issues people like me faced each day, which was extremely empowering. I could see how much the company’s leaders cared about their employees.
For a while, I was the only female engineer on the Cortex XSOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) team. But even though the number of females has slightly grown, I definitely have, in the beginning of my career, been the only woman in the room during meetings and conferences, and I have experienced exclusion — albeit unintentional — which was difficult to navigate at first. But as I gained confidence in my work and the more I started talking, the more comfortable I felt asking questions. I think a lot of women worry about asking questions, but I felt like it was my moral responsibility to ask so that others would feel comfortable doing so as well. That was when I started making a place for myself. In my mind, if I’m asking a question worth answering, I have a presence on the team. I’m not fading into the background. I have a voice.
As I became part of Palo Alto Networks, I continued that practice. I was fortunate to have a lot of amazing mentors on the team (who happened to be men) who were extremely helpful and encouraging, and who happily answered those questions and taught me everything I know today. They made a real effort toward being inclusive, which is representative of how this company operates. In fact, my current manager invited me to be part of the hiring team, which I saw as a deliberate effort on his part to show that he cares about diversity on the team — having a woman engineer be a part of the interview process tells the candidate how we want our team to look, and that to me is very special.
Though I don’t think anyone in tech sets out to exclude women, I think the gender gap happens early on, when recruiters are reaching out to new job candidates. Companies seek referrals from current employees they trust to fill open positions. So if there’s a majority of men, they will probably mostly know other men to refer, so the cycle continues. It’s hard for women to make a dent in that network. That’s why I think it’s so important for women to network with each other more than they do — and why we need more of us to share stories about our experiences and show what’s possible.
Nearly 50% of the world’s power is held by women, so without women in cybersecurity, think of the potential we’re missing! Women are multitaskers, with a temperament that enables us to navigate difficult situations calmly and respectfully, and often we can engage one on one with customers in a different, more empathetic way. In a role such as mine, which involves dealing with customers, those talents are crucial. Yet women often lack the confidence to apply for these roles.
In fact, what I’ve seen is that if a job posting lists 10 qualifications, men who may not meet all 10 requirements are still more likely to apply anyway than women are. But you can’t get hired for a job you don’t apply for! So I encourage more women to seek out these roles and to be confident in their abilities. Believe in the value you bring to the workplace — this is a company that I know from personal experience will welcome it.
**The Cortex Customer Success team is looking to bring in more diverse talent. Please check out our careers page for remote opportunities as Customer Success Manager, Customer Success Engineer, and Customer Success Architect roles. If you have a passion for technology and working with customers on cutting-edge products, we want to talk to you! We are hiring Cyber Ninjas all across the United States.**