In the Customers’ Corner
In my role as a Consulting Engineer with the Security Operations, or SecOps, team, I work with the sales account teams in the field. The SecOps team consults with customers about their security programs and how we can help them achieve better security outcomes. We also help account teams extend the relationships from the network security team into the Security Operations Center, or SOC. This helps drive the need to consolidate tools and adopt more of the Palo Alto Networks platform and best practices.
This is unlike any other team I’ve worked within this industry. We’re security people and are focused on security, but we’re more driven by successful customer outcomes and how we can apply our technologies. We’re not looking for ways to shovel tons of our products at them — instead, we’re looking for ways to make them more successful and confident in using our products, protecting their systems.
My team also educates and engages with the Systems Engineers and partners in the field on the various SOC use cases and trending security topics that are top of mind to our customers. What I enjoy about the role is that my day to day is rather dynamic. Every customer interaction is unique, and each one provides insights on how security concerns can vary based on industry. We are truly working to partner with customers as technical advisors.
Although many who work in cybersecurity come from a variety of backgrounds, I actually studied systems engineering in college and began my career in network security. In previous roles with other companies, I worked to help safeguard data for the financial services and insurance sector, and that’s where I first encountered Palo Alto Networks’ products. But more than the quality of the technology, what I was hearing increasingly from competitors and colleagues was about its great company culture. That gave me the confidence to take the leap and pursue a role with the company.
Family Feeling
Now that I’ve been with Palo Alto Networks for over three years, I can see what those people were talking about. If I had to pick one word that describes the company culture, I’d pick “family.” The family feeling here is what sets this company apart. Even though I work remotely, I work on a small team of just four consulting engineers, so we’re an intimate, close-knit group. I knew them all before coming to work here, and we already had a great rapport. I have the flexibility to work on my own as well as with the team in our offices when I need that camaraderie and exchange of ideas, so it’s the best of both worlds.
I really enjoy the fact that people in this company, at all levels, are encouraged to engage in dialogue and offer feedback, and that the managers have an open-door policy. But especially within my team, there’s a real openness and a sense of moral support. If they feel I’m struggling or if I need help, they have my back. All I have to do is show up and raise my hand; there are no dumb questions. Being that we’re a team of technical engineers, we’re the throats you choke when things go bad, so having people support you — whether it’s management, your peers, or the president of the company — show up at your meetings, try to kick down doors for you, and celebrate your successes, that is so important, and it’s what I love about working here.
That company culture is a big part of coming to work here too. You need to be someone who has the right aptitude and attitude, to learn and challenge yourself and be receptive to feedback. That’s part of why the interview and hiring process can be long; the company has really grown in the last year, with new acquisitions and larger staffs, but they’ve still successfully maintained that family-oriented feeling, so it’s important to be patient during that process because it’s part of what makes this company special, and it has paid off.
And it’s also important to know that this company values diversity. The leaders here recognize that the more people we include, the more cultures and backgrounds we have offering perspectives, and the stronger and more approachable we make the security community. It used to be that cybersecurity was viewed as a man’s world, but I’ve seen that changing, so my advice is just to show up. Ask questions. Stay curious. There is opportunity in this industry if you’re willing to work hard for it.
Onboarding is Key to the Remote Worker Experience
As Global Onboarding Manager for a cybersecurity company, I find myself in a unique position. I know we’re in a period of historic change where the unemployment rate is at an all-time high, which shifted seemingly overnight, where just a few months ago, we were in the opposite situation. As we navigate the current unprecedented global situation, with all of the changes and outside stressors that all employees are feeling, employee engagement is even more critical than it’s ever been before. However, no matter how many people (or how few) are being hired, onboarding is still a critical piece in the Employee Engagement plan. I’ve seen the value of a good onboarding experience firsthand. In fact, a 2017 report says that a company that invests time in a quality onboarding process not only is 25% more likely to retain its workers, but also will see an 11% increase in performance. And nearly 1 in 10 people have left a company due to poor onboarding experiences.
Looking back over the past few years, I’ve also witnessed Palo Alto Networks grow exponentially, in both our product offerings and our number of employees. However,as we began taking a closer look at attrition and engagement rates, it became clear to us that we were missing the mark with some of our onboarding efforts. The processes we’d followed when the company was a small startup no longer suited a company with our increased size and scope, and they didn’t necessarily address our large remote workforce as effectively as they could have. So we’ve recently initiated a number of changes to the onboarding process for remote employees. This has proved exceptionally important during today’s current WFH (work from home) situation for many employees around the world.
Welcome Day
One of many elements of our onboarding that we redesigned is our initial start day/start week experience for employees, which affects not only those who work at headquarters, but also remote employees. (Note: we mention start date and not “Day One” because for us, Day One is the day you sign your offer; that’s when your onboarding begins!) By your first day, if you’re an employee in the Americas (Canada, the US or Latin America) who is working remotely, you will have already been invited to participate in Pre-Boarding (a virtual learning path you received after you signed your offer) and been sent an invitation to “Virtual Welcome Day”. Using Zoom conferencing and G Suite collaboration tools, you’ll take part in an interactive, live, facilitated session that was specifically designed to deeply engage remote workers. In this interactive environment, you’ll connect and participate with people of all backgrounds from different countries , and you’ll learn about our company, our values, our platform, and our resources. Feedback from the last two quarters of participants in this new program has been overwhelmingly positive — our program earned an NPS (net promoter score) of 96 — that’s something we’re very proud of.
The First Three Months
Our efforts to engage remote employees don’t stop after Virtual Welcome Day. One of the takeaways at the end of the session is the introduction to “Level Up,” our digital learning platform, which features a 90-day on-demand onboarding path. By using this approach, our new hires get on-demand materials in a way that’s more easily digestible and retained, presented when they’re ready for it, and ensuring they’re set up with the tools they need to become happy, engaged, long-term employees.
We also connect with our employees multiple times within their first three months — checking in, sharing resources, and getting their feedback. A new job is a big life change, and it can be hard to recall everything you’ve learned on your first day, so we make this information continuously accessible. By getting their perspectives, we ensure a dynamic program that meets their needs.
The massive growth of the cybersecurity industry means that we’re continuing to hire new employees. The workforce is evolving, and if we’re going to remain successful, our onboarding efforts must constantly evolve with it. I’m proud of the changes we’ve made so far and look forward to finding new opportunities to help all employees to stay meaningfully connected to Palo Alto Networks.
Dare to Dream
I am a dynamic, creative, energetic, passionate woman and mother of two, and I have worked for the last four years as a Sales Representative for Palo Alto Networks, in the Asia Pacific, or APAC, region. In my role, I’ve been mainly selling to clients in the banking and finance sector. Because I have consistently exceeded my targets and set sales records within APAC, I’ve been given the exciting opportunity to lead the Enterprise team in Singapore to begin taking on new challenges in sales.
Sales is the frontline of technology — it’s where we present solutions to the clients. When we’re selling, we need to know our products well so that we can cater our solutions to appropriately address our clients’ problems. It’s a goal-oriented role in which we’re measured by how well we meet our targets. But it’s also quite fun in that we’re meeting many new people and building relationships with them. There’s a lot of flexibility in how we manage our work. I find that the greatest sense of achievement comes from helping clients to fend off their digital adversaries and protect their digital way of life.
From my years of working in this role, I’ve learned that I need to constantly think outside the box to find solutions that disrupt our competition in the marketplace and win over new clients. I’ve learned the importance of always staying positive when taking on challenges and accepting rejection. I also need to be open to changes in mindset in order to drive my team members forward to achieve our desired results.
Following My Heart
I come from a family with a background in the food and beverage industry, so I used to believe my career path in that industry was set. Fortunately, I have supportive parents who encouraged me to pursue my interest in technology — a much more specialised field than simply “Business Studies.” I chose to earn a degree in information technology and to work in technology sales, specifically, because it is ever-changing, like a chameleon. It is so important for every facet of our lives, and there are so many distinct roles within the field that contribute to our digital lives. Much like the fashion industry, I see technology as a very colourful trade. I’ve enjoyed my career in tech ever since I embarked on it almost a decade ago, and I’ve never looked back.
I’ve noticed that there seems to be an association between computers and the male gender, particularly having to do with gaming or coding. There seems to be the impression that technology is very complex and binary, and for some reason they believe that men are better “wired” to work in the field. This may be why fewer women work in tech than men. However, I don’t see gender as predisposing anyone to be “better” at technology. In fact, the diverse perspectives and approaches toward solving problems that come from having a blend of backgrounds, genders, and cultures contributes to a healthier organization and technology sector.
This can be a demanding career, though, which is why I find it important to maintain work-life balance. I do this by incorporating a weekly exercise regimen at the gym, keeping a weekly schedule for keeping up with friends and spending time with family, and taking holidays at least twice a year. I enjoy going out for a great meal and cocktails, taking drives by myself to explore new places and experiences, and shopping. I try to live by the motto, “Work hard, and play harder.”
I think whatever career you choose, you should find it satisfying and enjoyable. A job is where you spend time every day for most of your life, so it should be something that you care deeply about and find enjoyment in. Start with the right attitude, and don’t let your first impression of any industry turn you away. Know that there are numerous careers outside of the typical coding or tech support within the technology sector, so if tech is something that interests you, it’s worth exploring roles within it that suit your interests and talents. Be yourself and dare to dream!
The Future of Work
“I love my job because I get to play a small part in securing our future way of life. I look after those working tirelessly to make that happen. ”
I was approached to join the Workplace Resources team in Singapore when I was running a think-design co-working space. Being amongst start-ups and entrepreneurs, I loved the high energy, dynamism, and collaborative spirit. At first, I was hesitant at the idea of joining a more mature work environment in the highly technical space of cybersecurity. I felt nervous as I came from the hospitality industry where I was a wellness specialist, and I knew nothing about cybersecurity. That very quickly was put to rest as I found myself working with a dream team and every single person that I came across from day one has been welcoming, helpful, and smart. I can count on my colleagues to give me honest feedback when something is not working, and at the same time, I can always count on them for help.
Joining Palo Alto Networks, I was excited to learn about the products and to educate myself on cloud services and solutions. It could not be more different than what I was trained in but I wanted to stretch myself and to grow out of my comfort zone so the learning got easier. There are online modules that I can take to help me learn about our products and services, as well as webinars and workshops that I can attend to improve myself. This knowledge has helped me tremendously in crafting the work experience and enhancing employee’s engagement through targeted amenities, events and CSR activities. Another thing that stood out is that there are many opportunities for cross-functional projects here and there is an amazing amount of internal mobility to broaden your scope and experience.
I love my job because I get to play a small part in securing our future way of life, by looking after the people who are working tirelessly to make that happen. My goal is to create spaces that are high-performing to enable collaboration, creative ideas and productivity. This is the future that I am building at Palo Alto Networks.
Navigating A New Routine
I am a Senior IT Systems Engineer in the IT Department and I’ve been working at Palo Alto Networks for 2.7 years. My wife, Viki, is a Deputy Manager of the X-Ray Department for Assuta Hospital in Ashdod and we have 2 kids, Nicole who is 6 years old, and Adam who is 3 years old.
Before this crazy COVID-19 period, I would go into the office every day. And, although I had the option of working from home when needed, I really preferred going into our cool office and working with my team in person. After a day at the office, I would commute back home and spend some time supporting my colleagues in the United States. Since COVID-19, my routine has changed.
Now I work from home every day with our 2 kids. My wife is very busy working at the hospital, so it is quite challenging at home at times. I’m learning how to balance my days as a dad and as an employee. The only time I get to work quietly is at noon, while my youngest child is sleeping and the older one is watching her daily movie, or in the evenings when my wife is back from work.
Since my wife and I work from home in the evenings, we already have a dedicated room with a working station. So didn’t have to upgrade anything special. I have a large deck with a 25″ screen which I connect my laptop to – not as comfortable as my 3 large screens at work, but does the trick 🙂
Throughout this, I have learned that there are advantages to working from home. Between attending Zoom sessions, managing my daily tasks and projects, and working closely with my teammates, I can be as effective working from home as I am working at the office. I’ve also learned to be more flexible with my working hours so I could spend more time with my kids while balancing my job. And one of the biggest advantages of working from home is, of course, the time saved on commuting.
Palo Alto Networks has provided support to all its employees and has set aside additional funds to make sure their employees are taken care of. I personally feel like whatever is needed for an employee to work efficiently will be provided. The entire organization understands this special situation and is really supportive of all employees.
An Ever-Changing Landscape
Trevor Coetzee, Director, Regional Sales, South Africa
I’ve been in sales for most of my life, and I’ve worked in sales in the cybersecurity industry for 19 years. What has kept me in this industry for so long is that the landscape is always changing. When I first began working in the field, I was making 50 or 60 cold calls a day, cybersecurity was just antivirus software and a firewall, and people were still doing data updates via CD and floppy disks. I was intrigued by the fact that security was increasingly important, and I realized that in this business, I would never get bored. What started with antivirus and firewalls shifted to content filtering, vulnerability management, compliance, and now 3,000 new security vendors handling all kinds of niche technologies. The threat landscape is constantly changing, and so does the work as a result. I got hooked very early on by the fact that I’m continuously learning, so I’ve remained in the industry. The only constant in cybersecurity is change, and that’s very exciting.
In my role as Regional Sales Director, I work from Johannesburg, South Africa, and oversee a growing cybersecurity market in the South African Development Community (SADC), a region comprised of 16 member states. Since joining Palo Alto Networks less than a year ago, I’ve watched this territory grow from where we had only four people on our team to now having almost 20 by the coming fiscal year. What’s most exciting to me about my role with Palo Alto Networks is the sheer speed of change, growth, and acquisition, as well as my ability to see the business as a personal franchise and to be autonomous while accountable in helping drive that growth.
Part of my job has been, over the last few months, to grow our team by bringing on talented individuals to help grow our presence in the region. I’ve always ascribed to the philosophy that you should hire people stronger than yourself, who can do the job better than you. I’m proud to say that we’ve assembled a team of tremendously talented individuals who each challenge and push each other, so that has strengthened our team as a whole. So in a very short space of time, we’ve jointly assessed where we need to go and where we want to end up, and we have the best metrics and processes for getting there. For me, that’s a success story.
What Sets Us Apart
I’ve worked for a lot of other companies in this business, but when I was ready to make a career move, Palo Alto Networks really stood out in terms of its technology, its organic growth, its research and development, its excellent leadership, and its customer relationships. Even before coming to work here, I noted that it continually hired excellent leaders, and its Net Promoter Score (NPS) and CSAT Score — which are crucial measures of customer satisfaction — were always in the top quartile, which is beyond great. Its execution, day in and day out, in all the ways that count, was very appealing to me and told me this was a company I could truly grow with.
Also, the other companies I’d been with are mature, stalwarts in the business, while here is uncapped potential, a company that drives technologies and revenues like a pre-IPO startup, and that startup mentality made it very exciting for me to get on board. We have the backing of a huge organization, but with the ability to be entrepreneurial.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was that it’s the little productive actions, repeated consistently over time, that add up to the difference between failure and success. What I have observed about Palo Alto Networks is that it consistently, successfully executes those productive actions that to me spell out success and longevity for the company, and for my career here.
I have also always believed in the principle of the Say:Do ratio when it comes to leadership — it refers to the difference between what you say you do and your actual execution. There are plenty of leaders who talk a lot of hot air and deliver nothing, but the leaders with strong Say:Do ratios, the ones that do what they say they’re going to do — those are the ones you go to war with, and that’s one of the things that really stood out to me about this company. The leaders maintain integrity and have a high Say:Do ratio, and that tells me I’m in the right place.
Using Data to Improve Our Customers’ Experiences
Working in data science wasn’t a career that I ever aspired to, although technology has always been a part of my life. In fact, when I was growing up, my mother worked for IBM, and I still remember the first computer she brought home.
Before taking this job, I had worked for several companies doing market research, community management, and product management. Just prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, I was co-founder and VP of Product & Marketing for three years for a startup called Shocase, which was winding down its business. I knew someone that worked for Palo Alto Networks, and he reached out to me and said, “I’m looking for a junior version of you to come in and handle market research.”
It was great timing for me to transition away from the startup, so I told him, “I know someone who’s not a junior version of me but is the real version of me! Why don’t I work as a consultant for you on whatever you need until you find someone full time?”
So I did some consulting work for a couple months, as an independent contractor, and eventually I became a full-time employee, and I really love what I do.
What is Data Science?
When I first joined Palo Alto Networks, my team did traditional market research into consumer behavior with regard to cybersecurity. We used the basic tools of that trade — surveys and focus groups, that kind of thing. We still do that, but we’ve taken it a step further. As new members of the Marketing Data Science team, we combine our market research with data science in order to better understand the customer experience.
Like a lot of companies today, Palo Alto Networks utilizes technology to capture data about our customers. Obviously, as a cybersecurity company, the data we’re capturing typically pertains to the type of business they have, how they’re using and storing their sensitive information, and how their internet security is managed. Historically, our marketing data science team has been charged with building a variety of predictive models — lead rank scores, account rank scores, churn models, etc.
But now, under the Marketing Data Science umbrella, we’re all part of one team, so we can work together to ensure that the market research we collect is fed into the models the data science experts are building in order to make them as accurate as possible.
As part of this, we use a customer feedback, measurement, and management system called Medallia. We collect feedback across key touch points that customers have with Palo Alto Networks. These include surveys about onboarding, relationship, customer support, professional services, and customer success — every interaction we have with customers from the beginning — and we use that information in the data science models to determine the impacts of those interactions on customer value.
So what we’re really focused on is taking the customer experience to the next level. Everything we do revolves around helping people make better decisions, and taking better care of our customers. It’s about not only nurturing potential customers, but also ensuring that existing customers are happy, and their environments are better protected.
And that’s what makes me excited to come to work each day — that challenge of doing new and different things. I like to solve problems and take on challenges, so this job is really a perfect fit.
Company Culture
I had always been aware of cybersecurity before joining Palo Alto Networks but I wasn’t really aware of the ins and outs of the industry. I have a personal connection to it because I’ve been a victim of scenarios involving hackers — in situations when I took for granted that my personal data was safe, but it wasn’t. So the fact that we as a business can come in and solve those problems and protect people’s sensitive data and make customers more confident in interacting with others online, that’s extremely important.
I would say the biggest transition for me was moving from a business-to-consumer (B2C) company to a business-to-business (B2B) company. Before I joined Palo Alto Networks, I’d worked for a lot of different companies, but mostly they were B2C — selling products directly to individual consumers — and C2C, which is consumers selling to consumers. It’s a very different process to engage with business customers versus individual consumers. Here, we have a physical product that we’re building, and we have a Sales team that needs to sell these products, but it’s not like it’s something where they can pay and we hand it to them and we’re done. It’s a long lead cycle with a lot of people and processes involved, whereas in the companies where I’ve worked, it was more like, “Here’s my website; please go there to buy my product.”
Overall, I definitely had to get up to speed on what, exactly, the company does and how a B2B company works, and that was a bit of a transition. Fortunately, a lot of very generous people were happy to walk me through the details about how our products are different from those of our competitors. I think that the people here are very dedicated and smart, and they work together well. Even if you’re not working in the same group or department with them, they’re always very collaborative. They always want to help you. If you reach out to somebody with a question, they’ll respond to it. I really appreciate that collaborative nature.
Growing my Career with Internal Mobility
I joined Palo Alto Networks in May of 2016 as a Major Account Manager. I was so excited to join the cybersecurity industry, one that drew me because of its global mission and vision. The leadership team in this region was compelling, looking at how the strong management team in Greater China would help my professional career and knowledge. Building my reputation, gaining experience, and deepening my knowledge under the tutelage of Adrian Chan’s and Wickie Fung’s leadership has provided me with so many opportunities. It’s hard to explain how grateful I am for this opportunity, and how much I have learned from them since joining almost four years ago.
It wasn’t just about learning new things when I joined here. My managers and support system know both my strengths and weaknesses, helping me develop my strengths, and mitigate weaknesses to make me a stronger sales professional. With Wickie’s advice, I built my industry knowledge, while he partnered with me to close deals that supported our client’s infrastructure and goals for protecting their data.
It wasn’t all work, though. The leadership team builds an environment that created a sense of fun, momentum, challenge, and appreciation. All of us are work-hard play-hard, but underlying this is our commitment to integrity and execution. When I was working for HK team, Wickie also assigned me to be “CEO” of the team – Chief Entertainment Officer. If you focus too heavily on work every day, especially in an industry as high pressure as ours, it becomes heavy. The burden can be difficult – the threats we face each day get bigger, more difficult. But that doesn’t mean we stay serious – in fact, it’s so important to create an environment that lightens the burdens we all face in our drive to the mission. After every quarter, we find a way to connect more personally with each other, and my role as Chief Entertainment Officer is to find a way to connect us on this level more often.
Apart from working for the Hong Kong Team, the leadership team with individuals like Adrian Chan help us build momentum within Greater China. Because of the retail industry and customer business needs, I am often pulled across Greater China and surrounding APAC countries. It’s given me exposure to new cultures, experiences, and professional capabilities. I’ve been driven to collaborate around the region, identifying the best possible solutions for our customers seeking answers to the complex cyber threats facing them around the world.
Starting my 16th quarter at Palo Alto Networks, with management support, I joined the Globals team here, now working as Regional Global Account Manager for Greater Chinese global accounts. In this transition, I can feel our company’s commitment to inclusion, knowing that they care about our career development, progression, and incorporation of more voices at every level and background. Each new opportunity I earn, I feel as though there’s an entirely new job to learn. This position is a lot different from my previous role, giving me exposure to new opportunities and people who can build my own capability and development.
Today, Palo Alto Networks has already been an industry market leader and I’m proud to be a part of the team. It’s truly a disruption driven environment, and it’s amazing what we can accomplish together, with our incredible coworkers and products.
But my success wasn’t an accident. I have been successful for a lot of reasons – and some of the keys to my success are many. For me? It comes down to communication and collaboration. These skills are so important to the team, and through that comes the feeling of inclusion, and the opportunity to identify the best strategy and solution. No solution is created without contributions from different perspectives. Success is never attributed to an individual, instead, it’s the strengths of a team that create the best result.
For the Aspiring Women in Technology
Sonal Sethia
There are times that I believe women are held to a higher standard than men. We’re expected to juggle multiple roles every day: a great mom, a loving daughter, a supportive spouse, a career ninja, just to name a few. And with all of this, we’re expected to balance the rigors of the workplace: upcoming deadlines for projects, acing battle cards with a competitor, and driving results at every customer interaction.
On days that I’m struggling to keep it all under control, I remember the advice offered by Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo. She points to a strong network of support from others in your life as the key to success. But she also famously disagrees with the idea that women can “have it all.” She believes we’re always going to be making sacrifices, either at home or at work — and that’s OK. I am mindful of my own choices and know that there are sacrifices behind each choice I make. And my own community of support makes it easier to wear my various hats and accomplish as much as I do.
Equally important is finding an employer that supports women in the workforce. I’m fortunate that I work for a high-tech company that not only actively recruits women and values the diverse perspectives women bring to the industry, but also encourages a healthy work-life balance because they know this balance ultimately results in happier, more productive employees. Not every company operates this way, and it makes me appreciate my job even more.
The Winding Path to Happiness
As a young teen, I was always interested in technology, and the desire to pursue computer networking as a career option got stronger over the years. I started as a Technical Support Engineer for a telecommunications giant. It seemed I was on the fast track to success, but I soon encountered difficulty on my career journey when I was laid off from one of my first jobs.
I still remember that day vividly: Our entire department had been outsourced, and the newbies, myself included, were the first ones to be let go. Devastated, I spent an hour in my car, crying my eyes out. But after that initial shock, I got my things together, drove home, and immediately planned my job hunt. Within a month, I landed my next job, the one that helped me identify my passion for operations and defined my career.
I spent the better part of my career delivering customer-focused services to large technology organizations. When I had the opportunity to apply my expertise and experience in the cybersecurity industry, it felt like the natural next step. Today I’m with a company that values my contributions and fulfills me every single day. When I look back, I feel grateful to have been faced with that difficult challenge early on. I learned an important life lesson through that experience: We rarely unlock our true potential unless we are challenged with some kind of obstacle or are forced to overcome adversity. What’s more? I think it’s there for each of us. When you look at someone across the table, you might see someone successful. But what you forget is that they might have had their own moment in their own car, crying their eyes out.
Bringing More Women to the Table
There is a massive shortage of cybersecurity professionals today, and the fight against bad actors, who come from disparate backgrounds, demands a wider variety of people to better our chances of success. Encouraging people from diverse backgrounds and with varying levels of expertise will increase creativity and lead to better business outcomes. Women are natural multitaskers and bring such highly valued traits as empathy and team building to the workplace. Augmenting our workforce with women at the decision-making table will make us better at what we do.
Women should know that their skills and perspectives are wanted and needed in technology, and although it can be challenging at times, it also can be very rewarding. For me personally as the mother of small children, I know that the work I’m doing in cybersecurity will affect their lives as they grow older, and I find that enormously satisfying.
I also can attest to the guilt of passing on “mom duties” to take care of job responsibilities — it’s very real and can be all-consuming. I recommend that any woman interested in a career in technology should find a supportive group of other moms who are in the same boat — women struggling with work-life balance — with whom they can share common experiences and seek advice. This can be hugely therapeutic.
For women just starting out in technology, I know how it feels. It’s not the easiest of paths, but it’s getting easier. Here’s what helped me:
- Identify a mentor or mentors, and don’t be afraid to reach out to them for direction. Make it a two-way street and offer your own assistance and feedback when it’s appropriate.
- Periodically do a self-analysis. Jot down your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, just as any company’s marketing department would. Read a lot, and seek ways to enhance your skills in order to convert those weaknesses into strengths.
- Keep an eye out for opportunities that showcase your potential. Women can be extremely self-critical and are more likely to underestimate our own impact. Advocate for yourself and brush up on those negotiation skills.
The strongest asset in my career is my ability to solve problems. I am a fixer and an extensive planner, and I’m persistent in reaching my goals. I am also highly competitive and want to be the best version of myself. Identifying my strong suits early on has helped me navigate my career and excel. I’ve also been fortunate to have worked with other strong women who have exemplified that work-life balance and have been career champions, guiding me along my journey.
It can sometimes feel like you have to be a superhero to succeed at home and at work, but when things get rough, I remind myself of these words from my favorite superhero, Wonder Woman: “You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know.” And when you’re feeling like everything is falling apart? Know there are others here waiting to lift you up.
Culture of Empowerment
KP Unnikrishnan (Unni) , Vice President, Marketing (Japan & Asia-Pacific)
I had the privilege of hearing Nir Zuk, the founder of Palo Alto Networks, speak at an event in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) when the company was still a startup. When I heard him talk about wanting to change the world, create disruption, and do something different from what the industry had traditionally been doing. It was very motivating and inspiring!
In my brief conversation with Nir, he laid out his vision for the company, which had at that time a negligible presence in APAC. A few months later, when someone from Palo Alto Networks reached out to me for an opportunity in marketing, I remembered his inspiring talk and vision to disrupt the cybersecurity market.
But I did have a couple of concerns: Was this another exciting startup story that would fail to prove itself in the market? Would the vision of the founders get translated to action? Was the senior management serious about the company’s worldwide expansion plan, and how soon would that be achievable?
I had several meetings with the leadership team to understand the goals and the plans. By then, I was impressed by what I learned and observed about the company’s products, vision, and culture. And so I bit the bullet and came on board.
A Safer Tomorrow
I have two daughters, and I constantly think about their future. Working for Palo Alto Networks is rewarding in that respect. First, this is such an inclusive and diverse company that I feel reassured about the future we are building for young girls like my daughters. It’s really important to me to work for a company that believes anyone should be able to participate and be respected and empowered in the workplace.
We live in a world where everything is automated. When my daughters are ready to enter the workforce, their entire lives will be digital, and I want them to be safe. Today, they’re still young enough that they can jump into things without thinking about security. They just assume they are safe. I have to constantly remind them of what I do and how we can’t take our safety for granted. I’m proud to be working for a company that is working to ensure a safer tomorrow for them.
I really enjoy the work I do. I look forward to starting work each day — it’s about doing your part to make a change. I want my daughters to see that it’s important to work hard and challenge yourself, but also that it should be meaningful and fun. I’ve never had the Monday morning blues since joining this organization. Every Monday, I wake up ready to get started. I want them to see that that’s possible for them as well.
A Day in the Life
As Vice President of Marketing, my work encompasses so many different activities. It’s about getting the Palo Alto Networks brand and demand out into the market, and that means more than marketing in the traditional sense — it’s also about education. It’s our job to help people understand the need for security in the digital age and how we can help with that need. That education extends to working with our partners, those who are selling or making systems that utilize our cybersecurity products, to help them understand how our products work and why they’re important.
It’s also our job to ensure that customers are fully utilizing our products. We are not a company that wants to sell you something and then disappear. We are consciously working every day to make sure customers see the value in our products, get the maximum functionality out of those products, and trust us enough to continue using them.
Another part of my work is being involved with training programs for new hires, and I talk to them about our philosophy, our workplace culture, and our marketing efforts. It helps me to be connected to almost everybody who comes on board, and that’s fun. I’m so happy to be in a position to help Palo Alto Networks grow and to help people’s careers grow as well.
Since I started here six years ago, Palo Alto Networks has experienced impressive growth. When I look at how far we’ve come from when I started — when we had just a handful of employees and very little brand recognition — to where we are today, I’m really proud. When I first came on board, there were only three of us on the Marketing team, and in my time we’ve grown to where the marketing team in the theatre is over 30.
As a company, we are a dominant player in the market, and because of that and the fact that the entire Palo Alto Networks team is passionate and energized about what we do, we are constantly meeting people who know about us and want to work with us, and that is great.
No Job Is Too Small
Although we’ve grown by leaps and bounds, the company culture hasn’t changed. Sometimes when a startup grows, cultures get diluted and new leadership will cause that initial startup spirit to erode. But even as we’ve gone through a leadership change, those good aspects have remained. It makes me feel confident about my choice to work here.
This is not a company where you follow a narrow, prescribed job description and work in a silo. Instead, everyone rolls up their sleeves and does what’s needed. No job is too small. I love that approach. I come from a culture where you get the job done first and then decide who gets the credit, so for me, that really resonated.
In this organization, people are empowered to try new things. We aren’t punished for making mistakes, and we aren’t limited to our specific roles. It’s not a place where corporate leaders create new policies or procedures without input and say, “You can only do it this way.”
Instead, we have fantastic synergy where we all know our mission, and we are encouraged to follow those “Eureka!” moments and go make new ideas happen in order to accomplish that mission. It’s not about the job title. You wear the Palo Alto Networks team hat first. That’s the priority. Then comes your department, and after that comes your particular role. Titles aren’t as important as doing whatever needs to get done.
Obviously, there are company guidelines and a strategy to follow, but within that, we are empowered to do what’s right for the customer and the business, first and foremost. Because of this approach, we’re all a really strong team, and we have so much respect for and trust in each other. There’s such a strong culture of camaraderie, respect, and integrity. People are always making the effort to work harder, be better, do more.
“Inclusion and diversity” have become buzzwords in the corporate world, but it doesn’t always mean those companies walk the walk. Palo Alto Networks takes action and makes it part of the culture. That’s why the word “inclusion” is one of our company values. In practice, this means that no matter who you are, how young or experienced you are, or even how new you are to the company, we all play an important part of the work being done. We all can make an impact. And everyone within the organization holds themselves accountable.
And we’re all committed to continuous learning. The industry and the market are constantly evolving, so the way you might have done something five years ago to be successful may not bring you success tomorrow. You can’t be content with the status quo. The onus is on each person, as an employee, to stay educated and ensure you have the tools and knowledge you need. I tell my team, “Your career and your destiny are in your hands.” You can’t blame others if you aren’t where you’d like to be. You have to take the ownership — ask for what you need, find solutions to problems, learn what you need to know, and carve out your own role.