Rasha Rajeh, Channel Account Manager, Middle East at Infoblox, discusses the role of women executives in IT security.
Please describe your job role in your organization related to cybersecurity?
I am Infoblox’s Channel Account Manager for the Middle East. I believe in channel scalability and the power of channel to drive customer success. I’m tasked with driving partners to leverage Infoblox offerings across the MEA region by targeting new logo accounts. I also work closely with in-country channel leaders, distributors and resellers to build a more robust partner ecosystem, increase Infoblox’s footprint and grow the business across my territories while ensuring equitable profitability for partners.
What would you describe as the key technical and managerial strengths you have developed across your career?
My journey with Infoblox significantly impacted my professional and personal development, helping me build a tactical approach to enrich my skills and strengths, in particular by developing the operational agility, efficiency and divergent thinking as well as professional adaptability that are so vital in our new world.
Do you think that any of these have been accelerated or inhibited due to gender?
The demand for gender diversity is apparent in the Tech World; for me, it becomes especially necessary to seize opportunities and demand respect in such a male-dominated field. It comes with some hurdles, that is for sure, as we need to push harder for these opportunities, recognition and trust. However, it can also be a good door opener, as people are interested in new diverse insights and perspectives. A diverse workforce can take advantage of new experiences and a wide variety of chances to develop, innovate and enhance collaboration. In general, cybersecurity still has a perception dilemma when it comes to Women in a Cyber World.
Among your peers in cybersecurity what is their general impression about acceleration or inhibition of their career due to gender?
Cybersecurity professionals share the same workplace values, priorities and aspirations in our competitive world but have different challenges. Gender diversity is one challenge for women and keeping up in a male-dominant environment is another. However, the cyber world is even more complex and competitive nowadays, with the need for continuous evolution and transformation, which raises competition. Global companies tend to balance the diversity shortage, challenging everyone to strive for differentiation.
In your opinion, how does diversity enrich the work culture in cybersecurity organizations?
I am lucky that Infoblox highly encourages and implements gender diversity. I have seen how these efforts can leverage diverse perspectives and creativity to drive innovation and create a more profitable and productive business.
Gender diversity empowers organizations to be more agile and innovative, fostering excellent internal and external communication and improving employee engagement and retention rates. In addition, a gender-diverse talent pool enables an organization to attract and retain the best workers. A distinct skill base can also help organizations to offer a broader and more versatile range of products and services. Hopefully, the cybersecurity space can be a more rewarding and welcoming field for everyone.
Please describe some of your favourite experiences in cybersecurity during your career?
Pursuing a career in cybersecurity is extremely exciting and very rewarding, especially as it has become critical to the fabric of any modern business. Besides, it’s a culturally diverse industry, allowing us to interact with and learn from people of different backgrounds and embrace various cultures. Moreover, it enlightens us on the latest innovations, transformations, risks and trends. Finally, since it is such a fast-evolving industry, it offers the ultimate growth potential with plenty of opportunity and chances to make an impact.
Click below to share this article