Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 22 | Page 45

CIO OPINION
My experience has made me empathize with women who continue to feel an unspoken burden and judgement for their choices – even if they are well within their rights .
That said : I believe that we are seeing positive changes within the industry , as more women come on board to take on roles within the IT industry . Organizations increasingly recognize the need to make diversity and inclusion central to their talent management strategy , with many stepping up efforts to support and empower women to excel in the workplace .
This is a good start , but beyond one-off initiatives , the industry will need to commit to a cultural shift in the long-haul to be able to effect lasting change in the workplace .
Can you explain how you have built up LogRhythm ’ s presence in Asia Pacific ?
I first joined LogRhythm in 2014 , when they were expanding their business into the Asia Pacific region . As a marketer who ’ s always up for a challenge , it ’ s been a fulfilling and exciting journey being able to lead marketing as well as media and analyst relations to raise the awareness of the LogRhythm brand in the region .
I believe we have done well – my team and I have built marketing-sourced pipelines that contributed to more than half of the company ’ s revenue , which has in turn contributed to a growth rate that more than doubles annually . Now , LogRhythm is seen as a key cybersecurity player in the region , achieving more than a third share of voice against our direct competitors .
How have you advocated for gender fairness and diversity throughout your time in the technology sector ?
We need to have a mindset shift and reframe misconceptions that the tech and cybersecurity industry is reserved for men only . At LogRhythm , I sit on the Global Diversity Council , which oversees the issue of gender equity and diversity of team talent . Together , we have been working towards making our workplace more inclusive and diverse .
When it comes to hiring , I believe that getting the right candidate has everything to do with merit and potential , and nothing to do with age or gender . A few years ago , I hired a 63-year-old female employee to boost sales for LogRhythm . She was our best-performing sales development employee in Asia Pacific .
How has the gender diversity landscape in technology evolved over the last few years ?
There is no denying that more women are in the technology workforce than ever before . We have certainly made strides in breaking stereotypes around women pursuing higher education and later fullfledged careers in the STEM fields . In fact , Singapore itself boasts one of the highest proportions of women in tech in the Southeast Asian
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