For our next installment we introduce you to Connie Stack, our Chief Executive Officer here at Next. Keep reading to find out what she enjoys most about working here and her future aspirations.
How long have you worked at Next DLP?
I joined the company in August 2022 after speaking with the amazing team at Norway’s Ubon Ventures.
What is your work background?
My foray into cybersecurity did not follow what many may think is the typical path. I do not have a computer science degree, I am not a math wizard, and I do not hack. I graduated from college with a joint degree in business and sports management and started my career in retail marketing before moving into technology during the dotcom era.
After nearly two decades of professional experience – none of it in cybersecurity – I joined Veracode as the Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Sales Operations in 2011. They had plenty of security expertise and needed an experienced marketer. A few years later I was recruited to the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Digital Guardian. When HelpSystems acquired Digital Guardian in 2021 I became Managing Director/General Manager of their Data Protection Business Unit which included the Digital Guardian, Titus, Boldon James and Vera brands.
How can the cybersecurity industry attract more women?
It’s no big secret that the cybersecurity industry is largely male. One way to improve those numbers is to encourage women to speak and act decisively. Too often women do not speak up and simply wait to be rewarded. We see the repercussions of this in gender salary discrepancies and the lack of female representation throughout the industry. Women make up only 24% of the cyber workforce and a mere 11% in the C-Suite. I encourage all women, no matter the industry, or the role you find yourself in, to share your perspectives and ask for what you want and need to be successful.
During my tenure at Digital Guardian, Mordecai (“Mo”) Rosen joined as Chief Executive Officer. He proved to be an advocate for women by fostering a supportive network and bringing women into the executive leadership team. He promoted me to Chief Strategy Officer and hired women to hold the positions of Chief Technology Officer and Head of Human Resources.
What is your advice for others in cybersecurity?
It is simply to embrace learning. In cybersecurity, you don’t need to code or hack, but having deep knowledge about the solutions you sell and the challenges your buyers face will build your credibility and position you for success. I did not come from a technology or cybersecurity background, but I studied everything I could about the business, technology, and products. I compelled myself to do product demos so I could have real conversations with colleagues and customers about what we were delivering and understand better the problems we solved for customers.
What are your future aspirations for Next DLP?
We are building a new company on top of some brilliant technology and amazing people. Most of the legacy solutions in the industry were designed when organizations operated within walled gardens. Well before companies embraced the Cloud, SaaS applications, Slack, Zoom, and work from anywhere. That world has changed and so has how our adversaries operate. We have an incredible opportunity to change the DLP industry and help our customers protect their organizations.
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