Organised by Eskenzi PR in media partnership with the IT Security Guru, the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aim to shed light on the remarkable women in our industry. The following is a feature on one of 2026’s Top 20 women selected by an esteemed panel of judges. Presented in a Q&A format, the nominee’s answers are written in their own words.
In 2026, the awards were sponsored by BT, Bridewell, Plexal and Fidelity International. Community partners included WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, Women in Tech and Cybersecurity Hub (WiTCH) and Seidea.
What does your job role entail?
As CEO of DataBee®, a Comcast Company, I lead the strategy, vision, and execution of a cybersecurity business built around an entirely new way of managing risk: transforming messy, disconnected security data into clean, analytics‑ready datasets that empower organizations to make smarter, faster decisions. My role sits at the intersection of technology, customer need, and long‑term business value.
Day to day, that means listening closely to CISOs, GRC leaders and security data analytics teams about their challenges. My team and I align our product innovation around their most urgent problems, and ensuring our teams can deliver meaningful, measurable impact. I spend a great deal of time translating complex security outcomes into a narrative that resonates — whether that’s for customers, internal stakeholders, or the broader industry.
I also view a core part of my role as building a culture where technical excellence and human empathy coexist. Cybersecurity is high‑pressure by nature. Teams do their best work when they feel supported, trusted, and connected to a mission bigger than themselves. My goal is to create an environment where everyone is empowered to think differently, move quickly, and challenge assumptions — because innovation rarely happens in straight lines.
Ultimately, my job is to ensure that DataBee not only meets the needs of today’s cyber challenges but actively helps shape what secure, data‑driven enterprises will look like in the future.
How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
My path into cybersecurity wasn’t a straight line; it was the result of following problems that genuinely mattered to me. Early in my career, I gravitated toward highly technical fields where the stakes were real and the impact tangible — everything from STEM research to complex engineering environments. What originally pulled me toward cybersecurity was seeing firsthand how foundational digital trust had become. Every company, regardless of sector, was rapidly transforming, and yet security teams were often expected to operate without the data foundation, tooling, or organizational alignment they needed.
My entry point came through solving data problems at scale. I became fascinated by how scattered, inconsistent, and incomplete security telemetry made it nearly impossible for teams to detect threats, validate controls, or communicate risk with any precision. The more I learned, the clearer it became that the industry didn’t just need more tools — it needed structural rethinking.
When I joined Comcast’s Technology division, I had the opportunity to build a commercially available platform that tackled these issues head‑on, turning raw, disparate data into clean, trustworthy “security datasets” that enable true continuous controls assurance. That work ultimately evolved into DataBee.
I stayed in cybersecurity because it’s a field where purpose and innovation align. It’s endlessly challenging, but it also gives you the chance to protect people, organizations, and even national infrastructure. That’s a mission worth committing to.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
One of the most persistent challenges I’ve faced is being underestimated early in new roles or environments — especially when leading highly technical teams or entering spaces not historically designed with women in mind. It’s not usually overt. It often shows up subtly: assumptions about what you know, what you’re there to do, or how deeply you understand the technology.
Early in my career, I felt pressure to constantly “prove” myself, which can be exhausting and counterproductive. Over time, I reframed the challenge. Instead of trying to outpace assumptions, I chose to let my work, clarity of thought, and consistency speak for themselves. When you turn ambiguity into direction, when you simplify the complex, when you help people connect dots they didn’t see before — credibility compounds quickly.
I also learned the value of amplifying my own voice. Women are often socialized to wait for permission or perfect timing. In cybersecurity, perfect timing doesn’t exist. I became much more intentional about stating a point early, driving a strategic debate, or redirecting a conversation that was heading down the wrong path. Not aggressively — confidently.
Finally, I’ve had the benefit of strong mentors and advocates who saw my capabilities before I, and others, did. Their support helped me move past the instinct to “fit in,” and instead focus on bringing my full, unique perspective to the table. Once I did, that challenge became far less relevant.
What are you doing to support other women, and/or to increase diversity, in the tech/cyber industry?
One of my priorities — and joys — in leadership is developing talent, particularly women and underrepresented groups who may not immediately see themselves in cybersecurity roles. Representation creates possibility. When people see someone who looks like them leading, innovating, and shaping the industry, it changes what they believe is achievable.
I invest deeply in mentorship, both formal and informal. Sometimes that means helping women navigate career decisions, sometimes it’s creating space for them to take on stretch opportunities they might not have pursued on their own. Cybersecurity is full of brilliant people who underestimate their readiness. A small nudge can alter an entire trajectory.
Within DataBee, I work hard to build a culture where expert voices are not only welcomed but actively sought out. When we design teams, we consider expertise that can present itself in non-traditional ways. In my experience, this may mean people who have had different career paths, different levels of education, different styles of communicating, thinking, and lived experience. Innovation thrives when you avoid hiring five versions of the same person.
I’m also an advocate for transparency in career paths — what it takes to move from engineer to architect, from IC to leader, from subject‑matter expert to strategic decision‑maker. Clear pathways help level the playing field.
And finally, I make visibility intentional. Whether it’s putting women forward for speaking roles, empowering them to lead customer conversations, or ensuring they’re recognized for high‑impact work, visibility is currency. I want the next generation to see an industry full of leaders who look like the world we live in — not the world tech used to be.
Who has inspired you in your life/career?
Many people have shaped my career, but one through‑line has always inspired me: leaders who combine intellectual rigor with genuine humanity. People who are brilliant but also grounded, curious, and generous with their time.
I’ve been fortunate to work with leaders who encouraged me to push past conventional boundaries — including those who opened the door for DataBee to evolve from an internal innovation into a commercial business. Their willingness to see the potential in untested ideas taught me the value of building environments where experimentation is not just allowed, but expected.
Outside of work, I draw inspiration from women who have forged paths in STEM without waiting for permission — scientists, engineers, security practitioners, and innovators who weren’t always taken seriously but persisted anyway. Their resilience reinforces a mindset I hold closely: progress isn’t always linear, but persistence compounds.
And, of course, the teams I lead inspire me daily. When you see people rally around a mission, challenge each other constructively, and solve previously “unsolvable” problems, it’s hard not to feel energized. Leadership is easier when you’re surrounded by people who care deeply about the work and about each other.
Inspiration, for me, is less about a single figure and more about a consistent pattern: people who pair vision with empathy, and who make space for others to lead with authenticity and courage.
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