Top Women in Security ASEAN Region 2023 - Official Booklet

FINALISTS 2023

#TopWomeninSecurityASEAN

#WomeninSecurity

The TopWomeninSecurityASEANRegion

awards has been established to recognize women who have advanced the security industry within the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).

Held in partnership with WISECRA

Bonnie Butlin

Founder of Women in Security and Resilience Alliance (WISECRA)

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

THANK YOU TO OUR MEDIA PARTNERS

2023 Event Highlights

Interview with One-in-Tech, an ISACA Foundation

RSA Conference 2023, San Francisco

2023 Event Highlights

INTRODUCING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUNDLE PACKAGE FOR ALL FINALISTS

Courtesy of

THE JUDGES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinahandjaja/#:~:text=a%20premium%20account ,Carolina%20Handjaja,-%2C%20CISA%20(She/Her

Jenny Tan

Prinze Lazar

Nan Maguire Mel Migrino Sherin Lee Dr Magda Chelly Melissa Jardine

Jenny Tan

THE JUDGES

Jenny is currently leading a global internal audit practice, including IT audit, with global real estate fund management - MNC.

Jenny is a former PwC Risk Assurance Partner where she led the IT Audit & Advisory and Business Resilience Practices. She was PwC Singapore’s CIO and DPO.

Also, Jenny is the winner of the 2022 Top Woman in Security (SG & ASEAN), 2022 Women Program of the Year Award (Asia), 2021 Women in IT Outstanding Contribution Award (Asia), and 2021 SG 100 Women in Tech recipient. She has also received the Top 20 Cybersecurity Women in Singapore, 2020 award.

Jenny volunteers heavily in the technology community space where she actively promotes technology (including cyber) awareness and adoption to both business and IT professionals and organisations.

The current President of ISACA SG Chapter, Jenny spearheaded the ISACA’s SheLeadsTech programme in Singapore and has since framed the programme as a cross-border female leadership experience and knowledge-sharing platform.

Jenny also successfully launched the 2021 SLT Mentorship Programme with dedicated mentor-mentee engagements to guide the career development of SLT members. Jenny also pioneered the Conversion Programme to achieve private-public-non-profit objectives of bringing more women into the tech workforce.

Singapore University of Technology & Design and National Institute of Early Childhood Development

Consequently, Jenny has been recognised by ISACA Global as one of the four 2021 Outstanding Chapter Leader Award global recipients as well as Ally of the Year 2002 Best Program (International).

President ISACA SG Chapter, Audit Committee Member

Nan Maguire

Head of Security, Privacy & Resilience

APAC, abrdn | Singapore

THE JUDGES

Nan Maguire has 16 years of experience in the Cyber Security industry and worked extensively with Fortune 350 and FTSE 100 companies across the globe.

After graduating as an Electronic Engineer, Nan worked in several large banks in the UK before moving to a reputable international professional services firm as a senior consultant.

She was the Cyber Security executive advisor to multiple government agencies and several large international financial institutions globally through which she developed strong management and delivery skills with broad knowledge and expertise in cyber security, security strategies and operations and technology risks.

Today, Nan is a recognised Cyber, Privacy and Technology Resilience subject matter expert in the finance industry.

Having spent 7 years in Singapore serving the APAC region, she believes in forward thinking and fit-for-purpose cyber strategies and solutions and is committed to help her organisation to shape up its future to be secure, adequate, understandable, future proof and operationally flexible.

Nan was awarded Top 20 Women in Cyber in Singapore 2020 and Top 30 Women in Security ASEAN Region 2021. She is also an active mentor for those looking to develop their careers in cyber security.

Mel Migrino Chair and President, Women in Security Alliance | Philippines

THE JUDGES

Mel is the Chairman and President of the Women in Security Alliance Philippines (WiSAP). She is part of the Executive Committee of the ASEAN CIO Association.

She has been cited as 2022 Influencer by the International Security Journal, UK and has been recently cited by Technology Magazine, Energy Digital and Cyber Magazine as a leading CISO among global cybersecurity leaders and a regular contributor in Women in Security Magazine produced by Source2Create.

Mel is also the former Cyber Security Leader of a Big 4 auditing firm, the largest fintech and largest Power Distribution Unit Conglomerate in the Philippines. She has more than 15 years of combined experience in Cyber and IT Governance, Application and Infrastructure Security, Infrastructure Operations and Management, Operational Technology (OT) Security, BCM, Privacy, IT Audit, Project Management across multiple industries.

Mel led the PCIDSS Certification for the largest payments network in the Philippines. Further, through her leadership, Fintech Subsidiary of a Power DU conglomerate won the W Media Awards for Southeast Asia under Cybersecurity Implementation on 2021 and AIBP Award on Cybersecurity for Fintech 2022. Mel earned several recognitions in 2022 and in 2021, including:

• Security Leader of the Year 2022 by Women in IT Awards

• Top Women ASEAN Award 2022

• Top 1 CSO 30 ASEAN and HK

• Cyber Woman of the Year 2022, PhilSec Awards

• Top 100 Global Leaders for Infosec 2022

• Cited as one of the 2022 CIO 100 by Foundry (formerly International Data Group)

THE JUDGES

Prince is a Business-oriented experienced Security Leader and Military veteran with a history of developing leading-edge security plans, designing and developing global relationships and networks.

A Resiliency specialist and Risk analyst with more than 25 years leveraging expertise in developing and executing security risk strategies.

Prince is retired Army officer with the rank of Major and holds a Bachelor of Science degree.

Presently leading the Global Security function for Honeywell’s regionally dispersed business operations in the Asia Pacific region in driving Security practices and strategies, policies, programs, and procedures.

Prince’s diverse career in the corporate involved directing Business continuity management, loss prevention, risk management programs, protection planning designs for clients from multiple industries in Fortune 100 environments, diplomatic missions, and governments.

Prince has worked in multiple geographies with experience in Business start-ups having founded and set-up two new business entities in UAE (Dragoons Security in 2018) and India (FWG Security Services in 2016).

Prince Lazar

Regional Director Global Security APAC, Honeywell | Malaysia

Dr Magda Chelly

Co-Founder of Responsible Cyber, Women on Cyber Singapore |Singapore

THE JUDGES

Dr. Magda Lilia Chelly is a multifaceted cybersecurity expert, with roots in Krakow, Poland, and connections spanning from Tunisia to France. As one of the pioneering Tunisian women, she holds the distinguished honor of serving on the advisory board of the BlackHat Asia. With an impressive trajectory that includes roles as an IT consultant, academic lecturer, and dynamic business leader, Magda's passion and expertise culminated in the establishment of her Singaporebased cybersecurity startup in 2016: Responsible Cyber Pte. Ltd. Founded alongside industry veteran Mikko Laaksonen, the company has rapidly expanded its footprint to the UK, France, and Poland. Innovating at the cutting edge, Responsible Cyber has introduced game-changing AI-driven solutions, IMMUNE X-TPRM and IMMUNE GRC, addressing third-party risk management and streamlining governance, risk, and compliance respectively.

A fervent advocate for diversity and inclusion, Magda founded 'Women on Cyber', a nonprofit aiming to bridge gender disparities in the tech domain. Her activism milestones include initiating Singapore's first-ever Catch The Flag competition for girls, supported by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. As an author, Magda collaboratively penned a book on computer security and independently authored notable title like "Building a Cyber Resilient Business" (2022).

Recognized as one of the Top 20 Women in Security in Singapore, her legacy continues to grow.

Melissa Jardine PhD, Policing & Security Advisor, Global Law Enforcement & Public Health Association | Thailand

THE JUDGES

Melissa Jardine, PhD is an independent international policing, security and public health advisor and former Australian police officer. She was a founding Board Member of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association.

Dr Jardine is an Honorary Fellow at the Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, The University of Melbourne, and is the Gender Advisor for the Centre for Law Enforcement and Public Health.

She has worked as an advisor to the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), among others, in relation to policing, border control, gender and transnational crimes across Asia.

She is the author of two books: Policing in a Changing Vietnam: Towards a Global Account of Policing and Women, Police and Security: Reforming the Afghan National Police.

Sherin Lee

VP & Founder

AISP’s Ladies in Cyber Charter, Association of Information Security Professionals | Singapore

THE JUDGES

Sherin Y Lee is Ensign InfoSecurity’s Vice President of Marketing, Brand and Communications.

Sherin is passionate about bringing to market new cyber technologies and knowledge that can help solve problems in the digital economy.

She currently spearheads technology brand marketing initiatives aimed at capturing the audiences' imagination, and achieving impressive, measurable results for cybersecurity services.

In her previous role in a national communications company, her expertise, strategic thinking, and knowledge of different markets significantly raised the company’s brand appeal and competitive advantage.

She helmed a variety of portfolios, but was particularly instrumental to the company’s Y-o-Y growth in ICT spaces such as cybersecurity, Software-as-a-Service, Cloud and Data Centre Hosting Services.

Sherin is also actively involved in the push for greater participation of women in Singapore’s cyber defence.

Currently, she is the Vice President of the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP). She is the founder of AiSP’s Ladies in Cyber Charter, a programme that aims to bridge the gap of gender representation in the cybersecurity industry.

The charter has a pool of mentors, of which she is one, who engage a growing number of female students and professionals through dialogues and mentorship programmes across the city-state.

TOP 30 FINALISTS

(Alphabetical Order)

Stephanie Boo

Senior Vice President, International Sales

Menlo Security

Stephanie Boo Senior Vice President, International Sales

Menlo Security

THE TOP 30

Stephanie is an experienced senior executive with more than 15 years in the cybersecurity industry. She is currently the Senior Vice President of Sales and Field Operations, International Sales for Menlo Security.

With a mandate to accelerate the growth of the company and engage deeply with customers, partners, and alliances in the region, Stephanie leads the sales, strategic marketing, and business initiatives for the company in APAC & EMEA.

Stephanie is an adept, versatile and entrepreneurial leader with a keen focus on developing sustainable customer relationships and bringing to market timely solutions that deliver innovation and value.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Before joining Menlo Security, Stephanie was the Senior Regional Director - South East Asia for FireEye Inc. She was responsible for leading the business and managing operations across Southeast Asia and India.

The Senior VP was instrumental in evolving the Menlo Security business strategy, government relations and partnerships, and was also responsible for growing the company significantly in Southeast Asia. She has served in leadership roles for organisations such as Symantec, WatchGuard Technologies, and Linksys and was also instrumental in growing Zscaler and IronPort in Southeast Asia.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Marketing and Public Relations degree from Curtin University.

Jennifer Capones-Tongco

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Netrust Philippines Corporation

Jennifer Capones-Tongco Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Netrust Philippines Corporation

THE TOP 30

Jennifer Tongco is a distinguished CEO driving Netrust Philippines Corporation to unparalleled heights with her vision for innovation, technology leadership and service excellence.

With an unshakable dedication to advancing both leadership and security, she stands out as an influential force shaping the industry. In her capacity as CEO, Jen exemplifies a visionary leader who consistently fosters a culture of commitment to security within her organization.

Her recent attainment of the esteemed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification speaks volumes about her personal dedication to staying on the cutting edge of cybersecurity knowledge. Jennifer has successfully completed the prestigious Stanford LEAD program, honing her strategic acumen and empowering her to steer her team with insight and innovation.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Beyond her individual achievements, Jen is deeply invested in promoting diversity and inclusion within the cybersecurity sector. By championing the advancement of women in leadership roles through her events such as “Rise to the Top”, a gathering of emerging women leaders, she is driving positive change and breaking down barriers.

As a trailblazer in cybersecurity, Jen continues to elevate her organization's standards by embodying unwavering commitment to security and exceptional leadership. Through her actions, she shapes a more secure cybersecurity landscape while inspiring her team to reach new heights of excellence.

Jasmine Kristin Wong

Senior Manager, Legal and Enforcement Unit Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI)

Jasmine Kristin Wong Senior Manager, Legal and Enforcement Unit

Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI)

THE TOP 30

Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and possesses close to twelve (12) years of experience working for the regulator of the telecommunications sector in Brunei Darussalam.

Currently, she is the Senior Manager at the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI), where she oversees both the Legal and Enforcement teams.

With particular expertise in personal data protection, she is the first Certified Information Privacy Professional – Asia (CIPP/A) in Brunei Darussalam.

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, she underscored the importance of regulating the processing of personal data and highlighted the potential security vulnerabilities that could arise due to a lack of regulation.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Subsequently, her efforts were pivotal in advocating for the introduction of a national legislation governing the collection, use, disclosure and processing of personal data by private sector organisations. This legislation aims to strike a balance between individuals’ rights to protect their personal data and organisations’ need to collect, use and disclose such personal data.

Jasmine plays a vital role as one of the key figures in shaping the policy and drafting of the upcoming Personal Data Protection Order (PDPO).

She has led extensive public consultations involving government agencies, statutory bodies, various industry sectors and business associations both within and beyond Brunei Darussalam.

Her involvement extends to outreach and awareness-building initiatives aimed at educating the broader public about data protection, while ensuring that businesses acquaint themselves with their responsibilities under the forthcoming law.

Andrea Chea Le Xin

Team Leader (Technology Compliance)

RSM Singapore

Andrea Chea Le Xin

Team Leader (Technology Compliance)

RSM Singapore

THE TOP 30

Andrea Chea Le Xin is a Team Leader at RSM Singapore, a firm that offers audit, tax, advisory, and business support services. She provides Technology Compliance services to her clients.

Andrea was awarded the ISACA's Cyber Security Young Leader Award in 2022 and the AiSP SVRP Silver Award in 2019.

She is a strong advocate for cyber awareness and outreach, actively engaging with the technology community through frequent participation in events organized by the ISACA Singapore Chapter and AiSP.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Furthermore, Andrea has been involved in various cyber and digital literacy outreach efforts, ranging from collaborating with primary school children to engaging with the elderly.

The SheLeadsTech Ambassador is also a business and student mentor as well as a graduate of the Singapore Institute of Technology, specializing in Information Security.

Roselina Mahmood

Chief Executive Officer

Independent Guarding Services SDN BHD

Chief Executive Officer

Independent Guarding Services

THE TOP 30

Roselina Mahmood has been in the security industry for the last 30 years, focusing in manpower deployment, risk management & asset protection.

She was instrumental in bringing Mahmood Security from a startup company to a RM40 million-dollar company.

Roselina was involved in the key negotiations for the participation of CIMB PE in Mahmood Security.

She is an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) and has served on the Board of Security Services Association of Malaysia (SSAM) for the last 20 years.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Roselina graduated from the University of Malaya and was Managing Director of Mahmood Security from 1987-2009.

She was awarded “The Best Director” in 2002 by The Security Industry, and the “Outstanding Entrepreneurship Awards 2007” organized by The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award.

Roselina is currently the CEO of Independent Guarding services, her vision is to provide her clients with technology, namely Introduction of drone services & maritime security.

She was involved in a special project combating counterfeit activities working closely with relevant authorities.

The CEO is currently working closely with drone manufacturers in bringing IGS security protection to the next level.

Shuchen Hu

Senior Solution Architect

SentinelOne

Senior Solution Architect

SentinelOne

THE TOP 30

Shuchen is the Senior Solution Architect of the Incident Response and MSSP Program for Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region at SentinelOne, where she works closely with SentinelOne’s partners across the globe, playing both a technical evangelist as well as IR domain expert role for the Onboarding, Enablement and Engagements with the partners.

Shuchen has specialised in Digital Forensics and Incident Response with a professional history serving the financial services industry and Cybersecurity consulting.

In addition to cyber incident investigations and data analytics, she has led cybersecurity product development projects and contributed to improving team efficiency by developing automations and cross-regional collaboration plans.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Shuchen is a strong information technology professional with a master’s degree in Computing and Infocomm Security specialization from National University of Singapore (NUS) and holds multiple industry certifications including GIAC Defending Advanced Threats (GDAT), GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA), GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), and GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN).

She has also been recognized as the Top 30 Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards winner for both 2022 and 2021 and won the Top 20 Women in Cyber Security in Singapore in 2020.

Stephanie Liew

Chief Information Security Officer, APMEA

British American Tobacco

Stephanie Liew

Chief Information Security Officer, APMEA

THE TOP 30

Stephanie resides in Malaysia with her loving spouse and three energetic kids. Apart from wanting to continually be an aspiring nominee for Supermum and Wife of The Year, Stephanie is currently serving as Chief Information Security Officer, APMEA at BAT.

Described as an “approachable, and highly motivated agile leader”, she is passionate about developing mindset and behaviour in building highperformance teams and bringing energy into any environment she enters.

She is a transformational and action-oriented Strategic Director with more than 23 years of experience focused on providing security leadership, advice and counsel to executive management teams and driving risk-based corrective plans.

Stephanie leads success stories by identifying and understanding key business processes, systems and business-aligned security needs and ensuring the Businesses are operating within the Risk Appetite.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Stephanie is also an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Licensed Master Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach and Human-Centred Design (HCD) Practitioner.

She is also currently the Leadership & Career Mentor at ISACA Malaysia Chapter.

When not engaging with Cyber Security risk governance, Stephanie enjoys promoting diversity and inclusion agendas and growth mindsets through devoting her time to mentoring and coaching female employees at her workplace. Stephanie says her purpose in life is to create a more peaceful, joyful, and loving world where we are living in unity and connected to our greatness and true potential.

Nicole Ban

Chief Operations Officer SecIron

THE TOP 30

Over the years, Nicole has not only been a champion of technological changes in the tech landscape, but she has been instrumental in anticipating future shifts, helping businesses stay one step ahead of potential threats. Her strategic foresight stems from a deep understanding of the global tech ecosystem, often serving as a crucial element in shaping the security outlook of the companies she's been involved with.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Under her leadership, SecIron has successfully transitioned from a local establishment to an international scale. She facilitated this transformation by implementing robust cybersecurity measures to adequately address the complex challenges brought about by the digital age.

Nicole Ban Chief Operations Officer SecIron

In her position as COO, Nicole continues to drive industry innovation and security awareness, cementing her position as a transformative leader in mobile app security and driving the company's mission forward while ensuring it remain at the forefront of cybersecurity advancements.

Nicole Ban is the COO at SecIron, a leading company dedicated to enhancing mobile app security. Her journey in this realm started with a deep fascination for digitalization.

Priyanka Jayakumar

Manager, Product & Training

CYBERTRONIUM SDN BHD

Priyanka Jayakumar Manager, Product & Training

THE TOP 30

Priyanka is a Cybersecurity Professional with years of experience in Threat Intelligence, Threat Hunting, Digital Forensics, Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR), Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing, Cybersecurity Framework and Incident Handling.

Recognised by Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, Priyanka is the Gold Winner of the ‘Cybersecurity Consultant of the Year 2023 – ASIA’ and ‘Cybersecurity Woman of the Year 2023 – ASIA’ awards. She was also named ‘Global Influencers in Security 2022: One to Watch’ by IFSEC Global in 2022.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Priyanka is a Trainer and Evangelist, who has conducted multiple face-to-face and online Cybersecurity Trainings and has trained more than 1,000 professionals across the region thus far. She is a cybersecurity researcher and has published research papers in international publications. She is also a cybersecurity blogger, who has her own where she publishes her own writings.

Priyanka is a thought leader and is often invited to be a part of cybersecurity events as a speaker, part of a panel discussion, panel moderator, or simply to share her career journey to inspire young minds. In 2019, she directed a one-hour, non-stop live hacking demo titled “Virtual World – Realm of Hackers” at Cybersecurity National Awards, CSM-ACE 2019, Malaysia. Additionally, she has participated in virtual conferences where she has performed live hacking demos as well.

Priyanka has a Masters in Cyber Security and Data Governance from the University of Law, UK.

Genie Sugene Gan

Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy Kaspersky

Genie Sugene Gan Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy

THE TOP 30

Genie heads up the Government Affairs and Public Policy functions across multiple regions in Kaspersky (including Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East, Turkey & Africa).

A well-known leader in the industry, Genie provides counsel and leadership on business and policy strategies of the company, and on topics at the intersection of law, technology and public policy for the industry. She frequently speaks on international platforms and is a thought leader in this space.

Genie is also responsible for developing trusted relations with government and institutional stakeholders, while integrating business, communications and public policy strategies with effective advocacy efforts.

Genie comes with an excellent academic track record; she holds a Juris Doctor in law, an honours degree in Accountancy, and a Specialist Diploma in Counselling Psychology.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Called to the Singapore Bar and a qualified lawyer, she is also a certified Mediation Coach and an International Mediator, amongst her many other professional hats.

Having a rich and diverse career history, Genie started her journeys in accountancy and law in Big Four firms. Early on, she was an award-winning entrepreneur, before spending a significant length of time as a senior official in the Singapore Government, having assumed several key portfolios such as Special Aide to the Minister for Law, Singapore negotiator and delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, and Director for policy and law reform.

Outside her professional portfolio, her passion for teaching, mentorship, non-profit and charity work has led her to be an adjunct lecturer at universities and serve on various Boards and Committees of Non-Profit Organizations and volunteer for pro bono legal causes.

Kaspersky

Joanne Wong

LogRhythm

Vice President, International Marketing (APJ & EMEA)

Joanne Wong

Vice President, International Marketing (APJ & EMEA)

LogRhythm

THE TOP 30

Joanne brings 25 years of leadership experience in the technology space, demonstrating a track record of success in all aspects of marketing and business management throughout her roles at SAP, Microsoft, and now LogRhythm.

Joanne is one of the pioneering members of LogRhythm’s leadership team in APJ. Since joining the company in 2014, she has played a pivotal role in establishing the company’s presence in the region.

Within less than a decade, she has grown LogRhythm into a key cybersecurity player, with presence in major Asia Pacific markets and more than a third share of voice against direct competitors.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

As a testament to her achievements, Joanne was promoted twice in a span of a year, first as Vice-President of International Markets for Marketing in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), and again with an expanded remit of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

As a woman leader in technology, Joanne is also a keen advocate for diversity and inclusion in the IT security space, constantly championing more female representation in the sector.

Joanne sits on LogRhythm’s Global Diversity Council, driving gender equity and diversity initiatives for the company. Apart from promoting DEI initiatives, she is often recognized as a thought leader in the media for all things technology and cybersecurity.

She frequently shares her insights around pertinent cybersecurity issues with publications across the region, such as Bloomberg TV, CNA, and The Straits Times.

May Oo Khaing

Chief Information Security Officer

Digital Money Myanmar Co Ltd (Wave Money)

May Oo Khaing

Chief Information Security Officer

Digital Money Myanmar Co Ltd (Wave Money)

THE TOP 30

May is Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Wave Money, one of the top Mobile Financial Service Providers in Myanmar.

She has a successful track record locally and internationally in Security Operations Management, Solutioning, Information Security, Risk, Compliance and Security Program Management.

May possesses her master’s degree in computer technology from University of Computer Technology, Yangon and MSc in computer engineering from Nanyang Technology University, Singapore.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

As a CISO of Wave Money, May leads the Security & Compliance domain with a focus on Security Roadmap, Policy Assessment, Security Operations, Audit, Risk and Compliance.

Before joining Wave, May has worked in companies like HP Enterprise Security Services, Singapore and ZyXEL Singapore.

May also serves as Executive Committee member at Myanmar Information Security Association (MISA).

Neha Agarwal

VP, Tech Audit, Citibank

Neha Agarwal VP, Tech Audit Citibank

THE TOP 30

Neha is a technology enthusiast since childhood when she wrote her first microprocessor algorithm in school.

She is currently working as Vice President in Citibank Singapore with the Technology Internal Audit team.

Previously, she has been a tech auditor and advisor with KPMG Singapore and EY Hong Kong for over a decade.

Neha also performs strongly across multiple platforms, including IT security audits, compliance audits, IT risk assessments and IT risk framework development for global and local organisations.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

She was honoured by as Top 100 Women in Technology in Singapore 2021.

Neha was also felicitated as 2022 Global Top 100 leaders in Infosec by Corinium group and with the Women Icons Asia Technology Award 2022 as STEM advocate of the year.

She strongly believes in harnessing technology to make a better world.

Neha also mentors and trains women and children, assisting them in their journey of developing STEM pathways as skilled, empowered and entrepreneurial thinkers.

Cpt Marie Elaine Mascariña-Ibañez Pa

Company Commander IRADC, CYBER BN, ASR

Mascariña-Ibañez Pa

THE TOP 30

Being the only female officer in the unit is both a challenge and an opportunity for Cpt Ibañez, who, regardless of being assigned in a highly dominant male environment, continues to keep up with the challenges in keeping up with the latest changes in technology and threat landscape, and in Research and Development.

As an advocate of women empowerment, she makes sure that the female personnel will never doubt themselves and will trust their skills and keep on learning.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Some of her major accomplishments are the development of Cyber Combat Training Platform used by the Philippine Army in enhancing the skills of the cyber workforce in the operational environment, the female lead in the conduct of Cyber Risk Assessment to the Philippine Army, a member of the PA Forensics Team and co-writer of the PA Defensive Cyber Operations Manual and PA Active Defense Operations Manual.

Ibañez was also adjudged as the CEIS Best Junior Officer CY2022 and ASR Best Junior Officer for Administration CY2023 for her outstanding and excellent performance of duties and responsibilities.

She has undergone various cyber-related trainings, seminars and engagements, some of which are certification trainings in CompTIA Network+, Control Objectives for Information Technologies (COBIT) 5 Foundation and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) V11.

Cpt Marie Elaine

Company Commander IRADC, CYBER BN, ASR

Cpt Marie Elaine Mascariña-Ibañez Pa is designated as Company Commander, Incident Response and Active Defense Company, Cyber Battalion, Army Signal Regiment, Philippine Army.

Mouyngim Theat

Head of Offensive Application Security

ABA Bank

THE TOP 30

MouyNgim is a distinguished Head of Application Security Offensive based in one of the top commercial banks in Cambodia.

Mouyngim Theat Head of Offensive Application Security

With more than four years of Cyber Security work experience, MouyNgim has ample experience in various types of applications, security standards and frameworks, technical skills, and attack vectors.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

With a passion for sharing knowledge, empowering women in the Tech sector, and strengthening a voice for gender equality, MouyNgim says she enjoys spending her available time educating the wider community or individual sessions with the next generation, encouraging them on the exciting journey of Tech workforce.

Prior to Cyber Security employment, MouyNgim used to work as a developer, while during her university tenure, she was the first female student to win the First Range Skills Competition in Cambodia.

MouyNgim says she is also the first female who holds the skill of penetration testing in Cambodia.

Lisa Sim

Head of Marketing, JAPAC

Palo Alto Networks

Lisa Sim Head of Marketing, JAPAC Palo Alto Networks

THE TOP 30

Lisa Sim is an award-winning senior executive who pioneered Palo Alto Networks' first ever diverse online cyber security education program to address the unique learning needs from early childhood to the boardroom.

Lisa's passion for free and accessible cyber safety education in the community led her to launch Cyber Safe Kids in 2021 and CyberFit Nation in 2022.

She is also a champion for talent development in the cyber industry and is involved in a number of inclusion and diversity initiatives to help promote female participation in cybersecurity.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Currently, in a leadership role at Palo Alto Networks, Lisa is also responsible for the Marketing function across Japan and Asia Pacific. She is also the region's Executive Advisory Board, a group of executives who help shape the company's strategic roadmap for JAPAC.

Over her 25+ years career, Lisa has held multiple senior roles in tech companies across the Asia Pacific region.

A Japan-born New Zealander, Lisa currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.

Charmelyn Angelie O. Tolentino

Director of Sales and Strategy

Electronic Security Systems Corporation (ESSCOR)

Ademco Security Group

O. Tolentino Director of Sales and Strategy

Electronic Security Systems Corporation (ESSCOR)

Ademco Security Group

THE TOP 30

Charmelyn Angelie O. Tolentino is a seasoned professional with an impressive track record in Business Development, Sales, Marketing, and Strategic Leadership. With more than two decades of experience in the Security Industry, Charmelyn is a dynamic strategist, solution provider, and enthusiastic leader.

Her extensive career spans 20+ years in Sales, Marketing, and Business Development, complemented by an equally impressive tenure in Product and Solution Management.

Currently serving as the Director for Sales and Strategy at ESSCOR, which is part of the Ademco Security Group, Charmelyn oversees Solution and Technology Development, Business Development, Customer Relations, and Vendor Management.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Additionally, she spearhead the expansion of business operations within the Philippines, while seamlessly aligning the company's vision with APAC Offices.

As a honorary member of the BPO Security Council, a security professional organization from the BPO Sector in Philippines, Charmelyn organised two successful summits that contributed to significant industry growth.

Charmelyn is also a reputable go-to resource speaker for security organisations in the Philippines, regularly sharing her knowledge and insights on Innovation and Technology in the Security Industry.

Jennifer Soh Jia Hwei

Group-IB Global

Senior Cyber Security Investigation Specialist

THE TOP 30

As a Senior Cyber Investigation Specialist at Group-IB’s Global HQ in Singapore, Jennifer Soh is driven by her passion for fighting cybercrime. She has more than eight years of experience in various cybersecurity domains, including threat intelligence, digital forensics and incident response.

As an integral member of the Group-IB Asia-Pacific cyber investigation team, she has successfully conducted joint investigations with INTERPOL and other law enforcement agencies. Jennifer contributed to led by INTERPOL to take down members of a prolific Business Email Compromise syndicate.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Jennifer also assisted in the to combat cybercrime by identifying cybercriminals and compromised infrastructure on the continent.

Jennifer Soh Jia Hwei Senior Cyber Security Investigation Specialist Group-IB Global

Additionally, she says she is most passionate about inspiring more young cybersecurity enthusiasts to pursue their dreams in the field. Jennifer is dedicated to providing career guidance to help young talents kick-start their journey in cybersecurity.

Jennifer also holds certifications for CISSP, GIAC GSEC, GIAC GCIA, GIAC GCTI, GIAC GCFA, and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate.

Maria Francesca M. Del Rosario

Undersecretary

the Information and Communications Technology Group Department of Budget and Management

of

THE TOP 30

She is a graduate member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the former Vice President and Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Policy of Data Science and AI Group of UnionBank of the Philippines.

The Undersecretary's leadership has been pivotal in the development of cutting-edge technology solutions for the public sector. She manages the development and implementation of various budget-related information systems to be adopted by different government agencies.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Simultaneously, Maria provides technical and advisory assistance for the Department in their interactions with other government bodies, particularly in areas such as budget management, performance evaluation, and work simplification-related initiatives that leverage ICT to enhance productivity and efficiency.

As ICT Undersecretary, Maria holds significant committee memberships and positions in other Philippine government agencies.

She also serves as the Alternate Chairperson of the Government Procurement and Policy Board, Vice Chairperson of the Philippine National Identification System Policy and Coordination Council, and Vice Chairperson of the Public Finance Management Committee.

Maria’s leadership in these roles underscores her dedication to public service and her commitment to advancing the goals and objectives of the Department of Budget and Management.

Maria Francesca M. Del Rosario

Undersecretary of the Information and Communications Technology Group

Department of Budget and Management

Undersecretary Maria Francesca M. Del Rosario is the Head of the Information and Communications Technology Group (ICTG) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Department of Budget and Management.

Sheila Ponnosamy

Mainguard International

Operations Director

Sheila Ponnosamy Operations Director Mainguard International

THE TOP 30

A passionate advocate for security professionalism, and issues related to Youth and Women Empowerment, Sheila enjoys learning and interacting with other security, risk management, and investigation professionals worldwide.

Sheila has participated in several online Women in Security events, sharing her views on panels and as a speaker on topics relating to women’s role in security, safety issues, cybersecurity issues and others.

She is also an advocate for Cyber Security awareness having handled cyberbullying cases and has presented on Cyber Security and Digital Crimes to the University of Mangalore, India.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Today, with the evolution in the security industry, Sheila is working on projects at Mainguard to embrace robotics in security and wants to revitalize the security risk training business to include niche requirements in Corporate security and risk management and to incorporate the latest technologies available.

Regardless of gender, Sheila is a believer that the learning curve is the same for men and women and it is all about exposure and taking the baby steps to learn.

Sheila’s next pet project is to promote Safeguarding programmes for the security and safety of children and young women in particular.

Pratima Kushwaha

Cyber Security Lead

Keppel Data Centres

Cyber Security Lead

THE TOP 30

Pratima is a Cyber Security Professional with a decade of experience in driving cybersecurity governance, risk, compliance and resiliency, training, and awareness across multiple industries.

Currently, she is working as Cyber Security Officer in Keppel Data Centres driving Operational Technology cybersecurity and risk management initiatives to develop and enhance the OT cybersecurity maturity across the APAC region.

Pratima specializes in Policy Governance, Risk & Compliance, Security Strategy Development, Regulatory Compliance Management, and Awareness Training.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

A believer in the power of assertive and open communication, Pratima regularly develops internal cybersecurity awareness campaigns to motivate employees and the community to be cyber vigilant.

Detail-oriented with a strong history of auditing systems and root causes analysis to drive security enhancements and solutions, Pratima manages and drives numerous security projects including people, processes, and technology within deadlines.

Pratima holds a Master of Science in Cyber Law and Information Security degree, and ISACA CISM and CRISC Certifications. Additionally, she contributed to the research world by publishing security-related papers in internationally recognised journals.

Pratima also volunteers in non-profit organizations for people interested in a cyber career, contributing back to society.

Pratima Kushwaha

Keppel Data Centres

Shakthi Priya Kathirvelu

VP and Head of Information Security and IT Funding Societies|Modalku Group

Shakthi Priya Kathirvelu VP and Head of Information Security

and IT

Funding Societies|Modalku Group

THE TOP 30

Shakthi Priya Kathirvelu is an acclaimed and accomplished technologist and security professional with over a decade of global experience in driving transformations in the BFSI sector and managing risk end-to-end with a broad customer perspective.

She is recognised in the Top 10 of the CSO30 ASEAN Awards, the previous Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards, the Singapore 100 Women in Tech (SG100WIT) List, and has earnt the (ISC)2 Mid-Career Professional Award.

Shakthi is currently the VP and Head of Information Security and IT at Funding Societies|Modalku, where she oversees and drives the security and IT roadmap for the group to provide secure customer experience, while ensuring regulatory compliance in the countries the business operates in.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Prior to joining the FinTech, Shakthi had been a Program Manager at Deutsche Bank building out and leading key onshore and offshore global and regional initiatives across multiple security disciplines.

Shakthi holds a fully sponsored Honours degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Information Systems (Digital Transformation and Innovation), both from the National University of Singapore.

She has also been inducted to the (ISC)2 Global Achievement Awards (GAA) Committee, as well as been invited to teach, develop, and review certification exam-related artifacts for multiple security certification organisations.

Anastasia Tikhonova

Head of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) Research Team Group-IB

Anastasia Tikhonova

Head of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) Research Team

Group-IB

THE TOP 30

Anastasia Tikhonova has dedicated a decade to investigating financially motivated cyber criminals. She made it her personal mission to analyze connections between cybercriminals and uncover their networks and plans. Recognizing the growing complexity of security threats, she focused her efforts on specializing in APTs.

As Head of Advanced Persistent Threats Research at Group-IB, Anastasia leads her team in tracking the operations of national-state hackers engaged in malicious activities.

In the last years, her research has grown to include in-depth analysis of the evolving tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) employed by these hackers, exploration of command and control (C&C) infrastructure, conducting malware analysis, and gathering threat intelligence.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

In addition to her technical contributions, Anastasia actively engages in media interviews, webinars, and conferences across the Asia Pacific region.

Among her more notable appearances and engagements are the OT-ISAC Summit, the APAC FS-ISAC Summit, and GovWare. At these prestigious events, Anastasia has presented her research that covers both a wide range of topics like cyber risk trends and opportunities for attacks in various regions and industries, as well as specific investigations on notorious groups like MuddyWater, Lazarus, Tonto Team, and TaskMasters.

Her expertise also extends to threat hunting, threat intelligence sharing, and proactive threat detection.

Her personal mantra is “even in the face of challenges, one should never give up; but forge ahead while remaining true to one’s principles”. With her unwavering determination, Anastasia says she hopes to inspire others while continuing to build her expertise in APT research and making strides in the fight against cyber threats.

Parichart Jiravachara

Partner

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Jaiyos Advisory Co., Ltd

THE TOP 30

Parichart Jiravachara is the the Cyber Risk Leader for Deloitte Thailand.

She boasts more than 20 years’ experience in several areas, including both IT and OT.

She is proficient in Cybersecurity Assessments, Information Security Management, IT Risk Management, IT Governance, IT Service Management, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Assessment, Data Protection, Data Governance, Privacy, Digital Identity, Cyber Incident Response Plan (CSIRP), Cyber Simulation Exercises, SAP GRC implementation, PMO, IT & Cyber Regulatory Development, IT & Cyber Compliance Review, and IT Audit.

Parichart Jiravachara

Partner

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Jaiyos Advisory Co., Ltd

Additionally, Parichart has extensive experience in establishing and implementing ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO 22301 certifications for multiple organisations.

Mei Leng Tham

Chief Information Security Officer

Government Technology Agency of Singapore

Mei Leng Tham Chief Information Security Officer Government Technology

THE TOP 30

Mei Leng is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

She provides cybersecurity leadership to the agencies’ CISO in the MSE family – namely PUB (the National Water Agency), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) – to chart the development of cyber and data security goals, strategies and action plans to establish a secure and robust digital landscape for the Ministry and her agencies.

This includes establishing the necessary security means to mitigate the cyber and data security risks of the organisation digital transformation plan, as well as to strengthens the security posture while supporting organisation learning and innovation.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Mei Leng conducts regular staff training to raise security awareness, conduct workshops to promotes policy compliance, organises incident management exercises to ensure emergency response readiness and conducts risk assessment on the overall MSE IT landscape.

To build up the competency and awareness in cyber and data security in MSE, Mei Leng contributes as a mentor and coach to the larger cybersecurity community such as the AiSP Ladies in Cyber Symposium events to foster valuable connections and collaborations within the cybersecurity community.

Mei Leng also oversees the Governance of the Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) operators and their compliance with the national Cybersecurity Act to safeguard critical assets and ensure the resilience of essential services for the nation.

Agency of Singapore

Vesta Matveeva

Head of High-Tech Crime Investigation Department, APAC Group-IB Global

Vesta Matveeva Head of High-Tech Crime Investigation Department, APAC

THE TOP 30

Vesta Matveeva is the APAC Head of Cyber Crime Investigation at Group-IB’s Global Headquarters in Singapore. Leading a team focused on high-profile cyber investigations, she has spearheaded investigations involving financially motivated and state-sponsored APT groups on an international scale. Her relentless pursuit of justice and unwavering dedication and perseverance in tackling the most complex cybercrimes have led to numerous high-profile arrests.

Her expertise lies in digital forensics, incident response, threat intelligence and cyber investigations. Her recent cases in the APAC region include identifying threat actors behind Database Leaks sold on the Dark Web, uncovering phishing campaigns in Singapore and Australia, tracking the spread of Android Banking Trojans in the region, investigating Invest Scam activities, and combating Ransomware attacks.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Vesta notably played a pivotal role in Operation Falcon, Operation Night Fury and Operation bringing down 16shop where she collaborated closely with INTERPOL. Her efforts assisted in apprehending part of the criminal group responsible for distributing malware, conducting phishing campaigns, and orchestrating extensive Business Email Compromise attacks.

She holds a scientific degree, and her current passion is to leverage her extensive experience in applying ML-techniques to expedite cyber investigations in the Dark Web, and also regularly conducts extensive training in cyber investigations for cybersecurity specialists such as SOC and Threat Intelligence teams as well as police agencies.

Vesta actively delivers guest lectures and is well-experienced at forging partnerships with institutes of higher learning. Through these collaborations, she champions internship opportunities for students, with several of them eventually joining her team full-time.

Alexandra Mercz

Chief of Staff and Transformation Leader

Alexandra Mercz

Chief of Staff and Transformation Leader

THE TOP 30

Alexandra Mercz is an accomplished Chief of Staff and Transformation Leader with a distinguished record in global banking and fintech. She has held senior roles in various CISO and COO offices and holds multiple certifications in Cybersecurity, Cloud Security, NIST, and agile implementation.

Alexandra actively champions women in cybersecurity by serving as a role model and highlighting non-traditional career paths. Her advocacy aims to normalize women's presence in leadership and staff roles within the field. Her advocacy is driven by a strong voice and a deep commitment to her fellow female colleagues. This isn't just a professional duty for her; it's a personal mission. She believes that achieving a fair representation of women leaders is crucial for building an inclusive society. Leading by example, she shares her expertise as a speaker at cybersecurity events.

SENIOR CLOUD SECURITY Accenture

Engaging in several cyber security Executive Committees, Alexandra's legacy includes founding mentorship programs like the ISC2 Singapore Mentorship Program, fostering gender balance and ongoing success. She's a dedicated mentor, providing guidance not only on technical aspects but also on mental health, human dignity, and neuro-diversity.

An experienced public speaker and enthusiastic volunteer in the Cybersecurity realm, Alexandra stands at the forefront of the industry. Her leadership drives diversity, inclusion, self-development, and the dismantling of barriers.

Congratulations to our Top 30 Finalists for 2023

Special thanks to all nominators!

CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Risk & Resilience Award

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Risk & Resilience Award

THAM Mei Leng

Chief Information Security Officer

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Security Researcher

Award

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Security Researcher Award

Anastasia Tikhonova

Head of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) Research

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Security Trainer & Educator Award

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Security Trainer & Educator Award

Priyanka Jayakumar

Products and Trainings Manager

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Security Professional Ambassador

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Security Professional Ambassador (Open Category)

Vesta Matveeva Maria Francesca Del Rosario Clement Arul

Undersecretary of the Information and Communications Technology Group

APAC Head of Cyber Crime Investigation Chief Executive Officer

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Cybersecurity Award

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

CyberSecurity Award

Vesta Matveeva

APAC Head of Cyber Crime Investigation

Marie Elaine Ibanez

Company Commander

Incident Response and Active Defense Company

Priyanka Jayakumar

Products & Trainings Manager

Maria Francesca Del Rosario

Undersecretary of the Information

Communications Technology Group

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Cyber Security Risk Leader (Open Category)

THAM Mei Leng

Chief Information Security Officer

Congratulations to the Category Award Winners 2023

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Singapore

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Singapore

Vesta Matveeva

APAC Head of Cyber Crime Investigation

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Malaysia

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Malaysia

Priyanka Jayakumar

Products and Trainings Manager

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Brunei

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Brunei

Jasmine Wong

Senior Manager, Legal and Enforcement Unit

Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI)

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award Philippines

Top Woman in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Philippines

Marie Elaine Ibanez

Company Commander Incident Response and Active Defense Company

Maria Francesca Del Rosario

Undersecretary of the Information and Communications Technology Group

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Thailand

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Thailand

Parichart Jiravachara Partner

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Cambodia

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Cambodia

THEAT MouyNgim

Head of Offensive Application Security

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region – Country Award

Myanmar

Top Women in Security ASEAN Region

Country Award - Myanmar

May Oo Khaing

Chief Information Security Officer

Top Woman in Security ASEAN Region

Top Woman in Security ASEAN Region

Vesta Matveeva Maria Francesca Del Rosario

Undersecretary of the Information and Communications Technology Group

APAC Head of Cyber Crime Investigation

Marie Elaine Ibanez Company Commander Incident Response and Active Defense Company

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