» TAKING ON NEW CHALLENGES

Alison Adkins, Manager - Business Development, ThreatQuotient says the journey so far has been challenging and rewarding

What made you choose technology as your professional path? How has this journey been so far in terms of achieving professional success and personal happiness?

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t fall face first into sales. Throughout my tenure at ThreatQuotient, I've worn a wide variety of hats. I started off as the office jack-of-all-trades, moved quickly into our marketing organization and now I am responsible for enabling our partners around the globe. The journey has been incredible - incredibly difficult and taxing at times, but overall incredibly rewarding. I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with an all-star team, supporting our partners and customers around the globe.

Does gender matter in channel sales in terms of expectations and recognitions? What are some of the common attributes as key differences between women and men in such roles?

Of course gender matters in any position, but we cannot look at gender in a vacuum. There are many factors that contribute to success and recognition in channel sales, or any position for that matter. You have to look at the individual holistically as there are a slew of factors and character traits that contribute to the perspective and success such as age, past sales experience, tenacity, follow-through and much more.

Has hybrid work mode been rewarding or taxing? Describe your experience from last year onwards in adopting to the new normal at work? Especially as face-to-face meetings have been difficult to do, how does that impact your work?

New challenges continue to arise as we adjust to the ‘new normal’ and for most of us, it hasn’t been the easiest of transitions. There are a lot of things out of our control, but it is important to take control of what we can. We have all been put on a level-playing field throughout the pandemic, living through the same shared experience of remote-work with little to no travel and a calendar filled to the brim with Zoom meetings. It is important to remember that behind every work relationship or LinkedIn connection is a person that you can connect with. We all had to learn a lot in the past year both personally and professionally. Until we are back in person at conferences and sponsored happy hours chatting over appetizers, this is our only opportunity to build relationships and get to know one another. It has been challenging at times, but it has also presented us all with a new, exciting challenge to work and succeed in unprecedented times. Alison Adkins

Manager - Business Development, ThreatQuotient

Describe some of the achievements or milestones you achieved in sales in this role as well as over the career briefly

Surprisingly, I have spent the entirety of my professional career in cybersecurity. There is nothing quite like starting your career in a hyper-growth start-up company. Over the past six years, I have pushed myself to take on more responsibilities and take risks where possible. In 2020, I had the honor of being recognized by CRN as a Rising Female Star & in 2021 I was recognized in CRN’s Women of the Channel.

On the road ahead in your professional journey, what are the ambitions that motivate you?

I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by impressive, resilient individuals ‚ coworkers, family and friends alike. The support and sheer talent that I have within reach has undoubtedly contributed to my success and motivation. As I think about my professional journey and path forward - I am motivated to continuously take on new challenges and break barriers. I think that it’s important to shake things up and take risks. In a sea of technology and cybersecurity buzzwords, it’s important to be creative and stand out.