Sarah Gilbert Senior Business Analyst - Cyber Security at Transport for NSW
T
here’s nothing like having a great mentor
she says. “They gave me my first cyber opportunity
to help guide and support your career
and supported and believed in me when I did not feel
journey, as that of Sarah Gilbert, Senior
I was good enough to do the job.
Business Analyst - Cyber Security at Transport for NSW, demonstrates very
CAREER DEFINING COLLEAGUES
well. She cites self-belief as the biggest challenge she
“It’s because of those individuals I managed to get
has faced throughout her career, a belief reinforced
my foot into the cyber door. They have been there to
by her inability to make progress in the early stages.
listen to me when I have problems or challenges and have given me advice throughout my career in cyber.
“Belief in myself, that I know what I’m talking about
Without them I would not be the person I am today
and I can do a good job is something I have struggled
with the role I have.”
with across all my roles,” she says. “I never believed I was good enough to be a senior/lead business
Gilbert gained a bachelor’s degree in Business
analyst. Any promotions I applied for; I was always
Information Technology from Staffordshire University
knocked back.”
in the UK in 2005 and followed this with a Master’s in Business and ICT in 2011 from the same university.
Moving to Australia from the UK in 2017 was a
Her first role after gaining her bachelor’s was in the IT
watershed moment. “It gave me the opportunity
department of a soft drinks manufacturer.
to not be ‘pinned’ in certain roles, and I took the opportunity to apply for more senior roles.”
“I started off as an enterprise architect, moving to a project management office role and then eventually
Her first role in Australia was as a senior business
landing a business analyst position,” she says.
analyst with Lion, a beverage company. In that role
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she met colleagues and friends who helped change
“Cyber was not a thing back then, so it wasn’t really
her career journey. “There are two individuals
on my radar. It wasn’t until I moved to Australia and
who have had the most influence in my career.
started working for another manufacturing company
They helped me move into the world of cybersecurity,”
that I was introduced to cyber and discovered what
W O M E N I N S E C U R I T Y M A G A Z I N E
S E P T E M B E R • O C T O B E R 2022
