THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN SECURITY AND RISK ROLES

by Lauren Ibbotson , Financial Crime – SME at Australian Military Bank Ltd

We have seen increasing numbers of women entering and being part of the risk and security space, but from my observations at a recent cybersecurity conference, there still a significant gender imbalance in the industry.

Only five of the 17 speakers that day were women. Every speaker was interesting and engaging, posing questions that required further exploration. However, it was challenging as a female attendee to hear the host ask one of the female panellists if her job was as sexy as her description suggested. Not once were any of the male panellists asked whether their esteemed titles were associated with a role that was sexy, or otherwise.

I could see a shift in this panelist when she was asked this question. It was a demeaning question for any woman to be asked in a gathering dominated by male industry members.

As a woman working in risk I have had the pleasure of being guided by exceptional female leaders and have grown my professional capabilities significantly as a result. Their ability to see problems as process and procedure issues over people issues and to find highly functional solutions has produced incredibly inspired and effective teams.

Women Face An Uphill Battle

I believe a woman still feels the need to go above and beyond her male counterparts to be deemed worthy of her position. I believe the incident I described above reflects the challenges women still face to gain the respect and advancement they deserve in male dominated fields.

That incident reminded me of my first office job, as a receptionist in an engineering firm. I had been a reliable and high-performing employee. I was motivated to learn and to take on more tasks than I had been hired for. In my annual review my manager asked me where I would like to move within the company. With little expectation of a positive response, I said I saw a role for myself in project management.

I had spoken to the project managers and engineers. I knew the project managers had no engineering experience and were focussed solely on managing projects. One of the project managers I spoke to frequently knew I would be able to easily learn the role and even encouraged me to move into the area. But I was also acutely aware of the boy’s club mentality that prevailed in the office.

At that performance review I got the response I expected from my manager when he heard about my career aspirations. He told me I would need engineering knowledge and suggested a role in accounts payable and receivable as my future. This was where the only other two women in the company worked.

An Unacceptable Question

Things have changed since then. Today there is a push for women to receive the respect they deserve and to pursue whatever roles their capabilities and aspirations lead to. But why are we still asking a woman if her career is as sexy as it sounds yet not asking the same question of men? Why is such a question still acceptable, especially in an industry with a significant gender imbalance? Why are we still being told our sex appeal is important in a leadership position?

I have found good female leaders engender loyalty, dedication and a desire to excel, especially in the women they manage, and I would love to see the number of female leaders grow until we achieve a gender balance. I look forward to a future where my daughter’s success is dictated only by her capacity to do the job.

www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-ibbotson-9a636796

JAY HIRA