I am a results-driven Cybersecurity Executive with a passion for securing organizations in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
My expertise lies in strategic planning, technology leadership, and program management, all of which are critical in navigating the ever changing cybersecurity landscape. I have a demonstrated ability to harmonize diverse product teams, align activities with organizational vision, and develop multi-tiered security roadmaps that result in enhanced security and operational resilience.
One of my notable achievements was leading the end-to-end cybersecurity enhancement for a $431 million State Department IT modernization initiative. In doing so, I optimized cost efficiency, standardized operations, and elevated the user experience while ensuring strict compliance with industry regulations.
Navigating adversity in a void of diversity – that might be the best way to begin.
I was born in Liberia. My father worked as a chief clinician within the hospital system. Due to tribal/civil war, my family fled the country when I was 2 years old to the Ivory Coast (French Speaking).
I migrated again to Ghana, where I had to learn English very quickly. I moved to the US in 2007 to go to school. I attended Penn State to study Information Science & Technology.
Adapting to new environments and cultures has been a theme in every chapter of my story.
While at Penn State, I was chosen to lead many projects and initiatives. My ability to solve problems creatively and to recognize potential in others got the attention of professors and professionals alike.
I have often been one of the only black people in my field. It’s been the case throughout my journey, in my graduating class at the School of Information Science & Technology, in my chosen profession in cybersecurity, in government agencies where I collaborated, and in many of the leading organizations I’ve worked with.
As I pursued my professional career in cybersecurity, my background of navigating adversity proved to be a valuable resource when leading teams from different departments, strategizing and implementing innovative technologies, and protecting highly-sensitive information from evolving threats.
I also began to mentor diverse individuals who were met with the same challenges I faced, helping them adapt and thrive by teaching them a valuable truth: creating mental fortitude makes you extremely valuable.
You can’t control the environment in which you work, but you can embrace adversity as a catalyst for exponential growth.
Expertise and experience are vital, but leadership is necessary when it comes to creating cybersecurity infrastructure that can meet the future head-on. However, it’s even more important to carry your organization into a future of diversity and inclusion.
I know anyone can thrive, no matter their background. Through inclusion and mentorship, I’ll help you create a diverse culture that attracts top minority talent and empowers everyone to rise to their potential.
Let’s work together to future proof your organization both inside and out.
In our modern internet-driven era, data security breaches, ransomware, phishing, and many more online and offline threats have become far too common, and the rate at which cyber-attacks are carried out is alarming.
Many cybersecurity organizations not only struggle to stay ahead of these evolving online risks, they also miss out on opportunities to become a more diverse workplace, often expressing inclusivity as a value, but rarely seeing it as a reality. They don’t realize how the two problems go hand-in-hand. Struggling to adapt to a safe, more inclusive future takes many shapes, and is often a sign of a deeper organizational problem.
I get it, you need to lead your organization into the future, and that includes embracing diversity and inclusion. The biggest vulnerability in most organizations is often “the way it’s always been done”. You see this with security vulnerabilities that necessitate cybersecurity engineering, and you see it with building a more diverse workforce.
I have more than a decade of cybersecurity leadership experience in highly classified government agencies in the Federal Sector, as well as the private sector, including, but not limited to Financial and Healthcare Sectors. I focus on cybersecurity policy and compliance, security architecture, and security engineering that helps clients implement security from a risk-based approach, creating the ability to remain safe as technology shifts.
But my secret weapon for organizations I work with is what I’ve learned through my personal background of navigating adversity in a void of diversity – from my childhood in war-torn Liberia and Ivory Coast, to my journey through university, and throughout my professional career. I know anyone can thrive, no matter their background. Through inclusion and mentorship, I’ll help you create a diverse culture that attracts top minority talent and empowers everyone to rise to their potential.
I’d like to help you future-proof your organization both inside and out. Here’s how we can work together:
So, make an introduction today. And in the meantime, download my professional resume. You can finally stop falling behind, and instead become the leader in cybersecurity and inclusion, inviting everyone into a safer, more secure future.