Meet Virginia Mayo and learn about her current role as Vice President of Global Security and Resiliency at Kyndryl, her perspective on the importance of diverse thought in cybersecurity, and the critical role mentorship plays in uplifting women in this field.
This month, we are honored to feature Virginia Mayo, Vice President of Global Security and Resiliency at Kyndryl, the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider. In this role, Virginia ensures Kyndryl's customers' information and computer systems are protected against cybersecurity threats and can continue operating in the event of a cyberattack.
Virginia is the first-ever Filipino-American Distinguished Engineer for Kyndryl, a prestigious honor recognizing top experts who excel as technologists, industry leaders, and innovators. She is also a strong advocate for the advancement of women in technology, dedicated to creating a workplace and industry where women can thrive and succeed. She achieves this through mentorship, volunteerism, and serving on boards of various non-profit organizations supporting women.
Thank you, Virginia, for sharing your career journey and insights with us and for all you do to support women in cybersecurity! You are an inspiration!
1. How did you begin your career in cybersecurity?
I began my career in cybersecurity as a software engineer, where I wrote code to automate the install of security patches to inoculate software vulnerabilities. Learning the various patterns and behaviors of security threats led me to various innovations for how to chain installations in a short change window, how to manage software pre/co-requisites, how to stagger installations in distributed environments to prevent downtime, etc. In other words, as I learned about security threats, I found faster and better ways to install updates and keep systems running smoothly.
2. How has being a woman with a diverse cultural background shaped your career in tech and cybersecurity, and what unique challenges have you encountered along the way?
As a woman with a diverse cultural background, time and again, people will tell me: “you don’t look like a computer/cybersecurity engineer.” I respond with “thank goodness.” What can I say -- I don’t fit the stereotype. I’ve learned to own my authenticity and the uniqueness I bring to solve problems. I’m reminded of a project where I was in a meeting with my peers. I was on vacation, my three kids in the car, husband driving. But this project was too important to miss. For the majority of the meeting, I listened to how we were going to modernize a system with the latest and greatest technologies, all in complete agreement on how it would transform the business. I managed to get the kids quiet for a few minutes and get off mute before the end of the call to ask: “How will our end-user interact with the system? How will the system meet the requirements of the different personas using the solution?” Light bulb moment. That’s what happens when you have diverse point of views in rooms where decisions are being made.
3. What role has mentorship played in your career, and why do you believe it is important? What other factors do you feel are impactful in enabling one's career?
Mentorship has been crucial in my career. I strongly believe in the statement -- “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Shoutout to Rhonda Childress, Lisa Chavez-Chambers, Emi Olsson – some of my female mentors who lifted me up. Showed me the possibilities of what a career in tech could look like as a woman and as a mom.
4. Women now comprise 20-25% of the global cybersecurity workforce, up from 10% a decade ago. What obstacles do you believe are hindering faster growth in this percentage, and what actions can we take to overcome them?
I believe that the obstacles hindering faster growth of women in cybersecurity begin with educating young girls that a career in cyber is a viable path. There is a perception that cybersecurity is an intense war room void of women representation when in fact, the domain thrives on the diversity of thought and background of everyone in that room. We need to break that stereotype by encouraging female leaders to share their journey to empower girls and women to pursue this career path.
5. Finally, what accomplishment in your career are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your personal and professional development?
The career accomplishment I’m most proud of is being appointed by a board of my peers to become a Distinguished Engineer, a Technical Executive role at Kyndryl, and also prior during my time at IBM. When I started my career 22 years ago, I never dreamt of becoming “first ever anything.” Now, I’m introduced as the “first ever Kyndryl Filipino-American Distinguished Engineer.” Because of that, I know there will now be a second, third and so on. This drives my purpose of inspiring and making an impact on those whose path I cross. I share my journey often because I want people like me to see me and know you can show up as your authentic self and be a Distinguished Engineer.
