GET TO KNOW
What changes to your job role have
you seen in the last year and how do
you see these developing in the next
12 months?
I was recently appointed as Managing Director
for KASPERSKY LAB in the META region. Before
that, I was its General Manager, a position in
which I had learned a lot from and it shaped
my strategies to grow the business.
For the next 12 months my role will focus on
strengthening KASPERSKY LAB’s leadership
in the region by strategically promoting the
company’s vision of spreading cybersecurity
awareness on a national level. I will also be
promoting Kaspersky Lab’s award-winning
business and consumer products as well as
the company’s Threat Intelligence services.
How do you
deal with stress and unwind
outside the office?
To unwind, I like to spend time with my
family and do quite a bit of reading too. I
like to stay up to date with tech trends and
global politics and I’m a fan of Video on
Demand apps such as Netflix. Of course
nothing compares to traveling with friends
and family.
If you could go back and change one
career decision what would it be?
I think we all have moments that we would
do differently. But overall, I’m pleased with
the direction I’ve taken, the decisions I’ve
made, and the things that have happened in
my career and in my personal life.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
Business across different industries are
becoming aware of the importance of
investing in cybersecurity. with data breaches
becoming ever more costly, we are seeing IT
security play an increasingly strategic role in
business decision-making today.
A new report from Kaspersky Lab has
indicated that IT security is at last gaining
more of a strategic role among the business
community – with findings suggesting it is
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INTELLIGENTCIO
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain c-level
position in your industry?
starting to be treated as an investment,
rather than simply a cost-centre. The
company has found that the growing
costs of recovering from a cybersecurity
incident are forcing business leaders to
give IT security a larger portion (24%) of
their overall IT budgets in the Middle East,
Turkey and South Africa. In addition, both
enterprises and very small businesses expect
their IT security budgets to grow by 18% in
the next three years.
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in the Middle East?
Although many Middle Eastern countries
such as the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain have
already begun the implementation of core
digitisation initiatives, there are still many
challenges towards the acceptance of new
technologies, operational or otherwise.
Lack of awareness and stringent work
cultures are some of the key contributors to
hindering the acceptance of implementing
new tech initiatives in the work place as well
as private lives.
Overall, companies need to embrace the
digital opportunity – and address the
associated challenges. Like any tool,
a digital talent platform must be
wielded properly.
For anyone wishing to join a c-level position
in cybersecurity, I would say that this is
the perfect time for it. As the market for IT
security in the Middle East is expected to
grow to US$22.14 Billion by 2022, according
to a report by MarketsandMarkets, so will
the need for people to work in this industry.
Many companies in the field are growing
economically and expanding which in turn
leads to a greater rise of people who will
work their way up. The market is super
competitive and my advice to people is to
develop a passion for learning. If you do, you
will never cease to grow. n
“
THE MARKET
IS SUPER
COMPETITIVE
AND MY ADVICE
TO PEOPLE IS
TO DEVELOP A
PASSION FOR
LEARNING.
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