An interview with Mylène Lair, Marketer at ThreatQuotient
In the lead-up to International Women’s Day (IWD), which celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, Mylène Lair, marketer, videographer and photographer at ThreatQuotient™ shares her views.
This year’s theme for IWD is DigitAll: Innovation and technology for gender equality aligning with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), which promotes innovation, technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Here, Mylène talks about what inspired her to develop a career in the technology sector and she gives advice to women joining the profession. Mylène’s background is somewhat unusual, and she is therefore a role model for companies to think outside the box when hiring talent.
When asked what inspired her to work in the technology sector, Mylène admits that she doesn’t have a cyber security background and that she studied audio visual, subsequently creating her company in this area more than 15 years ago. In the last 5 years, Mylène has been creating videos for different publishers in cybersecurity, which was her introduction to the industry. She adds: “Eighteen months ago, I had the chance to join the marketing team at ThreatQuotient, as a contractor, initially with the remit to produce videos. The role has subsequently expanded into other areas of marketing and opened up a whole new world for me. I had to learn and understand a range of new concepts and I admit that I’m still discovering different aspects of the role, which is all very exciting.”
Over the course of her career Mylène says there are many women who have inspired her, but she adds: “I think that in every stage of life, there will be women who inspire. The key is to take a little bit from each person, as you harness and develop your own skills. But the most important aspect here is to be yourself, to live as you want and to trust your own judgement and to be confident.”
Mylène admits that she doesn’t really have any female mentors but considers herself lucky to work in a team with many women, each of whom bring different strengths to the table with complementary ways of working. She adds: “Each team member brings a different perspective, but I know I can count on the team to support me and help me move my career forward. In return, I try to do the same for them, by sharing my experience.”
In terms of any advice that Mylène has for women starting their careers in the industry, she says: “Go for it, trust yourself, trust your instinct. But don’t hesitate to ask your co-workers to explain things to you if you don’t understand. When I started my career in cyber security, I didn’t know anything about the industry or about marketing, and English was my second language. But thanks to the support of the team around me I’ve developed and learnt so much.”
Mylène doesn’t feel that she has faced any specific challenges or barriers as a woman in the sector but overall feels that it is a shame that International Women’s Day still exists today. She adds: “The mentality must evolve, and I hope that soon this day will cease to exist as there should be more gender equality across the industry.”
