I thought becoming a CISO was the missing piece in my career. When I reached that level, though, I realized I needed something more.
After more than 10 years as an IT and IS auditor and consultant for one of the Big 4 audit and advisory companies worldwide, I gained world-class experience by working in a high-ranking professional environment on challenging local and international engagements. I developed excellent communication skills, a holistic view of organizational structures, knowledge of risk management processes and procedures, and strong competence in methodologies and regulations, while practicing due professional care and proficiency. The logical next step was to become a CISO to complete the strategical defense concept.
When I ascended to that level – managing to run a whole security program and significantly improve the environment of my organization – I realized that I still had much more capacity to tap into. I needed new dreams and peaks to conquer. I needed more, but I was not sure what exactly, and how to find it. That was one of the most challenging moments of my life, full of fear in parallel with a strong desire for change. And then my opportunity arose.
At one of the local ISACA meetings, a new management board was voted on, and I was elected to the vice president position. I realized that there were so many people who trusted me, and I was more than happy to take the position. This was an excellent opportunity to combine with serving as a freelancer in IT audit and control, and information security.
Going back several years, some of the first ISACA local meetings in Bulgaria were organized and held at the company where I was working. That’s how I found out about ISACA and its purpose. Over the following years, I came to realize the benefits of ISACA certifications. I started my career being strongly focused on the IT field. Gradually, I decided to expand my capabilities. Over time and because of the various projects I worked on, it became clear to me that the fields I most wanted to explore were information security and IT audit.
Serving as vice president of the ISACA Sofia Chapter has given me a different view of the profession, now being driven by pure contributions to the community and creating beneficial opportunities for my fellow professionals. This introduced me to a whole new world and allowed me to support so many wonderful colleagues and events. It has changed my life forever.
A significant mission of ISACA that strongly reflects my beliefs is the initiative focused on supporting women in technology through the SheLeadsTech program and now the One In Tech foundation. Working in support of One In Tech, I am very proud to demonstrate that technology knows no gender, no age, makes no assumptions, holds no biases and has no boundaries. Women in technology, in general, are quite well represented in both Europe and in Bulgaria, but in the field of cybersecurity, it is different. Overall, the representation especially of women leaders is unsatisfactory in technology fields. What we are still seeing is that operational levels and middle management remain the comfort zone for women in these technology professions. This is a big challenge. The reasons are many – stereotypes and prejudices, culture, the ethics of a particular work environment or organization, and many others. This is a problem that we need to pay attention to, and challenge people to think about and address. As one of many women progressing in this area, I’ve persevered through many challenging moments in the field. In 2019, my efforts were internationally recognized by SC Magazine in the UK, which featured me as one of 50 influential women in Europe in cybersecurity. This recognition further validated that I chose the right career path.
Leaving my professional life aside, I am a person who is interested in people, and in particular in the characteristics of different personalities, psychology, and in striving to understand what motivates individuals in their actions and behavior. Another aspect of my personal interests focuses on understanding myself and the society around me. I believe in high moral values and personal ethics as a basis for a healthy and good personality, and society.
People who know me well would also confirm that my love for aesthetics and beauty is another passion of mine. For me, beauty can be seen everywhere: in one’s personal outlook and manners, the environment around us, in our relationships, and even in the people’s communication. The beauty of personality has always impressed me the most. It turns out that it is not so difficult to be a better version of ourselves every day. The hardest part of the whole exercise is acknowledging and recognizing our weaknesses and having the courage and bravery needed to try to address them. My personal and professional journey in this direction continues, and I truly wish success to all of us.
