When Julie McGourty was speaking at a tech conference recently she noticed something different about the room. “It was very nice to look out at the audience and see that the vast majority of them were female,” says the EY director, cybersecurity. “That’s something I’ve never seen at any conference I’ve been to in the last 20 years – when the audiences were always mostly male – so it was really inspiring to see that shift.”
EY is leading that shift, thanks to its strategic focus on empowering women in their careers. McGourty’s been in cyber for 20 years and at previous companies she was often the only woman in a team, but this isn’t the case at EY, where women are “very much empowered”, as shown by the large number of female partners it holds.
EY cybersecurity partner, Shriparna Ghosh, agrees. Although women can still be under-represented in the cybersecurity field, she says her experience at EY “has been nothing short of extraordinary”, because she’s worked alongside “so many experienced female cyber leaders”.
McGourty says the “variety” of her work is her favourite aspect of it. She loves it because “no two days are the same”. She works with clients across all different sectors, from government and utilities, through to big high street retailers and supermarkets. “You can see the difference that our work makes out there,” she says, “and that’s so interesting and fulfilling.”
At the start of her career, she wondered if IT was “really just sitting in front of a screen all day and interacting with technology”, but her role actually means she interacts with people as much as technology and there are many other positions in cybersecurity that are “very, very people oriented”, she says.
“People would be surprised by the amount of time I spend in my week travelling around the UK to visit clients,” she says. She holds workshops and discussions with people right up to chief executive level, educating them about cybersecurity. “It’s a part of the role that I really do enjoy.”
EY partner Kanika Seth agrees cybersecurity is evolving and soft skills are becoming more in-demand: “Cyber isn’t just about technology – it’s also about people,” she says. “There’s a common belief that you need to be highly technical to succeed in cybersecurity. But human and social aspects of cybersecurity are key in preventing and mitigating threats. A deep understanding of the business you’re protecting is also a crucial part of cybersecurity.”
McGourty says she relishes the “independence and autonomy” she’s given to manage her time and her working week. “I think this is why people here are so energised and why we enjoy the culture,” she adds. “EY wants to find good people and make sure they stay.”
EY wants to encourage that retention because “they realise that having that knowledge and expertise and being able to take that to the next client is good for the individual, but it’s also good for EY. It’s very much a place that likes to encourage people to stay by developing them and giving them an opportunity.”
The managers are “incredibly encouraging” and keen to develop talent across the board, she says, but sometimes women may need a bit more support when it comes to developing the confidence to take the next step on their career journey, so there are lots of initiatives for them, such as the EY Women in Technology network and also “lunch and learn” sessions, where team members share their own career journey and offer mentoring and guidance to women who may aspire to become partners.
It’s all part of the fascinating dynamism of life at EY. “We have lots of opportunities for training and development and you can learn anything and everything – it doesn’t even have to be within your own particular domains,” McGourty says. “I wanted to learn some of the more legal aspects of technology and regulation and there are courses for that. You get that empowerment to shape your own development with the support of some very inspiring role models who are always willing to coach and develop as well.”
One inspiring role model for McGourty is a colleague at the Edinburgh office who’s been with the company for 38 years. He joined straight from university as a trainee chartered accountant and has moved through different departments, worked with many different clients, lived in the US for five years and is now a partner, opening new frontiers in the energy sector with oil and gas companies, and flying to Texas for meetings.
For anyone who wants to reach a senior position, the company offers programmes and training, including one called Path To Partner. It’s a two-year development programme that trains, coaches and mentors staff members to be ready when a partner position comes up. “Becoming a partner is probably the most important, career defining jump of your life,” she says, “and there’s so much support to get you there.”
But then working at EY means you’re “always learning and always developing”, she says, particularly given the fast-evolving threats in the world of technology. “One of my colleagues joked the other day that she took her week’s holiday and when she came back everything had changed,” she says. Every day the challenges of cybersecurity evolve, but this inspired workforce is well poised to protect its customers and their data.
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