GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Jeff Ogden,
General Manager, Mimecast ME
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement in the
cybersecurity industry?
I would have to say, starting an IT security
company in Dubai. We managed to grow
it to a good size and recruit talented
people who also became friends. Knowing
that you created something that gave
IT professionals and their families the
opportunity to live in this great country and
develop their careers gives me a wonderful
sense of achievement. Added to this was
the fact that, we helped many customers on
their security journeys.
What first made you think of a
career in cybersecurity?
I started a company called Ifor (I for internet)
with two friends in 1998. It was a web hosting
business in the .com era and we grew it to 25
people in two years. That got me interested
in Managed Security Services and when
Symantec came knocking I joined them
as their Managed Services Director for the
Middle East. The rest, as they say, is history.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with your
current position?
If I think back to the days when I wanted
to become an executive, my entire thought
www.intelligentcio.com
process revolved around having authority,
responsibility, power and recognition.
But when you get to this position you
realise it’s about humility, humanity,
teamwork and purpose. So, my philosophy
is to communicate a clear purpose to my
extended team, identify their individual
contributions and help them become
successful. If they are successful, then the
whole team will be.
cyberthreats, how to secure business critical
applications like email and how to securely
migrate to cloud. Customers continue to deal
with these daily.
What do you think is the current hot
cybersecurity talking point?
As far as the industry is concerned, the use of
Machine Learning and AI to make intelligent
decisions for customers is a big talking
point. For most customers, the hot topics
remain, how to educate their people about
“
IF THE WHOLE
TEAM IS ALIGNED
TO THE SAME
PURPOSE, YOU
CANNOT FAIL.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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