“Speak to me about your marketing objectives and I will find a way to make them happen,” says Alexandra Pisetskaya, marketing communications manager at help AG.
Pisetskaya started off her career in advertising and describes her transition to information security marketing as mere ‘chance’.
“I do not have idols, but I will always be thankful to Lee Reynolds, MD of Computerlinks who first introduced me to the world of information security. I did not tick the obvious boxes like “industry experience” when he first interviewed me years ago, but he still took the risk of hiring me for a high profile job in a billion dollar global company because he recognised my ability to excel in it. Not many people would do that,” she says.
Pisetskaya says that although the lack of technical knowledge and the outdated vendor MDF portals, processes and procedures make her role a tad cumbersome, her go-getter attitude combined with her eagerness to learn have helped her come a long way.
“I am not scared to make a mistake and this in turn fosters my learning and productivity. I read a lot and watch a disturbing amount of documentaries and as a result I have acquired a diverse volume of information that may seem useless to some but is immensely precious to me,” she says.
As a result of her ability to accept constructive criticism and understand that learning never truly stops, Pisetskaya has enjoyed a number of career highlights like being promoted to director of marketing, MEA and APAC, at help AG, winning multiple industry awards and hosting myriad successful events.
She even plans on getting another post-graduate degree in information security to enhance her existing skill sets.
“Understand that time is your one most valuable commodity. Treat your time as a commodity and be exceptionally selective on deciding how and with whom you spend it. If you want to be successful surround yourself with successful people. Go through your metaphorical phone book and reassess your contacts. Who is successful? Who is toxic? Who makes you feel good? Cut off people who give you nothing. You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. Lastly, perception is reality – dress for the job you want, not the one you have,” are Pisetkaya’s words of wisdom for aspiring achievers.
