According to data from the World Economic Forum, it will take us 133 more years, roughly five generations from now, to reach equal opportunities based on gender at the current rate of progress. As a fast-growing cybersecurity company, we’re used to moving a lot quicker than others, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in both our world-leading cybersecurity and workplace inclusion.
#AccelerateAction is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres. This call to action is incredibly fitting for us for two reasons – we like to move fast, and there are so many amazing women we have the privilege to work with every single day.
We sat down with seven of our wonderful colleagues from around the world to learn more about their journeys, challenges, and insights on working in a male-dominated industry. Here’s what they had to say.
Meet Keto Bukhnikashvili, Senior Product Manager, Czech Republic
Starting her career in tech at just 18 years of age, Keto has a deep passion for technology and an impressive background in product management from industry leaders such as Amazon and Microsoft.
“I have a funny story about how I got into the tech industry. When I was 18 years old, just starting college in Georgia, I heard about a job fair for third and fourth-year students and decided to sneak in to see what it was all about. I didn’t even have a CV at the time, so I quickly created one in the computer room and went to speak with the company representatives.
I particularly liked one of the software companies there and they liked me, so we arranged a follow-up meeting, during which they eventually found out I was only a freshman. I was so enthusiastic and eager to learn that it convinced them to give me a chance anyway, ultimately leading to my first ever work experience, setting the tone for the rest of my journey.
At the time, I wasn’t sure which industry I wanted to pursue but was eager to seize any opportunity that came my way because that is just who I am. So, I began writing software for machines. It didn’t take long for me to realize the tech industry was where I wanted to be, moving from hardware-plus-software roles to working on pure software projects like electronic wallets. From there, I decided to stick with tech and continually learn and grow in the field, which eventually led me to cybersecurity and to SentinelOne.
Looking back, I’m really happy I was independent enough not to let society’s views of women stop me from pursuing what I wanted. You know, stereotypes claiming that if a girl likes math, she should become an accountant because it’s viewed as a stable and safe job for a woman, rather than for her to pursue math-related passions within the male-dominated tech industry. Viewpoints like this reinforce societal limitations on how far a woman can go and what she can achieve from a very young age. Now, I can see that these kinds of stereotypes are slowly disappearing. When I was completing my Master’s in Systems Engineering, the vast majority of students were men. There were only three women in that class. My brother, who is nine years younger, is now studying IT, and half of his class are girls, which is awesome. I think this is the way to go.”
Meet Anagha Mujumdar, Regional Sales Director, Enterprise Sales, India
With almost two decades of experience in enterprise IT software, infrastructure, services, and solutions sales, Anagha shines not just as a Regional Sales Director at SentinelOne, but also as a strong advocate for equal opportunities.
“Entering a male-dominated field like sales definitely wasn’t easy. This is all tied to our history, traditions, and how society has conditioned us. Breaking away from these norms was challenging, but with drive and determination, it became more manageable with time.
That said, biases were definitely present. Being taken seriously and included in main team activities was tough. I had to work twice as hard as my male colleagues, if not more, just to hold my ground. Building connections within male-dominated teams was also tricky – guys can easily bond over some locker room talk, which is something women have typically been excluded from participating in. With all this, being an equal part of the team was certainly a challenge for me.
Also, there is usually a double standard present. The same behaviors are perceived differently based on the gender of the person. As a woman, when you ask for what’s due to you – whether it’s being assigned to the right projects, asking for visibility, or calling out uncomfortable or significant issues – it’s seen as aggressive rather than ambitious. For the exact same conversation, a man might be seen as a go-getter, while a woman asking for a promotion or salary hike might be labeled as too forceful or troublesome.
I’ve faced my share of struggles, and it wasn’t an easy journey, but I had very supportive friends, colleagues, bosses, and family that helped a lot. Working in Sales, you have to travel extensively, work long and sometimes odd hours, and sacrifice a lot of personal time. This is true for many individuals regardless of gender. However, as a female, managing a family – including a spouse, parents, and children – adds another layer of complexity because you are often the primary provider and manager. This adds to the weight of your responsibilities. Having joined an amazing company like SentinelOne, I’ve felt fully supported, and know that my colleagues trust in my abilities, allowing me to prioritize my life outside of work while managing my duties effectively.”
Meet Yuval Isaschar, Senior Software Engineer, Israel
With a background in software engineering and immense enthusiasm for mentorship and diversity in tech, Yuval is one of the founders and leaders behind the S1 Community Impact Program for women in Israel, connecting high school and university students with SentinelOne professionals to discuss cybersecurity and careers in technology.
“A common misconception is that when people see a successful female leader in a tech company, they immediately think she doesn’t spend time with her family or that she prioritizes her career over her personal life. This misconception can act as a barrier for women considering a career in tech, and it’s not true. We work flexibly and often with people from different time zones, which actually provides a great opportunity to manage both our homes and our work.
I founded and am actively leading the S1 Community Impact Program here in Israel, where we organize events with nonprofit organizations and educational initiatives that encourage female students to pursue careers in technology. We meet with students to provide practical tools and discuss both cybersecurity and the importance of STEM fields, but we also address common, gender-based misconceptions. Without the right mentorship or guidance, many students still doubt their ability to succeed in this industry. That is why visiting our office and seeing success across all types of skillsets and people is eye-opening for them.
In my opinion, it’s crucial to reach young minds early before biases and misconceptions take root. I also believe the best way to empower our youth is to lead by example. Seeing these moments of growth and confidence, particularly when they express how much they learned and how it shaped their aspirations, confirms that our efforts do make a difference. I especially loved a note I received recently where a seventh-grade student wrote, ‘Thank you for demonstrating that women are strong and can pursue their dreams in tech and beyond.’”
Meet Melissa K. Smith, Vice President, Technology Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives, United States
Mel recently joined SentinelOne, bringing nearly two decades of experience from Sales, Partner Marketing and Channel Sales, nurturing strategic relationships with customers across the U.S. and Canada. She has held leadership positions at Google Cloud, Mandiant, and a trio of threat intelligence start-ups.
“I think the evolution of women in tech has gone from supporting roles behind the scenes to front-of-house roles with incredible leaders like Jen Easterly who just recently departed CISA. She is an absolute star and leader who came up through the ranks first as a practitioner. Many of the people in tech I admire are phenomenal women who have worked hard. They started at ground level, maybe with different career paths, but now they’re in industry leadership roles. It’s great to see. The cybersecurity industry as a whole has progressed, and so have the women in it. In many cases, we’ve progressed faster than some of our male counterparts.
We’re great multitaskers, finding ways to get ahead faster, while complementing and elevating each other, which is amazing. However, it can also be a double-edged sword. Under preconceived notions, some might label us as “bossy” or “overly direct” and assume we’re difficult to work with. It’s a fine line to navigate, but I believe this industry has been excellent for women to grow and find creative ways to be leaders in different capacities.
One thing that the opportunity to join SentinelOne brought me was the chance to be a different kind of leader. I don’t want to use this as a buzzword, but I think the most important thing this company allows us to do is be our authentic selves. In other organizations, we might have felt stifled or as if we were hiding behind something. At SentinelOne, there’s a lot of realness, which is so refreshing. People have an unabashed, energetic mentality, creating a safe space to share their ideas on even the most complex or uncomfortable things. As security practitioners, this empowerment to be authentic is key. Our business is based on trust, and that starts with full transparency in all that we do.”
Meet Monserrat Sandí, Senior Technical Support Engineer, Costa Rica
A Senior Technical Support Engineer and an S1 Foundation Regional Leader, Monserrat is committed to driving progress, fostering meaningful change, and ensuring impactful results in every initiative.
“A lot of companies push for change, but only on the surface level. You see them running campaigns and launching initiatives, but they don’t bring the conversation inside. Conversely, that is what we do at SentinelOne. We bring these conversations into the offices because that’s where real change happens, not just at the big leadership table, but also at the lunch tables and office desks.
In workspaces where women’s ideas and initiatives are not welcomed, I can try to champion an initiative to increase visibility of women, but feel secluded and alone, which then undermines the whole effort. Progress will not happen that way. Sharing struggles, staying empathetic, and creating spaces where everyone, despite gender or cultural background, feels safe without being obligated to act in a certain way is essential to a better way forward.
#AcceleratingAction is not about pushing anyone to do anything – it’s about helping them understand the struggles others face and building a community where we don’t have to fight each other to get what we want. Changing the workplace dynamic between women and men doesn’t take force; it takes strength, empathy, and understanding. And, I’m really happy and very fortunate that this is exactly how SentinelOne operates. We genuinely live the change here; we don’t just talk about it. There is an ever-present culture of equality despite gender, and we don’t just promote it within our company, but also involve employees and the communities we work with to drive the change together. I am proud to be a part of it.”
Meet Blanca Galletero, Vice President, EMEA Channels, Channel Sales, Spain
Blanca began her career almost 30 years ago at a small online bookseller called Amazon and has been charting the technological landscape ever since, gathering experience at many industry leaders, including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Splunk, Zscaler, and now SentinelOne.
“There are certain things we, as a business community, can do to #AccelerateAction. For example, we need to close the pay gap because it exists. This is data. Even if it doesn’t happen here at SentinelOne, which I think is amazing, we need to keep visibility on the pay gap, as it does happen in society. We should be the voice of change. When conducting business with our partners, we need to emphasize that this is important to us. By sharing our principles and values, we can influence our ecosystem so they understand what we prioritize and, hopefully, follow in similar footsteps.
It’s also important that we see different profiles at leadership levels and that they reflect society. This is not just about women, but rather, is about allowing the differences among us to be visible to everybody. I don’t think we should aim for parity for the sake of parity. Parity should result from reflecting society accurately, and the day it happens organically, it will mean that we are doing our job right.
We also need to consider how we can support families, particularly regarding parenthood and motherhood, which significantly impacts many trying to balance work and family. Given all the digital resources we have, we are in a fantastic position to address this. We at SentinelOne lead by example with 16-weeks of gender-neutral parental leave and flexible working arrangements, helping our people manage all their responsibilities and allowing them to spend valuable time with their families first and foremost.
We need to eliminate bias altogether across the board when hiring and promoting. We should promote the best, period. Trying to achieve parity by promoting without merit does no one any favors. That is why we need to ensure we have a diverse enough population to reduce bias during promotion and hiring. We are doing a wonderful job of this at SentinelOne, while also making a concentrated effort for meaningful development opportunities for all.”
Meet Kim Heilman, Vice President, Product Design & UX, United States
With nearly three decades of experience in UX design and research, Kim has worked at leading tech giants such as Meta, Google, and Salesforce. Throughout her career, she has led high-performing global teams, driving the success of innovative products and services.
“If you are a woman looking to join the tech industry, I’d advise you to focus on data and AI rather than on gender. Learn the tools at your disposal and understand the languages your partners use, whether they are literal languages or technical and business languages. Approach your role with the mindset of contributing just like everyone else, using the same tools and partaking in the same conversations already happening.
Being in the minority on male-dominated teams always brings challenges, but there are also opportunities. That’s how I’ve seen it in my career – there are opportunities to learn from people with diverse expertise, regardless of gender. Though I worked closely with large, mostly male engineering teams as a UX designer, I was, as a woman, able to bring a unique perspective and advocate for user-centered experiences, turning what might be seen as a vulnerability into an advantage.
I’ll add a message for leaders of tech companies out there: It’s essential to normalize the presence of women in historically male-dominated teams. For example, in cross-functional teams, just having more women in the room can promote equality. It’s almost like playing a numbers game – when you have as many women as men, gender becomes less of an issue because it gets normalized. It really is that simple, and it comes down to the number of voices in the room.”
Happy International Women’s Day from SentinelOne!
Making a commitment to #AccelerateAction is not just something we are doing to improve the workplace – it’s a call to action to improve the world! Visit our career page and join us in creating a Secure Tomorrow™ not just for women, but for all.
