CHARN TANGSON

What is your name?

Charn Tangson

What company do you work for?

Willow

What is your position in the company?

Global Head of Cyber Security & Privacy

How long have you worked in the industry?

Just over a decade now!

What do you do and in what circumstances would I come to you for something?

I’m responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the Willow organisation and our customer data. This involves a myriad of work to mitigate cyber risks, but most importantly means that I lead a high performing team of security professionals to get this done. Most people would come to me for absolutely anything related to cyber security, and they are very much welcome to ask me anything!

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?

That it’s a highly technical field which only engineers and programmers can succeed in. Cyber security is extremely diverse which can sometimes be a curse and a blessing. On one end of the spectrum, you have security engineers or analysts who often work on very technical projects and have strong software engineering or IT backgrounds, and on the other far end of the spectrum you have cyber professionals whose sole focus is on working with people to uplift security awareness and culture through an organisation without ever even seeing or interacting with the backend of technical systems. In leadership positions it’s all about people management, stakeholder management and sometimes customer interaction.

What is the best thing about your job?

My team are amazing, and it would be impossible to maintain a competent cyber security function at Willow without them. As a leader that is responsible for many different objectives relating to cyber security, it makes a world of difference to have a team that can consistently deliver on projects and operational responsibilities to a high standard that ensures our organisation and customers are safe from the bad guys. It’s also great having a strong team culture within the group where everyone can be themselves, enjoy working together to achieve goals and depend on each other when it’s needed.

What soft skills should someone in your field have?

If you want to be an effective leader in the cyber security field, it’s essential to have strong business acumen and a good understanding of how organisations work to ensure that you’re able to guide the security team and function in a way that truly supports a business in its objectives. It’s a common mistake to see technical professionals focus too much on technical objectives with a narrow view, without understanding the impact of the work they do on other parts of the business such as sales and finance. These other more ‘frontline’ areas are often the lifeblood of companies bringing in the revenue that sustains the organisation, especially smaller organisations that are in growth mode. Security often plays an essential supporting act in an organisation, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with recognising and owning that!

What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, and what did you learn from it?

Early on my career, whilst doing some diagnostic work in the comms room of the company I was working at, I made a very simple mistake of accidentally unplugging the network cable from an active Microsoft Exchange server which I thought was another server that was no longer in use. This ended up causing a major outage for emails across the company which had to be quickly rectified. At the time it felt like the worst thing I could have ever done, but I’ve learnt a lot about double and triple checking before making changes and fortunately haven’t had any similar experiences ever since!

Describe yourself in three words?

Organised, tenacious, relaxed.

What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

Being very organised is central to not only my work life, but also my personal life. I love to plan things far in advance to make sure things go smoothly on the journey towards achieving a longer-term goal. This means that when an opportunity arises, I’m able to make fast decisions to take advantage of them as I’m already very clear on whether it will help me achieve my long-term goals and whether I have the time and capacity to take it on (and do it justice).

Is there a quote that motivates you?

I love Doctor Who quotes, here’s a few favourites:

– Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person.

– You know in 900 years in time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.

– Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Remember hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.