Karolina Wilczynska

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I have a Master of Engineering from Krakow University of Technology. I studied Mechanical Engineering and Management. Recently, I studied in Grenoble, France where I also did a 6-month internship as part of the program. I chose Grenoble since it’s located in the Alps, and I am passionate about skiing.

At HV, I am a Cybersecurity Product Manager. My job is to ensure that products and services sold by Hitachi Vantara are safe and meet the highest cybersecurity requirements.

Getting into technology and becoming a Cybersecurity Product Manager

I got interested in technology since I was a kid and wanted to become an engineer - many in my family are engineers. I was always curious about computers. Once someone hacked my friend’s email and I was able to locate the hackers email address. This is even before I knew the word “hacker”.

I spent 10 years working in various fields and but could never pinpoint what I want to specialize in. But I knew I wanted a role that combines technical and managerial skills. As part of my studies, I had a Project Management module which I liked, and it further helped me make my decision.

I joined HV in April 2018 as Oracle Financial IT Analyst and after attending a few IT conferences I got very interested in IT Security. A couple of years later, an Information Security engineer role opened at HV, so I applied and became a part of the IT Security team. It was a very challenging period as I had to lead a PAM system implementation project. But after successful implementation, I progressed to Cybersecurity Product Manager role.

I’m results driven and always look for improvements. I try to act as a bridge between the business and the technology – making the complex technical work easy to understand for the business. 

Significance of your work - for the clients and our business

The security of our product is critical as it is linked to the security of our clients’ systems and networks. Any breach or incident would reflect on HV’s reputation and relations with existing, and future clients. Security of our products is key to sustaining our brand and growing our business. 

Being a woman in technology and advice for other women 

Being a woman in an unconventional domain is challenging. I wasn’t taken seriously in many instances and to prove myself, I had to work more compared to my male colleagues. I feel women are still disadvantaged and don’t get promoted to senior executive roles easily and/or get paid equally. 

The best way is to lead with an example, so that other women know it is possible. I would say guide, mentor, and help them with anything they need. We can encourage and show women that these roles are not just for men and there’s nothing to be scared.

Impact of HV on your career

HV has a big impact on my career as I got the opportunity to pivot my career here. I am always supported, and my ideas and efforts are acknowledged.