About me
Hi there!
I’m Cristina Magro, a leadership and personal development coach for cybersecurity professionals.
I strongly believe in human resilience. Given enough support and positive regard, anyone can flourish.
I never thought I would work in Cyber Security. I always believed it was a male-dominated field. My aspiration to make a difference initially led me through a different path, studying Politics and International Relations and working in several roles within the private and public sector.
And yet, life is full of surprises and it often puts us in front of unexpected surprises. Afterall, as Kierkeegard said, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards”.
A Woman in Cybersecurity
In 2017 I was headhunted by one of the leading companies in the cyber industry (SANS Institute). There, I started my Cyber Security training obtaining the highest GIAC scores of the entire company (GISF and GSLC) and having the honour of becoming part of the GIAC Advisory Board.
I quickly discovered I was in my element, and during my time at SANS I travelled around Southern Europe helping governments, armed forces and big corporations devise training paths to upskill their cybersecurity teams.
I loved this role, and it gave me an insight on how I could contribute more to the industry, in my own way.
Time for change
In 2010 I had the chance to work with a group of coaches for a few months. It was then that I started getting interested in coaching. The changes we experienced were so amazing that I immediately thought: I want to be able to bring the same transformation in people.
The world of Cyber Security needs resilient, communicative, empathetic leaders. Having experienced it, I also knew that the field needed a lot more nourishment to be able to bring this change to life.
I strongly believe that to be good leaders one must be aware of one’s own values and purpose. This is what coaching gave me, and this is what I want to share with more people.
Joining the dots on all of my passions and interests, back in 2019 I embarked on a 2 years MA programme in Coaching and Mentoring Practice at Oxford Brookes University. I therefore became an EMCC accredited career and personal development coach for cybersecurity professionals. To my delight, my research on “Impostor Syndrome and Coaching” was then published in the International Journal of Coaching and Mentoring Practice.
Today, I work for CAPSLOCK Cyber Education as their Head of Coaching and I also coach established cybersecurity professionals through my private practice: Cristina Magro Coaching. This allows me to serve even more people and to have a wider impact in the world of cybersecurity.
My goal and purpose
My goal is to contribute to the growth of a new generation of cybersecurity professionals who are not only competent in their sector, but also not afraid of being themselves.
They are open, honest, emotionally intelligent, inclusive.
Coaching can really change your life and I want to use this power to help cybersecurity professionals to:
- Rediscover their authenticity and their authentic way of leading in their organization and in life.
- Develop self-awareness, emotional intelligence, overcome impostor syndrome and build more confidence in their cybersecurity career.
- Get ownership of their own life and time, finding balance.
- Deal with difficult decisions, find their purpose and meaning.
This is how new cyber leaders will help me impact positively the whole industry. They will create companies that favour a new way of working which allows for people to lead balanced lives.
Within cybersecurity, balanced and happy employees mean more effective teams that fight against cybercriminals and make the world a safer place.
My credentials
- Over 300 cyber professionals (and aspiring professionals!) coached
- EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) Accredited Practitioner
- 15+ years of experience working in business
- MA in Coaching and Mentoring – Oxford Brookes University
- GISF and GSLC (GIAC Security Leadership) certified (expired)
- Part of the GIAC Advisory Board
- ILM Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management
- CISMP certification in progress
