Adriana Gliga-Belavic named one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in Cyber Security
Recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in the technology sector is crucial, as it encourages more women to enter and stay in the industry, says Adriana Gliga-Belavic, Partner, in MNP’s Cyber Security and Privacy practice.
Recognized as one of IT World Canada’s Top 20 Canadian Women in Cyber Security on July 23rd, 2020, Adriana recalls how challenging it was being the only woman in the room for many years. But she persevered, garnering a reputation in the industry for expertise and innovation over more than 20 years, as well as founding the Women in Technology network, promoting the inaugural Women in Cybersecurity conference in 2020, and being a mentor to many.
“We need to attract and retain more women in the profession – it’s important to have role models for those thinking about it, just starting or already in this profession, so they can see first hand that this is a viable career for women and they can be successful at it,” she says. “I also believe it’s important to share our stories and insight on our road to achieving success in this field.”
Being chosen out of more than 170 nominations for the Top 20 Canadian Women in Cyber Security was important, not only on a personal level, but to inspire young women to join and stay in the dynamic but male-centric technology industry.
Adriana Gliga-Belavic
MNP Partner, Cyber Security and Privacy
Being named one of Canada’s Top 20 Canadian Women in Cyber Security comes on decades of becoming a thought leader in technology and cyber security consulting. Adriana holds a master’s in engineering, is a certified information systems security professional (CISSP), a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and a qualified Payment Card Industry Professional (PCIP). She has advised senior executives across a broad range of industries on finding the right balance between business priorities and building proactive cyber resiliency and strong privacy policies.
Adriana is excited about bringing awareness and more women to the profession by leading initiatives where established women leaders in the industry share their journey, provide insight on opportunities and challenges for women interested to build a career in cybersecurity.
“We have made some good strides in the right direction in the last couple of years with more women holding the top positions in technology (CIO, CISO, Advisory); and I believe it’s important to recognize and celebrate their achievements,” Adriana says. “Initiatives like this help bring awareness, insight and celebrate the success of women in the workplace, giving them the appropriate profile they deserve”. She continues “it feels great to know that you are recognized for what you do every day and that it’s impacting those around you in a positive way.”
MNP congratulates Adriana for this tremendous achievement. We are proud and excited about the expertise and insight she brings to the MNP team every day.