The Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) is ending 2022, having celebrated its 20th Anniversary as the preeminent membership organization building women leaders in information security, risk management, and privacy! In celebration of this monumental milestone, we asked 20 exceptional members of the EWF community,
“When you look back at key milestones in your life, how has being a part of this community helped you become a leader in all facets of your life?”
Their responses are as powerful and profound as the women themselves. So what DOES The EWF Sisterhood mean to its members? We’ll let them tell you in their own words. Read Part 2 to learn about the journeys of these ten amazing women.
Syamla Bandla
Sr Director Production Engineering, Meta
“This community has been such a strong community for many women in their various career paths coming from such a diverse set of industries. For me being part of the annual conference and round table for the past several years has been such a great opportunity to connect and learn from other strong women in this community. The talks, panels, and round table had a rich set of topics from tech to self-care. Every year I have attended, I came back energized and inspired. Another aspect I loved was getting to bring along other women leaders from the company I represented and seeing them learn from the conference as well. I also got the opportunity to patriciate in the Capital Hill meeting twice through EWF Knowledge Partnership, which was such a rich and unique experience. A huge thank you to this awesome community.”
Lauren Brooker
Chief of Staff, Global Security & Resiliency, Kyndryl
“In the 8 years since my first conference, I’ve had two kids, picked up and moved my entire life across the country, changed roles, and even recently changed companies. It’s truly been a rollercoaster of emotions, but I now attribute any and all of my success to being consistently reliable, empathetic, and adaptable, and I’m grateful to these women for helping me to realize my strength and gain back my confidence.
While the conference sessions and keynotes are no doubt incredible, it’s always the honesty, vulnerability, sincerity, and unwavering support gifted by the women I meet each year that has the greatest and most lasting impact. Everyone is always open to sharing and truly relating to one another – egos are left at the door, and we’re left feeling like we’re shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of peers. We all come to the table bringing different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives with the goal to offer sound advice, empathy, and understanding to discussion.”
Val Miller
Amazon Events Program Manager, Amazon
“When I look back on my career and time spent in the EWF community, the only word I can come up with is Worthy. I am worthy of leaning into the growth of my own career, which has pushed me way over my comfort zone. I do my best to live by “To whom much is given, much is required.” Revolutionary leadership requires sharing knowledge and wisdom with those around you. That’s what I have given and received through this amazing community.”
Marcianne Jenkins
IT Executive, Avanade
“The EWF community has been an amazing sisterhood for me since my company, Avanade, became a sponsor in 2019. I have been able to not only connect with some amazing women and learn from their career and personal journeys, but the sessions during regional events and, of course, the annual conference have provided an opportunity for me to step out of my day-to-day work to focus on my career and journey – and look at things in a new way. I have learned so many things from the experiences and challenges of other women and look forward to sharing my experiences to help other women as well.”
Jackie Paule
Independent Technology Risk Advisor, PNC
“Happy Anniversary, EWF! Having been involved and all that this community offers, from the experiences such as the EWF conference, EWF on Capitol Hill, the Lift Mentoring, the Cyber Security School Challenge, and the Cheer dinners in Pittsburgh, the reward is in the journey together with my fellow women leaders. I’ve been in technology for a long time, and we, as a group, by lifting each other up, need to stay strong. I can only do that with our tribe. My most fond memory is the moment when Linda Dolceamore made me cry during her leadership session at the 2018 EWF Conference. She spoke about resiliency and purposefully choose to respond on how to get up and to do it with power. We have the power to choose how we hit the waves in life. I always think about striving to live above the line! For those that don’t know, go watch Linda in action!”
Marcia Peters
VP, Third Party Risk Management, TransUnion
“I was fortunate to participate in the EWF Leadership Journey about eight years ago. The most important thing I learned from the Leadership Journey is that I am not alone. When I am unsure, others are unsure. Where I lack confidence, others lack confidence. I have built this into my personal leadership philosophy. The cornerstone of my leadership style is that no one should feel alone. I look forward to attending the conference for EWF’s 20th anniversary and seeing my community in person.”
Jeannette Rosario
Executive Director, CVS Health
“EWF has been instrumental in connecting me with some of the most amazing and talented women in Security that I now call my friends. When moving into unchartered territory in my career, I’ve tapped into the EWF network for support and guidance. The vast expertise among the Sisterhood and the willingness to lift each other up is a resource that has helped me countless times over the years. In turn, I’ve mentored many sisters over the years, and it’s been a rewarding experience to give back to EWF.”
Lynn Terwoerds
CEO, Digital Resilience LLC
“The EWF put me in contact with a community and programs that helped me grow more than I could have on my own. Being a mentor made me a better manager and person overall. Having this amazing community also helped me in my career because I knew women with diverse talents who could help me understand everything from emerging technologies to best practices. I’ve grown personally and professionally through my 20 years as part of the EWF community.”
Patti Titus
Chief Privacy and Information Security Officer, Markel Corporation
“This sisterhood has become my therapy group, my cheerleaders, my support, and my friends. There were times when I was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits in this profession because this is not the easiest job. But the women of EWF gave me tough love and showed me how to be a strong servant leader. I’ve found personal resilience and persistence with the support of the EWF family.”
Martha Van Driel
Executive Director, IT Risk Management Strategy & Operations, Merck
“I learned about EWF shortly after I joined Merck in 2017 after I retired following 26 years as a U.S. Army officer. At the time, I knew I had a lot to learn about the corporate world, and EWF programs like the LIFT Mentoring Program, local Cheer networking events, and attending an EWF Regional meeting opened up a whole new world to me! Meeting and learning from so many successful women in information security broadened my perspective tremendously – and attending the EWF National Conference was a hoot! I am very thankful that Merck is a corporate benefactor of the Executive Women’s Forum – I have been in a predominantly male environment for my entire working life, so it has been refreshing to be able to encourage and be encouraged by women in my field.”
Missed Part 1? Check it out here: