Vice President at Upstart, Talks Pathway to Leadership
Pavi Ramamurthy is the Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Upstart. Pavi is responsible for Upstart’s overall security strategy as well as driving and managing security initiatives across the Corporate and Product platforms. With close to 26 years of experience working in the software industry, 15 years in the security sector, Pavi shares her road to success and how she continues to model a strategic mindset as a leader.
Pathway to Leadership
You have close to 25 years of experience working in the software industry and 15 years working in Security. What advice do you have for women looking to break into Information Security?
I landed in security unintentionally - when acquired by another company, it was an opportunity for me to move into management from an individual contributor role. Since then, I have not looked back.
Having worked in security for over 15 years now, I am able to outline career prospects for women wanting to move into the security field. The opportunities are varying - with a few certifications and experience, you can definitely foray into the exciting world of cybersecurity. For those with a non-technical degree, consider a career in program management and branch into security technical program manager positions. If you have good communication skills, you may want to think about a career in customer security assurance. For those who are good with documentation and have a good grasp of processes - consider vendor security and compliance.
Can you describe a few key moments/choices in your career that led you to a leadership role at Upstart?
Not being afraid to take risks, to recognize complacency in a current job, and actively trying to fix it.
Networking, networking, networking - cannot stress how important it is to set aside time in your every day, every week to network with your connections
Follow the journeys of other leaders! And not necessarily in your field - there are so many inspirations around us!
“The opportunities are varying - with a few certifications and experience, you can definitely foray into the exciting world of cybersecurity. For those with a non-technical degree, consider a career in program management and branch into security technical program manager positions.”
Did you always want to be in a leadership role? Why or why not?
There has fundamentally been a disparity in the rate of women’s advancement, be it racial, ethnic, or lack of women in STEM. When I was starting out in my career, there were few women leaders and fewer who were inspiring or a role model. Having gone through challenges at work and faced with a hostile environment as a young mother trying to balance work and life and feeling defensive about it - I vowed to become a leader who would empower, empathize, and in the process enable not just women, but others so they, in turn, can be good leaders. You don’t need to be in a position of power to be a good leader - a good leader leads by example, is not afraid to acknowledge shortcomings, and is constantly evolving and learning.
What are three skills that you see across effective leaders?
Integrity
Empathy
Effective & Timely Feedback
How can leaders empower their teams in a remote working environment?
Leaders need to recognize that working in a remote environment is challenging regardless of personal circumstances. Be open and transparent with team members and encourage them to speak up about burnout or unwind/disengage. The lines are blurry when working from home - set an example by clearly delineating work and personal life and lead by example.
Modeling a Strategic Mindset as a Leader
You are responsible for Upstart’s overall Security Strategy. What type of specific problems do you work on with your teams?
The team and I are involved in defining the vision, mission, and strategy of the information team, including evaluating the current risk landscape for the company, right approach (risk acceptance, tolerance, exception). A critical aspect of our work is to ensure that the roadmap always aligns with business goals with the fundamental requirement of keeping the organization, the data, and the employees secure.
It is important for our team to establish credibility with the stakeholders and demonstrate that the security needle is constantly moving forward. This is achieved through an established cadence of brainstorming discussions with our key stakeholders and involving them in security initiatives.
“You don’t need to be in a position of power to be a good leader - a good leader leads by example, is not afraid to acknowledge shortcomings, and is constantly evolving and learning.”
How do you ensure your response to work issues stays consistent with the overall direction of the organization?
Stay true to your company values and goals.
Get alignment on the team goals and ensure that it contributes to the success of the company goals.
Constantly analyze team objectives, talent and fill the gaps as needed
How can leaders foster strategic thinking on an individual level?
Disruptive thinking, focusing on the future, mentoring, recognizing, adapting and aligning.
A leader needs to create a well-articulated philosophy and achievable goals for their team. A good leader has their finger on the pulse of the team member and creates opportunities for them to evolve, be it mentorship, skill expansion, or effective communication skills.
“If a leader is aware of their own biases, considers multiple viewpoints, collaborates well with their team members, listens, and encourages critical thinking - that is a fundamental step in fostering strategic thinking in
their own team.”
Not coming in with a preconceived notion and rather having an open-minded approach to problem-solving helps foster strategic thinking. Sharing information with team members enables them to factor in multiple variables and elevate their strategic skills. Looking beyond decisions that are made for a limited time period or a particular problem, the effective strategist is able to look and visualize a holistic view, be able to take a logical approach, consider all factors and thus plan accordingly to deliver a stellar result in alignment with organizational goals.
As a leader, how do you get a group to buy into a shared vision?
Establishing credibility within the organization and the team is critical.
Build faith in the mission, vision, and outline objectives with clarity to the team.
Cultivate vision ambassadors, who will help you see what you don’t and who will help you to achieve your goal.
If the team believes in the why, you can co-create that vision by answering questions like - Where are we today? Where do we want to be this year/next year? What does it take us to get there?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
“Women need to be part of every interview panel and not just be the lunch interviewer!”
What advice do you have for companies to build a more diverse and inclusive company culture? What has been effective for you?
My personal opinion is that tools to counteract unconscious bias need to be built in consciously and used by all, managers or individual contributors. Having a diverse company automatically brings in unique needs, unique perspectives, and potential of their employees.
Women need to be part of every interview panel and not just be the lunch interviewer! Diverse interview panels are fundamental to create diversity in the workplace. A different perspective can only be achieved with a diverse mindset. When panels are put together in a thoughtful manner, and diverse opinions are welcomed, the potential to build a stellar team increases. Companies need to invest in diversity not just looking for diverse talent, but take the message to the beginning, where it all starts and gets cemented. Take it to the schools, and have that mindset become second nature.
Pavi will be sharing more about her experience at ModelExpand’s upcoming Women In Leadership Breakfast: Modeling a Strategic Mindset as a Leader. The ModelExpand Women In Leadership Breakfast Series provides a space for women to connect, inspire and uplift one another. Check out our upcoming events here or learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.
ModelExpand: ModelExpand is an inclusive recruiting strategy firm that helps companies build diverse and inclusive workplaces through strategic consulting, workshops, and events.
