Photography is an art form – it takes creativity, imagination and an eye for detail. I really enjoy it, and I especially love wildlife photography.
I am very fond of photographing tigers in my home country of India, in the Tadoba Andhari National Park as well as the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Although I live in India, I also travel a lot to Africa, where my husband works in finance, based out of the Ivory Coast. I have also had the chance to explore several wildlife habitats in Africa, including in South Africa, which has been a great place to advance my passion for photography. I have visited the Kruger National Park, where I saw lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. What an experience!
Wildlife sightings are not orchestrated; they happen naturally. This is a great way for me to counterbalance the stress that comes with my role of heading information security for a global organization. As a professional, you are molded to expect events to happen in an organized and systematic way, and if there is any deviation or disturbance to that, it can make you stressed or even anxious. But nature teaches us to relax and take life as it happens. When you photograph the wild in their habitat, you learn patience and it helps with your stress management.
I first got to know about ISACA in the 1990s. I was working in information technology as a technology manager for a Fortune 500 company, and I was motivated to study for the CISA certification, which then helped me be chosen to set up and lead a global practice in information security and risk management. While the role was challenging, it provided me growth opportunities to enhance my skill set and knowledge of the security industry and to help me to understand and demonstrate why organizations must put controls in place for protecting their computing environments, as well as meet compliance requirements. The benefits I received from my CISA certification encouraged me to earn the CGEIT and CRISC certifications from ISACA next, and my career has benefited from those achievements, including the chance to work for major global organizations across various industry sectors such as finance, consumer goods and energy.
As I have continued my career in information security, risk management and compliance at the senior management level, I am still focused on improvement, learning from challenging situations by doing a SWOT analysis so that I can work on my weaknesses and build on my strengths. I also learn a lot from the people around me. I love to be in the company of both the older generation, so that I can learn from their experiences, as well as the younger generation, so that I can understand their thought process about life and technology. It is through these interactions, plus my time in nature, that I have achieved a balanced and fulfilling life.