“Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.” – Aristotle
The 2008-2009 recession gave me the opportunity to look beyond the obstacles and to find out what opportunities lie after a crisis. With that in mind, today’s COVID-19 pandemic reminds me how a crisis turned into an opportunity to land in information security and to become involved with ISACA.
I started my career as a software tester back in 2005, and after just a couple of years, the world was facing the infamous financial recession of 2008-2009. That gave me a breakthrough into information security and compliance in the sense that it forced companies to restructure and think ahead to digital transformation and information security to meet the future needs of a disruptive marketplace. I started looking into the most valuable auditing and information security certifications, and that’s how I connected with ISACA. I joined ISACA in 2010, and that opened a world of new information and knowledge for me to explore. I have become and remained an ISACA member because for me ISACA was, and still is, the best international organization that fosters a commitment to keeping up with innovations in governance, risk and controls, security, and audit in business technology.
As a beginner I learned from the best, and today, I am proud to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues. I am a certified ISACA-APMG Accredited Trainer, and I was among the first 100 to become ISACA COBIT 5 Certified Assessor globally.
I strongly believe that we always have to uplift our skills and strive for excellence. This era is not about survival of the fittest, but the survival of excellence. We have to invest in ourselves to gain greater dividends later in our career. If we do not upgrade our skills, we are doing a disrespect to this industry and to ourselves. Do anything to uplift and strive for excellence: attend conferences, training programs, webinars, training courses, etc. It is a very rewarding feeling for me to be certified and to be acknowledged that I have the background and the skillset in the space. Being a certified trainer and consultant, I have to look for the best in the market. My peers and many people around me ask (and sometimes laugh about) why I have nearly 30 certifications, and my only answer is that each one takes me one step closer toward excellence. Certifications give me a sense of satisfaction and a validation of my skill level and knowledge.
Outside of work, I have two major passions. The first one is volunteering, because I feel it my responsibility to give back to the society. I have been serving as a chapter leader for the ISACA UAE Chapter, volunteering for ISACA working groups including the Chapter Compliance Framework Working Group, Engage Topic Leader for CGEIT and the IT Advisory Group, as well as write articles for ISACA and serving as a Chapter Award Reviewer. The Chapter Compliance Framework Working Group, whereby compliance experts from all over the world gather under the banner of ISACA to design best practices and compliance requirements for ISACA chapters around the world, was especially interesting to me.
My second major passion outside work is driving and enjoying relaxing staycations with my junior buddy (my son) and my family. I love exploring new resorts, new cities, driving downtown to sit and relax with a cup of coffee, spending time under the swimming pool to refresh my mind and soul, and gearing up with some new ideas. The pandemic has forced me to adapt to the changing business requirements of the market, to become more agile, and to focus not only on information security and risk management, but also to learn new skills such as data privacy, cloud auditing and business continuity.
In the bigger picture, I recognize myself and want others to recognize me as someone who strives for excellence, so that when my kids grow up, they can proudly say, “Dad, we’re proud of what you’ve achieved in your career.”