Women in Security Aotearoa - Reshaping the Future
Hear from incredible women who are changing the norms, challenge how we think about diversity, inclusion, and equity, and reshaping the future for women in the security industry in Aotearoa!
Join us at the AWS Office in Auckland for this special event recognising individuals, initiatives, and organisations that are changing the norms, reconditioning the way we think about diversity, inclusion, and equity, and shaping a new normal for the security industry in New Zealand.
Featuring a stellar line-up of speakers from across Aotearoa’s security sector, we will hear lightning talks from each of them sharing their journeys and learnings, demystifying the security industry, followed by a Q&A Panel. We’ll also have fun interactive activities and opportunities for networking over yummy food and drinks, with awesome prizes up for grabs on the night.
It will be a fabulous event for everyone – no matter if you know nothing about the industry, new to security, curious about the industry or a seasoned security professional! AND remember – our events are open and inclusive to all genders, females, males, nonbinary, and allies! So bring your friends or colleagues for a great night of learning and networking with the community.
Date: FRIDAY
17th JUNE
Time: 6 – 8 PM
IN-PERSON
VENUE: AWS OFFICE, COMMERCIAL BAY
OUR SPEAKERS
Kate Pearce
Kate is currently the Security Officer at Trade Me, where she runs the security team to keep the data of millions of kiwis safe. Kate holds several governance roles in tech-adjacent organisations including Internet NZ councillor, the NZITF Board - (New Zealand Internet Task force - a body for Security professionals).
Kate gives her time to many different causes in and around the tech community and is a firm believer in everyone getting a fair go no matter their background.
She spent several years working in information security consulting while based in the United States – first for the Chicago-based consultancy Neohapsis, and then for Cisco after Neohapsis was acquired by Cisco in 2015. Before her current role, Kate ran a security assessment and response practice across the Asia-Pacific region for Cisco. Her work as a consultant covered application security and secure SDLC, network security, and systems security.
She has spoken and presented research on security topics at many high-profile events, and is an advocate for women and minorities in tech. She is a regular speaker and keynote presenter at conferences in the Australia-New Zealand region and has presented twice at BlackHat, the leading worldwide technical cyber security conference.
Amina Aggarwal
Amina has a broad range of experience that is more than 11 years in Information Technology. She is currently working as a Network and Security Design Consultant at Spark and provides cyber security advice to Spark’s internal and external customers. She is the Winner of 2021 Women in Security Awards NZ, awarded by DEFSEC (Defence Security New Zealand) magazine for going above and beyond her duties as a cyber security professional. She is also a finalist in the “People’s Choice Award” category for the Ally of the Year Awards 2022. Amina has been involved with the New Zealand Network for Women in Security (NZNWS) as an ambassador since 2021. She has committed to giving her time to Cybersecurity events globally. She aims to empower women by exemplifying that if she can do it anyone can do it. She is also a podcast host at ITSP Magazine where she shares diverse perspectives of women in technology and aims to empower women using the power of sharing stories of technology professionals. She has been involved in various other programs such as CyberSafe mentorship program for mentoring marginalised communities in Africa and leads the code club for a local Montessori School in Auckland, New Zealand.
Briar Feng, PhD
Briar officially started the security journey last year with NZ Super Fund, where she worked for the Risk team prior to this thrilling new chapter. Trained but not so tamed as an economist, she found her love for law and corporate governance during the master programme, which pushed her through a PhD in Commercial Law from the University of Auckland. After the graduation and before returning to New Zealand, Briar worked for UN ESCAP and UN Population Fund on various ICT for Development initiatives. She is not your typical security gal, so to speak, but she is absolutely excited to be part of this thriving industry and work with more and more brilliant fellow women in security.
