International Women’s Day – celebrated on March 8 – is the ideal time to explore some of the cybersecurity leadership roles played by women, in what continues to be a predominantly male industry. In this post, Orly Mager, VP Sales at MazeBolt, shares some of her experiences working in cybersecurity and enterprise sales – and touches on the steps she took along the way that contributed to her success.
Can you share a mentoring experience that had a lasting impact on you?
Yes, I worked once for a CEO who advised me one-on-one. He became my mentor, and his insight was invaluable. As a result of that experience, I always invest time in mentoring young people who ask me for advice.
I served as a mentor for the Zell Entrepreneurship Program at Reichman University, for several years. The students in that program are exceptional – they are people who go on to establish successful companies. I value the opportunity to contribute to their journeys.
At one point, I was matched up with a woman who came to talk to me to discuss challenges she was experiencing, as a student working on a team, in the Zell program. She was truly talented and I felt it was good for her to go through these types of issues in her student work – as this prepared her to succeed afterward, in the workplace.
What sort of person makes a good mentor?
It’s important to be mentored by someone who works in the same industry that you do. Someone who has already experienced various challenges – and grown as a result of them.
Sometimes, it’s simply a question of learning how to navigate the process of working within a team. You have to learn how to handle many things – like the lack of time and resources.
There’s always a lack of resources; the “blanket” is always too short, so your feet are sticking out! What you learn is to optimize processes. To move ahead despite limited resources. To continue to achieve, so that you can reach your goals.
We all find ourselves working with people who don’t prioritize the same things that we want to prioritize. At the end of day, I find that you will always need to sell – whether it’s selling yourself internally to other employees, or selling something externally. It is a challenge.
Do you feel your experience in cyber has been different because you’re a woman?
Yes. In cyber, there are usually fewer women in the room, and there’s an advantage to having a women’s perspective on technical topics. (As an aside: I make it a priority to continually enrich my technical knowledge.)
Personally, I’ve always been in technically related roles and environments. I studied Industrial Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Industrial Engineering is all about processes and efficiency. I bring that to my current role, because logic and everything connected to it comes very naturally to me.
Add to this, the fact that – as a woman – I’ve always felt the need to be a good multitasker. To be highly efficient on multiple fronts. Whether it’s at work, or outside of the work environment.
This has served me well in my role in cybersecurity because it represents a kind of superpower that is crucial.
Can you share an example of how you focus on processes and efficiency?
When faced with a group of highly technical people, I find that typically, they dive into the details right away. Without stepping back to figure out the most efficient way of running the process.
I’ll go into a meeting and find that everyone else there is highly technical. They are the cybersecurity experts – while I look at my role as being there to guide great decisions from the customer’s perspective. I’m not handling a technical deep dive; I’m talking about the “why.”
Honestly, my job is always to explain the “why.” The customer is making a big decision about cyber risk and it’s a question of stepping back, and ensuring they have a “why” that’s clear. I take my role in the direction of logic – how to build a process in a “big picture” sort of way that serves the customer’s needs.
Do you feel this “big picture” approach has influenced your success?
Certainly. For instance, I work on shortening processes.
One challenge that comes up continuously is figuring out what aspects of the work can be done in parallel. This year, we closed a deal with a new customer in record time. How? I understood the legal process would take a long time – at least two to three months. But the customer was fully committed; and so were we. So, instead of waiting to do the deployment after legal aspects were completed, we did them in parallel.
As a result, the customer prioritized our legal process and made sure we successfully closed the deal before the end of the calendar year. Because commitment drove commitment. That’s exactly the type of efficiency that comes to me naturally. It allowed us to close an enterprise customer in four months – a deal that could easily have been a nine-month-long process.
Where have you seen the “glass ceiling” show up in cyber and enterprise sales?
In one of my first positions, I was a “rock star” salesperson. They offered me a management position – to run a team. But I believed it would hamper me from having enough time to spend with my young son, and I turned it down.
I didn’t see myself, then, as being suited to holding a management position because I prioritized something else – in this case, spending time with my son. My sense was that I preferred to be less senior because I needed more control of my time.
Looking back at it now, however, I realize that I was inhibited and holding back on my professional ambitions. I believed that a junior position gave me greater control. Instead, I could have chosen to adopt a different belief: that if I became a manager, I would have my own team, which would give me greater flexibility.
It’s only in retrospect that I understood I’d created my own “glass ceiling” – that I’d put an obstacle in front of me. If I’d taken that management job, it might have moved my career forward at a faster pace – without necessarily having a negative impact on my family life.
What breaks the “ceiling” most effectively?
Regarding my own career, I started moving into management as soon as my son grew up a little bit. But now, I tell women who are at the beginning of their careers: When you make decisions about your work – first, take a good look at your belief system. Check if your beliefs are putting a “ceiling” on what you aspire to.
There are many women today who manage companies and leadership roles very successfully. There’s no reason not to go forward with whatever you feel is your destiny. Don’t put obstacles in your own path.
A final word: Do you have any other advice for building a career in cyber?
Continue to act with full conviction that you are acting correctly. Even when difficulty crops up.
I can say that for myself, I have a fundamental belief in the product and in the work that we are doing. Of course, difficulties crop up – they always do! But when this happens, I put aside the difficulty itself and keep on doing the things that I know will continue to drive results. Without worrying too much about whatever it is that, at the moment, isn’t moving ahead.
For additional perspectives on cybersecurity leadership, follow MazeBolt.
Skim Summary
- Practical lessons for succeeding in cybersecurity and enterprise sales
- How mentorship can accelerate career growth
- Why technical fluency builds credibility in the room
- How process-driven thinking leads to faster, better decisions
- A candid look at the “glass ceiling,” including how limiting beliefs can hold careers back
- Actionable advice for women building momentum in a male-dominated field
FAQ
How can women succeed in cybersecurity?
Build credibility through continuous learning, seek mentors and sponsors who can open doors, and focus on measurable outcomes. Consistent execution and confidence in your value are key.
What is the “glass ceiling” in cybersecurity?
The glass ceiling refers to barriers that limit advancement into leadership roles. In cyber, these barriers can be external (bias, lack of representation) and internal (assumptions about what is possible or sustainable).
How do you overcome limiting beliefs at work?
Start by identifying the belief that is shaping a decision, then challenge it with alternatives. Ask what would change if you assumed greater flexibility, support, or capability than you currently believe is available.
What makes a good mentor in cybersecurity or enterprise sales?
Someone with relevant industry experience who can help you navigate real challenges: prioritization, working within teams, operating with limited resources, and building influence.
Why is mentorship important for career growth in cyber?
Mentorship compresses learning time. It helps you avoid common mistakes, strengthen decision-making, and build confidence, especially in environments where you may be underrepresented.
How do you build credibility in a male-dominated technical field?
Invest in technical fluency, speak to outcomes and business impact, and be prepared to explain the “why” behind decisions. Clear communication and consistency build trust over time.
How can enterprise sales cycles be shortened?
By clarifying the customer’s “why,” optimizing the process, and running workstreams in parallel where possible (for example, progressing deployment planning alongside procurement steps).
What leadership skills matter most in cybersecurity sales?
Process thinking, prioritization, stakeholder alignment, and the ability to communicate value clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
