In addition to breaking the glass ceiling, she also intends to bring fresh thinkingto her role. “As a solicitor, I hope that I am able to bring with me an independent and fresh insight into how to develop CREST such that it continues along its path of being a robust industry governing body, with strong internal processes and procedures, and I would also like to help move it into a new space where leading information security specialists predict that the cybersecurity market is moving”, Punam said in a statement.
CREST plays a critical role in aiding workforce development for the cybersecurity field – where a notorious skills gap has hamstrung many companies in their protection efforts. Among its many roles, CREST works to ensure that talented individuals are spotted and given adequate training to enable them to become information security specialists, and then guides them to a position at a corporate or government entity.
“I will be drawing from all of the talented individuals within my company, IRM, to assist me in this regard”, Punam said. “Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to working with the other executives of CREST, who are similarly dedicated to the industry and I am very proud to be associated with such an organization.”
Punam was selected at the non-profit organization’s annual general meeting last week in what was CREST’s first election. Board members have until now simply been appointed.
Rowland Johnson, CEO at Nettitude, John Beale, managing director at Security Alliance and Roy Hills, technical director at NTA Monitor, join Punam as new members. All four will serve three years on the board, working alongside CREST’s long-standing other members: Paul Midian, director at PwC, Paul Docherty, director and owner at Portcullis, Paul Vlissidis, technical director of the NCC Group, and chairman of the board Ian Glover, president of CREST.