For Cyber Security expert Claire Pales, starting her own business was always on her ‘career to-do list’ but came about sooner than she expected. She certainly wasn’t planning for it to be right after returning from four years in Hong Kong with two young children in tow. However, some difficult experiences with local recruiters in Melbourne delivered her the ultimate blessing in disguise – it showed her a gap in the market. And her experience as an expat, gave her the confidence to do something about it.
Today Claire runs her own advisory service helping companies identify and then hire the right cyber security specialists. She runs a podcast called The Security Collective, has published two books and now provides advice to boards on cyber security risks.
By her own admission, Claire is risk adverse and she has a stellar career that speaks to this! So while living overseas didn’t instil in Claire necessarily a sense of adventure, she says it taught her how to problem solve, be resourceful and how to fall on your feet in a foreign country. She said, “It showed me a new way of living and gave me the confidence to start something new.”
She shares not only her story but what skills she learnt as an expat that have helped her build her businesses and the life she now enjoys.
