Genny Marcoux

About me

I was born/grew up in: Ste-Marie, Quebec

I now live in: Sun Peaks, British Columbia. 

I completed my training/education at: I completed post-secondary in Geomatics (land surveying) in Quebec and later in Human Resources through Athabasca University. I do not have background in cybersecurity. I focused my efforts in learning to manage people by attending training, seminar, online courses and by getting mentors to guide me. I also took courses through https://www.fortinet.com/training/cybersecurity-professionals.

What I do at work

At Fortinet, we create several software tools to help individuals and companies keep their computers safe from hackers. To help our customers learn about cybersecurity and how to stay safe online, we create online courses for them.  I manage the team of experts, who create the secure environment where these courses are found. 

My daily activities consist of budgeting, bookkeeping, and other management duties.  I help my team set priorities and assign them to specific tasks. I help make sure they stay focused on the tasks they are working on. I also work with the vendors we buy products or services from. This involves such things as reviewing contracts and negotiating prices. I lead many meetings to discuss solutions and to create timelines for the work to be done. I ensure that my team has everything they need to succeed in their work.

The skills I use are empathy, decision-making, coaching, mentoring, learning to say “no”, and negotiation. I perform performance reviews, bookkeeping, forecasting, and budgeting. I work on time management with my team, define priority of tasks, and engage in relationship building. Communication skills and a willingness to learn are essential skills!  Being able to explain a problem in detail and working towards a solution is another necessary skill. I also use general technology skills too. I work with different computer systems. So, knowing how to type (without looking at your keyboard) and using a lot of different software are important skills.

The most common problem in my daily activities is prioritizing tasks for my team. I decide which tasks are more urgent than others and in what order those tasks should be completed. To make decisions, I ask for input from my team. I consider things such as how long the tasks are going to take. I find out who will be affected if we don’t complete a task. Sometimes one task depends on other tasks being completed first. Understanding the technical tasks helps in making these decisions. A background in STEM helps with this.

Being able to speak several languages is also helpful. We are a global company and the vendors we buy from are also global. Being able to speak French with an employee from France is helpful to ensure communication is well understood. Spanish has also been helpful when dealing with clients in Latin America.

My career path is

In high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up. It was still the time of Windows 3.1 and we were still learning to type on typewriters. The internet was still using a list of pages like a phone book. Cybersecurity wasn’t an issue or possible option. I decided to go to school to learn about land surveying. I found it interesting but realized that I didn’t want to work in this field.

In the end, the knowledge I gained from a 3-year technical diploma was worth it. It helped me figure out that I was good at explaining problems and gathering people to find solutions. I worked in many fields prior to cybersecurity. What drew me into this area was the possibility to manage, guide and support people. I became a manager due to others seeing my potential and encouraging me to do it.

I am motivated by

I would be lying if I said every day at work is fun and wonderful. Some days are wonderful! Some are difficult. But overall, I love what I do. I enjoy supporting a team and watching their skills and abilities grow. It is amazing to listen to them discussing possible solutions. I love seeing them bringing their unique skills towards a solution. There is always room for improvement, and this keeps the job interesting and challenging.

Over my career, I have trained some people who are now successful in positions they never thought would be possible. I enjoy supporting my team without micromanaging. I like to let them take the lead a bit. It is very rewarding to help younger employees succeed and grow. If they are happy and find their career rewarding, so am I. It is fulfilling to see so many people are learning about cybersecurity because of the training my team is supporting.

How I affect peoples’ lives

My work makes a difference in several ways. I help provide a platform for others to learn about cybersecurity and Fortinet products. Being supportive to my team members helps them succeed in their work and career. Fortinet is aiming to train 1 million people in cybersecurity in 5 years.  I’m thrilled to be part of it and help make the internet safer for everyone. I enjoy what I do and enjoy making sure my team members have the resources to grow their career and skills.

Outside of work I

I love to travel and discover Central and South America. I play golf. I love to do embroidery such as cross-stitch and Mexican Tenango as it allows me to step away from the computer.

My advice to others

Connect with people in the field. Find internship opportunities. Trust yourself and your skills and always say yes to any training offered to you. Build and maintain a support network of people who believe in you and who will help you push forward in your career. Finally, ask questions to help understand something that is unclear!