In a world where success is often measured by traditional standards, Cristina Dolan stands out as a true innovator who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. From humble beginnings to global success, Cristina’s inspiring journey is a testament to the power of hard work and perseverance.
An engineer, author, and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience building transformational businesses and products, Cristina is taking the business world by storm with her innovative ideas and unwavering determination. Her unwavering commitment to excellence has propelled her to the top of her field, earning her a master’s degree from the prestigious MIT Media Lab.
She is a Co-Founder of Additum, an award-winning European ‘Value Based Healthcare’ company focused on improving patient outcomes. She also co-founded iXLedger, an early blockchain-enabled insurance marketplace that initially offered cyber insurance for blockchain companies. One of her companies, OneMain.com, grew to be the 10th largest ISP after a successful IPO (Acquired by Earthlink).
Cristina’s impressive achievements are nothing short of inspiring. From founding the highly acclaimed student competition,‘Dream it. Code it. Win it.’ to delivering a captivating TEDx Talk titled ‘Just Solve It’, her accomplishments have truly left a mark in the tech industry. Her recent co-authored book, Transparency in ESG and the Sustainable Economy, Capturing Opportunities through Data, has been the subject of keynote speeches and a highly acclaimed World Economic Forum article.
Throughout her career, she has held high-level executive positions in some of the biggest corporations in the world, including Hearst, Disney, Oracle, and IBM. Currently, she is the LatAm Director and heads up Americas Channel Business and Global Alliances for RSA NetWitness. She has been an advisor to several cyber security, data, and next generation cloud computing companies.
From Childhood Fascination to Leading Industry Innovator
Cristina’s remarkable journey began with her childhood fascination with space and science fiction movies where women who understood technology played key roles in solving the most important problems and saving civilization. Cristina’s father was an engineer, and she found in him a good role model. When she was growing up, she asked her father why some men appeared to have more fun than their devoted wives, and he said ‘they make all the money, so they deserve to have fun.’ At that moment, Cristina decided that she wanted a career.
Her education and skills prepared Crstina to be an entrepreneur. Cybersecurity was a natural interest, and she had worked at an institutional financial trading platform when all the US employees had their tax return information stolen through a phishing attack, which created many problems for employees. There were a series of other situations that resulted from that hack that were very invasive, and it was at that point that she decided to focus on cybersecurity. When she co-authored a book on ESG data, she realised that cybersecurity is central to corporate sustainability. In her opinion, cybersecurity is the most immediate, financially material sustainability and ESG risk that organisations face today. Cybersecurity has been weaponized by nation-states. This is a space that evolves continuously and professionals in the space must be continuously learning.
With her passion for technology, Cristina has made significant contributions to the cybersecurity industry. Her current company, NetWitness, has earned a reputation as the most powerful detection, response, and forensics platform in the industry. It originated in 1997 as a U.S. Intelligence Agency research project managed by CTX Corporation, a Vienna, Virginia based consultancy where most employees held Top Secret security clearance. NetWitness was custom-built to help analysts understand large volumes of captured network data.
A Problem-solving Mindset is the Key
Cristina firmly believes that being an entrepreneur is about being a fast problem solver and having the ability to think on your feet. Her skills and energy levels can be applied in any role and any type of organisation regardless of the size. Cybersecurity is evolving so quickly and becoming more and more sophisticated and complex, and having an entrepreneurial mindset has allowed her to create value. Engineers are natural problem solvers, and that has given Cristina an advantage in her career since entrepreneurs create opportunities through problem solving.
As a woman entrepreneur, Cristina believes that it is important to possess a ‘problem-solving’ mindset to create opportunities by solving relevant problems for customers. She shares, “If you solve your company’s problems, you have a job. If you solve customer problems, you have a company, and if you solve your problems, you will be happy.” In some ways, all entrepreneurs face the same problems, but they will all choose different ways to solve these problems. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to address these problems. Having the intuition and empathy to navigate important decisions will make the difference in the outcomes.
An Empowering Women in Cybersecurity
Cristina Dolan’s story is one of inspiration, dedication, and hard work. As an influential and dynamic woman entrepreneur, she has set an example for all women who aspire to make a difference in the world. She is a true inspiration for anyone looking to make a mark in the world of cybersecurity. Her work as an entrepreneur, author, and cybersecurity executive has made her one of the most influential women leaders to follow in 2023. She continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, and we are excited to see where her journey takes her next.
Company Name: RSA Netwitness
Featured Person: Head of Americas Channel and Global Alliances
Quote: “Cybersecurity can be intimidating with so many acronyms. By being disciplined and devoting the time to continuously learn enables the ability to take on more responsibility.”
