By SGN | Updated 23 Jan 2025
“When you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, that’s where real growth happens.”
As the eldest child in her family, Shamane was no stranger to being the one pushing the envelope and setting new standards for excellence.
A regular church attendee and volunteer at a young age, she was mentored by church leaders who helped her cultivate essential leadership skills. Through various experiences leading groups of youths in the youth ministry, she honed the ability to approach challenges with thoughtful discernment, assess situations from multiple perspectives, and resolve conflicts with wisdom.
These early experiences moulded her mindset and overall outlook on career and life. That is why, upon visiting a dear friend in Australia, she realised that relocating to a different country could catapult her life trajectory in an unprecedented direction.
She began her career in tech in technology and cyber executive search in Singapore, where she would spend five years. She continued this line of work during her first three years in Australia, before fully transitioning into cybersecurity, where she has been specialising in executive advisory these past seven years. The rest is history.
Sowing the seeds of a new life
For many years, Shamane thrived in her career, helping global banks secure niche executive leadership talent. When she decided to move to Australia, she stayed in the same field, continuing her work in tech and cyber recruitment.
However, relocating Down Under came with its own set of challenges. Even before her arrival, Shamane encountered scepticism from potential employers who questioned her fit with the “typical Aussie culture” and doubted her ability to build a strong network. Some colleagues even warned her she would be “eaten alive”.
But Shamane was determined to prove them all wrong.
“Eventually, my headhunter found me a company where I could have an honest conversation and showcase my strengths,” she recalls. “They took a chance on me, and I ended up excelling in the role, even building a new market from scratch.”
This was specialist IT consultancy Naviro, where Shamane would spend the first three years of her career in Australia.
Ironically enough, life came full circle when a few years later, the same company that was sceptical of her abilities reached out, asking if they could lean on her contacts.
Community-building in Australia
Shamane’s first few days in Australia were just as eventful as her attempts to secure a role in the country.
“After an eight-hour flight, I immediately jumped in to help a friend move house – until the wee hours of the morning,” she recalls.
During her first few weeks in Sydney, she noticed a stark contrast compared to Singapore.
“The air, the trees, even the pace of life – everything felt different. So, I decided to spend a lot of time exploring my new neighbourhood,” she says.
To her delight, she discovered that she lived within walking distance of a church, which became an important anchor in her sense of belonging. “Attending church is an easy way to get involved and connect with people,” Shamane shares. “They organised all sorts of activities: social gatherings, outreach events, and BBQs. It felt like home.”
To reciprocate the positive community spirit she’d experienced during her early days in Sydney, Shamane decided to start Cyber Risk Meetup Group in 2017.
“I saw a need for leaders to share their experiences and lessons in a more authentic, unfiltered way,” she mentions. “Big conferences don’t always allow for that level of openness.”
Over the years, over 4,000 people have attended meetups across Australian cities like Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. Cyber Risk Meetup has even gone international, with chapters popping up in Tokyo, and even in Shamane’s native Singapore.
“The meetups provide a great opportunity for professionals, the general public, and the next generation of cybersecurity experts to come together and learn from each other in a safe manner,” she mentions. “After all, it takes a community to build a community.”
Despite her numerous appearances in the public eye, networking doesn’t always come easily to Shamane. “I still feel uncomfortable at times,” she admits, “but I push myself to step out of my comfort zone.”
She also has some sage advice for those feeling anxious about putting themselves out there. “Most people at networking events are worried about how they come across.” she shares.
“My advice is to find others who are also feeling uncomfortable and be the one to break the ice. Once you start forming smaller groups, it’s easier to work the room together. Focus on making connections rather than worrying about how you look.”
The winding road to leadership
While socially Shamane seemed to hit it off, her experience in the Australian workplace was not as seamless. “In a male-dominated industry like cybersecurity, people to tend to judge you based on age, race, gender, and experience,” she shares.
“Even if you’ve proven yourself, older men can still overlook you, as an Asian woman in cybersecurity. But over time, I’ve learned how to navigate those biases and prove my value in other ways.”
In 2018, Shamane took on an opportunity at leading cyber-governance company Privasec, where she would spend the bulk of her career.
Following Privasec’s merger with three other companies (Solista, CXO Security, and Naviro, where Shamane got her first break) and subsequent transformation into cybersecurity and digital transformation partner Sekuro, she transitioned into the role of Chief Growth Officer – a position she has held since October 2021.
“My job is to spearhead our global outreach strategy and ensure we’re positioning our leadership executives and experts as thought leaders at the forefront of our industry,” she elaborates.
Of course, this position did not come to her easily. “I had to demonstrate my skills and prove my mettle to the company,” she shares. “And because I consistently brought business value, there was a strong case for making my role official.”
Having worked with varied personality types over the years, Shamane has developed a knack for stakeholder management. “One big lesson is understanding what people are really saying, especially when you’re dealing with senior stakeholders,” she advises.
She is a fan of Richard M. Stephenson’s DOPE bird test, which breaks down personalities into doves, owls, peacocks, and eagles. “It’s been incredibly useful in building trust and rapport with different stakeholders,” she admits.
When interacting with senior stakeholders, listening more than speaking has proven to be more effective, according to Shamane. “When you finally do speak, it carries more weight,” she mentions.
Life as a bestselling author
Besides excelling in a cybersecurity career, Shamane has also penned three books in three years – both as a solo writer, and in collaboration with industry partners. Cyber Mayday and the Day After went on to become a global bestseller, while Building a Cyber Resilient Business was featured in Forbes Australia.
“My three books have been about offering practical insights for executives and boards in cybersecurity,” she says. “Cyber Risk Leaders focuses on influencing the C-suite, Cyber Mayday and the Day After teaches companies how to navigate cyber crises, and Building a Cyber Resilient Business offers long-term strategies for cyber resilience,” she explains.
Shamane cites writing a book as the “ultimate discipline”. “Writing solo was a huge personal achievement for me,” she recalls. “Writing a little bit every day and celebrating each chapter as you complete it makes the process manageable. It’s not about perfection—it’s about consistency and seeing the project through to the end.”
Co-authoring, on the other hand, comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. “It speeds up the process and brings in different perspectives,” she mentions. “The challenge is in making sure the styles complement each other, but it’s worth it when you’re working towards a shared goal.
International cybersecurity leader Dan Lohrmann, with whom Shamane penned Cyber Mayday and the Day After came on board after she reached out to him. “We decided to collaborate on this project during the pandemic,” she recalls. “Despite being on the opposite sides of the world—Dan in Michigan, me in Sydney – we managed to put together a global bestseller after hundreds of hours of collaboration.”
The response to all her books has been overwhelmingly positive: Cyber Mayday would go on to become a global bestseller, and Building a Cyber Resilient Business was featured in Forbes Australia as one of the top books read by CEOs. “It’s been incredibly fulfilling to see how the books have resonated with readers across the globe,” Shamane admits.
And while she is on a writing sabbatical at the moment, she is exploring the possibility of writing a book on human connection.
Overcoming self-doubt
Of course, life as a cybersecurity leader in the public eye comes with its challenges, but Shamane has never been one to back down.
“I’ve had thousands of interviews with global industry leaders, including Brigadier General Gregory J. Touhill, the first federal US government Chief Information Security Officer, Preston Miller, former CISO at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Steve Katz, the world’s first CISO, and Theresa Payton, the first female Chief Information Officer for the White House.”
Despite having written global bestsellers and being invited to speak at numerous events across various cities and countries, Shamane shares how she was cautioned about attracting too much attention.
“I’ve had an industry colleague come to me and ask if the positive feedback I’d been receiving for my work is “real”, and if people were just being nice,” she admits. “He also spoke about how people take more kindly to others who are seen as the same level as them, as compared to those who are flying too high, and too quickly.”
“It felt as if I had given people the power to silence my voice, and my dreams,” she shares.
But over time, she realised she was putting too much stock on what other people thought of her. “I want to be the best version of myself. I want to let that version shine. We are already our harshest critic, and if we fixate on other people’s opinions of us, we will never go anywhere,” she asserts.
On staying connected to Singapore, and empowering the next generation
While Shamane has built a flourishing career for herself in Australia, she has maintained a strong bond with the country of her birth. “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our Managing Director-Asia to drive Privasec (now Sekuro)’s expansion into Singapore, where we set up our Asia HQ,” she mentions. “Under the leadership of our current Country manager, our team has grown to over 50 staff across Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and we’re still growing rapidly.”
She is also part of a Sydney-based cybersecurity group that initially comprised only Singaporeans, but has since expanded to include Malaysians, Indonesians, and Chinese. “Unsurprisingly, we’re a bit of a foodie group! It’s a nice way to stay connected and reminisce about home,” she says.
Shamane’s experiences navigating a complicated industry as a young Asian woman visibly taking up space makes her a blueprint for other young people, especially women.
“Find allies who can support you,” she shares. “It’s much easier to thrive when you have people who uplift and encourage you. We can all be tall poppies together!”
Meet Shamane
Besides serving as Sekuro’s Chief Growth Officer, she has penned bestsellers, delivered global keynote addresses for TEDx, and been named in the 40 under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australian list.
Connect with her here.
