Pledge 1%'s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Brenley Brotman
Vice President, Global Recruiting at Lookout & Chair, Lookout Foundation
San Francisco, CA, USA
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I lead the talent acquisition team at Lookout, and am responsible for hiring world class talent across our various regions. In addition, I am the Chair of the Lookout Foundation, and we are proud to be part of Pledge 1%.
What’s the best part of your job? What do you enjoy the most?
Everyday, I get the honor of working with "wicked smart people" who are fundamentally really kind. I am delighted to Chair our Lookout Foundation, where we are supporting non-profits in the places where we live and work. Today in fact, we launched a Global Campaign for our sisters and brothers in the Ukraine. Within one hour of launch, we exceeded our goals. I am humbled by my colleagues each and every day.
We’ve all faced personal and professional challenges these past two years - what motivates you to keep going?
I am driven to make a difference. During these difficult times, people need a reason to feel inspired, to be valued..to be heard. Every day I strive to bring out the best in my team and my peers. Empathy is my secret sauce, and lots of humor doesn't hurt.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
"Behind all anger is fear. If you can wander about without scaring others, you will win at the game of life". How true that is. Best performance comes from a place of emotional security.
What does generosity mean to you?
There is an old story about two women who are breaking bread together. One of the women held a loaf of bread, tore off a large piece, and handed it over to the other woman. The 2nd woman declined the bread and said, "with a full heart, you will toss the bread to me. When you release the bread into the air, you are releasing the expectation of anything in return". A truly generous person asks for nothing in return.
How do you feel businesses can play a larger role in solving today’s biggest challenges? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
Every single company should have a Foundation, or at least a group of people that want to formalize efforts around "giving back". In our Lookout Foundation, one of our themes is to support women interested in getting into the field of cybersecurity and other STEM areas. We co-founded "Day of Shecurity", a place for women to come and learn about cybersecurity. We started small - bringing 25 women together at our Lookout offices in San Francisco. We provided a full day of Cybersecurity training.
At the end of the day, we held a "Capture the Flag" competition. The winner was awarded an all expense paid trip to Defcon (cybersecurity conference).
Fast forward 3 years and 6 events later, 2021's Day of Shecurity conference attracted over 1700 women from 52 different countries for two days of free training, networking and collaboration (90+ Women Speakers). Just this week, Lookout hired another woman from our last Day of Shecurity event. It's exhilarating to watch this free program grow in such a meaningful way for women around the world.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Driven. I have internal horsepower that drives me to make a difference in the relationships I build and the opportunities I seek.
If you could pick a song to guide you through 2022, which song would it be?
"Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
I'd like to launch a free "Day of Shecurity" Conference for women in India this year. Perhaps 3000 attendees? Let's do it.
