Rising to the Occasion as the New McAfee

McAfee

Apr 13, 2017

4 MIN READ

This blog was written by Candace Worley, McAfee’s former Vice President and Chief Technical Strategist.

As a new standalone company, there’s great opportunity in front of us to recapture our identity. And since our identity lies at the core of everything we do and all our interactions, this opportunity is going to help us reinvigorate both our employee and customer base. More importantly, it’s allowing us to rediscover what makes McAfee great, as well as actively reclaim our role as a leader in the industry. But before we get there, we’re embodying a “make or break” mindset to guide us along the way as we go after cybercriminals, draw outside the lines, and work better together. And though the opportunity in front of us is great, we’re not intimidated. In fact, we will rise to the occasion. Here’s how:

Reclaiming a Leadership Role

Most players in the cybersecurity industry are ambitious and agile, including the new McAfee. In fact, as a new company, we have the opportunity to lead the pack when it comes to how the industry approaches cybersecurity innovation and leadership.

So, what will this leadership role look like for us? For starters, leaders push the envelope, and drive the market to deliver better products– which is exactly what we plan on doing. We’re also going to ask the tough questions, drive thought leadership, and come to the market with easily adaptable, unique technologies that deliver meaningful outcomes.

Make or Break Mindset

As a standalone company, we will succeed by living and breathing a “make or break” mentality. We are on our own now and it feels good but we recognize that with independence comes ownership and responsibility. We are taking this very seriously and through our commitment to our customers and the industry we’re going to prove that our claim to leadership is valid.

This mindset also hones our focus in on what we need to do to keep our customers safe. This has been part of the McAfee DNA since inception. Through the years, I’ve seen the mettle of this company tested. When adversaries have struck with merciless force against our customers, I’ve watched the men and women of McAfee rally, literally working around the clock to restore order.

That’s the thing that’s always amazed me about this company– nobody stands around and complains about the situation, they just ask how they can help and they get it done. Whether it’s for 1 customer or 500, our team stands up and make it happen. It all goes back to the passion we have for this industry. We can often make the difference between a customer coming out of a situation barely scathed, or coming out with a catastrophic issue. There is no better feeling than knowing you and your colleagues helped a customer through what could have been, or maybe was, their darkest hour. And as the new McAfee, we will continue to put our customers first by doing whatever it takes to make the customer base secure.

That mindset will also permeate how we innovate and look at problem-solving. We’re going to “draw outside the lines so to speak by looking at a multitude of ideas, inputs, and disciplines. Industry’s reinvent themselves by looking beyond how things are done today and by viewing the current reality through a different lens. The freedom and agility that comes from being a stand-alone business gives us the liberty to use a fresh approach to innovation and solution development. That Make or Break mentality will play a role here as well by driving us to adjust our solution development approach to the situation at hand.

However, it’s important to note, a company and its innovations won’t rise to the occasion unless individual employees do first. And a crucial aspect of standing strong as McAfee is standing together internally – which means taking pride in being a McAfee employee.

A Palpable Pride in the McAfee Family

McAfee is a family. At the end of the day, we’re all proud and grateful to be able to work for such an amazing organization. In fact, that pride ends up being one of our strongest assets, because when people feel that way within an organization, it’s palpable, especially to our customers.

Customers can tell when employees take ownership and are engaged, and it makes them have confidence in who we are as company. More importantly, it makes them feel safe. And at the end of the day, that is what we do.

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