Cybersecurity Sales Exec Finds Success

Before joining Rockwell Automation, Lauren Blocker had struggled with entrepreneurial companies that promised innovation and fast pace but instead were micromanaging and authoritarian.

She was ready to make the leap to a stable company that acted like a start-up in all the right ways.

You could have chosen any company for a career in cybersecurity. Why Rockwell?

I was struggling with getting from Point A to Point B in my career. I had been involved in interesting transformations on the enterprise IT side of the house, but there was limited differentiation between vendors. I wound up in a start-up, but they were entrepreneurial in all the wrong ways with an unhealthy company culture.

I interviewed with a lot of global organizations that moved people like pieces on a chessboard but didn’t do anything new, better, or different. A friend introduced me to Rockwell, and I looked at the job opening in a networks and security role that brought together IT and OT leaders to digitally transform businesses. It was the dream job to combine my experience in a role that had unlimited growth opportunities – because business is transforming every day.

What is it like to be a CSSE?

This role is relatively new to the world so we’re creating and defining every day. I am surrounded by professionals in our businesses with 30+ years of experience, so we combine the best of both worlds in terms of domain expertise and the ability to look at situations with a new lens and broad perspective.

Regarding our Cybersecurity Services for our customers: What trends are you seeing? What impact are we having?

I’m finding many customers are at the very early phases of their OT cyber maturity journey, but most do not realize it. Rockwell’s robust set of capabilities and targeted professional services can support customers moving out of the unknown into a more complete awareness of their current state. Once we gain alignment with our customers’ cross functional stakeholders, we can help build out and execute on a long-term program that drives success by applying a combination of technology, people and processes that map up to customer outcomes and global standards.

For me, it’s a great day when I get to see the “Oh, wow!” moments that come along with this approach, knowing that Rockwell has what it takes to set a course for success.

What’s something that surprises you about working for a big company?

Because we’re agile and connected with our business, there’s great career potential. Experience in such a highly visible space means you can grow your career with credibility to navigate your way into other parts of the enterprise.

Cybersecurity is for everyone. We can’t let the bad actors win. You can be part of the solution, part of the protection team. This is a unique environment that evolves every day as threats evolve. We must stay a step ahead. For people who want to learn and grow, this is the career.

Bring your unique skills

Want to learn more and explore the many career opportunities at Rockwell? Check out our Cybersecurity Careers page and create your own journey, like Kristin, whose background in engineering and hardware prepared her for a pivot to a cybersecurity career, or Vicky, whose software and analytics expertise provided a springboard for working cybersecurity services.