CHANNEL CHIEF
Proud of her achievements
As the head of a cybersecurity distribution business in the Gulf, Vivian Gevers is
proud of where she has reached, and feels there is more ahead.
Vivian Gevers is Managing Director at Credence Security
V
ivian Gevers joined Credence
Security, a specialty cyber security
distribution company, as Managing
Director in 2013. Her job role includes
business strategy development, customer
acquisition, business operations, partner
engagements and human capital acquisition
and development. Getting the opportunity
to lead Credence Security in the region by
building the business and the team, has been
the high point in her career and work life.
“Building the business to what it is today,
is definitely something I am very proud of.
That being said, I am not about to rest on
my laurels,” she explains.
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Her biggest challenge at work is
acquisition, development and retention
of talented people. Add to that the
additional constraint of working in the IT
security industry with its global shortage
of resources and often it is competition
for the same pool of people.
With so much emphasis on having
the right set of skilled resources on
board and then retaining them, Vivian
feels an empowerment and enablement
management style is the right approach.
For Credence Security, the ability to
attract top quality talent, while providing
them the freedom to innovate and grow
internally, is its primary differentiator.
Vivian selected a role in technology as a
career because she finds it invigorating and
motivating. “This appealed to my sense of
adventure and appreciation for tackling
challenges.” She expects Internet of Things
to be the hot technology of 2017.
As a married executive at work wi th a
three-year old daughter, it is important for
Vivian to maintain a work-life balance. At
work, she is all about work and at home the
flip focus is on herself and her family.
Vivian also encourages her team at work
to follow the same principle, since a healthy
and fulfilling lifestyle directly reflects in
their performance and temperament.
Her stress busters outside work include
time-off in the gym, quality time with her
daughter, and travelling out of Dubai on
extended weekends. “This affords me the
opportunity to just completely switch off
and recharge my batteries.”
Working in the IT industry,
traditionally a man’s world, has never
bothered Vivian. In the Middle East, the
gender-gap under-representation is even
more so, especially at senior positions.
But Vivian has always been well received
by vendors, partners or customers,
and looks at the gender gap more as a
challenge to be relished.
Across UAE and Dubai, Vivian feels the
government is encouraging women with
several high-profile placements as well as
in ministries. “I believe this change will be
a positive influence for young women to
join the workplace and eventually create a
more balanced environment.”
As a successful IT executive, head of a
business, and working mother, this is what
Vivian has to say to aspiring young women.
“Be fearless and expect nothing less than
the best from yourself. Invest in your
education and training.”
Issue 01 // INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS