September 1st is International Women in Cyber Day, an opportunity to celebrate the incredible women leading the charge in the cybersecurity industry. At Flashpoint, we are dedicated to welcoming more women into the field and advancing women into leadership roles, recognizing that diverse leadership strengthens our teams and improves outcomes. 

Today, we’re proud to highlight Meredith Hart, a Senior Customer Success Manager at Flashpoint, whose journey from government service to cybersecurity leadership exemplifies the power of resilience, mentorship, and passion.

From CIA to Cybersecurity: Meredith’s Journey

Meredith Hart’s career trajectory is a testament to adaptability and leadership. Before joining Flashpoint, Meredith spent 15 years in the United States Intelligence Community, serving both in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and as a Diplomat for the Department of State, with tours at the U.S. Embassies in Afghanistan and Thailand. During her tenure, she received numerous Meritorious Unit Citations and Exceptional Performance Awards.

“My transition from government to cybersecurity was driven by a desire to continue serving the public good, albeit from a different vantage point. The work we do at Flashpoint in combating fraud, cyber threats, and security risks fuels my passion and satisfies my need to make a difference.”

Meredith Hart

Insights from the Frontlines

Today, Meredith is sharing the lessons learned in her transition from government to the cyber security and intelligence world.

Believe You Can Be a Leader

In the government, I had the privilege of working for some amazing women whose executive presence in a male-dominated field fueled my career aspirations. There were not enough of them, though! I see this challenge in cybersecurity, too. In 2012, the CIA asked Madeleine Albright to conduct a study on Women in Leadership to determine why women weren’t being promoted as fast as men or into as many leadership positions (it’s a fascinating read, I encourage you to check it out). 

The result was—there was no single reason or solution. The study did identify that  in order to be promoted in the CIA ‘system,’ an employee must nominate themselves. It was found that women were more reluctant to self-promote and claim ownership of their achievements, making them less likely to be promoted. 

Fortunately, with encouragement from my superiors, both male and female, I learned to articulate my accomplishments and apply for positions and promotions. Women in all fields need to be mentored, to consider ‘self,’ to recognize their accomplishments, and believe in their abilities to serve in a leadership role. 

 “At Flashpoint, we firmly believe that diverse leadership leads to stronger teams and better outcomes. We also understand that cybersecurity is a career field that requires all of us to actively serve as allies in the recruitment, mentorship, and elevation of women worldwide. Meredith’s own exceptional professional journey around the world is a testament to the power of mentorship and determination, and all of us at Flashpoint are proud to support her and other women in their cybersecurity careers.”

Andrew Borene, Executive Director, International Markets and Global Security at Flashpoint

Embrace Workplace Flexibility

When serving overseas, I was saddened by the lack of women in cybersecurity and intelligence in foreign governments. It was known and accepted that you were either a career woman or a family woman and that being both was likely not possible. Because of that mentality, many of the brilliant young women I met would eventually leave their government work once they were married and had a family. I’m hopeful that cybersecurity careers and the trend towards remote and flexible jobs will help combat this for women globally.

Mentors Matter

The cybersecurity world is doing an amazing job fostering mentorships. There are numerous LinkedIn groups that provide support and mentorship from both male and female perspectives. If you’ve benefited from valuable mentorship, pay it forward. I was pushed and advocated for and will be forever grateful for that. Had my mentors not taken me along to briefings of senators, ambassadors, and presidents in the situation room at the White House, I would not have felt confident in taking responsibility for those briefings later in my career. We continue to need that kind of support for women and minorities in all industries.

In the CIA and State Department, employees change jobs every 2-3 years. This means having to quickly get up to speed in a new role. You learn that it’s okay to ask questions, be curious, network, and also share knowledge. We quickly embraced adaptability, recognizing the inevitable learning curve at the start of each new role. By prioritizing knowledge sharing and collaboration, we aimed to ensure that those who followed in our footsteps were well-prepared for success. The same collaboration and knowledge sharing is critical in cybersecurity. The tactics and threat actors are constantly evolving. Sharing trends we are seeing and tips for tackling the problem benefits us all. At Flashpoint, knowledge is freely shared and harnesses collective input. I bring that attitude that collaborating with co-workers and finding solutions together is what will benefit our customers.

Not Knowing Is a Learning Opportunity

I worked to overcome imposter syndrome and learned to be okay not knowing all the answers. In the government I’d often get mistaken for a summer intern or junior officer, when in reality, I was the branch chief or subject matter expert for the briefing. I appreciate that even in my early 20s, my leadership acknowledged they may not be the most qualified to speak on a topic and would instead rely on analysts like me to conduct briefings and speak to heads of services, generals, and presidents. This was not seen as a weakness on leadership’s part, rather the best use of a well-rounded team. In cybersecurity, one also can’t know everything. Flashpoint has been great in offering formal learning courses as well as peers offering informal learning discussions to help us grow our knowledge and expertise. It also gives each of us a chance to share our expertise with each other.

“In cybersecurity—and really, in any field—curiosity and a willingness to ask questions are invaluable. We can’t always know everything, but what makes us stronger is our ability to learn from each other, to draw on the diverse experiences and insights of our colleagues. At Flashpoint, I’m constantly reminded of the power that comes from tapping into our collective knowledge. Embracing this diversity has been crucial to my personal growth and our shared success as a team.”

Alex Kobray, VP of Intelligence

Have the Confidence to Make Decisions

In an organization as large as the government, with colleagues who worked globally, it was not uncommon to be in a situation where a post was vacant, someone was on vacation, or in transition to a new post. This meant sometimes having to be proactive in the absence of leadership and find answers and solve problems on your own. It required learning who and where your resources were, tapping into your network (being a trusted person that others see as a useful contact as well), and eventually making a decision on your own. Having this trust placed in you grows confidence.

Look at the Big Picture

At the CIA, I would provide operational guidance to teams around the world, giving feedback on counterintelligence methodology, cultural and ideological considerations, as well as best practices from lessons learned. We learned to look at the big picture and not focus on just one operation but the impact on all operations. This perspective is similar to what is used in the cybersecurity world. Because there are many variables to take into consideration, it’s important to think through problems with our customers together and to learn about their intelligence priorities and challenges to better determine how to support them.

Join Us in Celebrating International Women in Cyber Day

As we honor International Women in Cyber Day, Meredith Hart’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance, mentorship, and leadership in our industry. At Flashpoint, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where women can thrive as leaders in cybersecurity. We encourage everyone in the cybersecurity community to support the women in their networks and actively contribute to making our field more inclusive.

Interested in learning more about the Flashpoint team and open roles? Check out our Careers Page.