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Posted March 1, 2021
In honor of Women’s History Month, GreyCastle Security is highlighting some of the women in leadership positions at the organization. We are very proud to have amazing women in leadership positions here, and all the women at GreyCastle Security make valuable contributions every day.
Today we’re featuring an interview with Christina D’Antonio, Cybersecurity Services Manager. Christina has had an impressive climb from intern to manager, and she’s been instrumental in developing some of our current product offerings.
Christina manages the largest team at GreyCastle Security. She’s an expert with soft skills and empathetic management, but she still knows how to get into the nitty-gritty with her technical skills. Like many women in STEM, Christina has faced naysayers and challenges to her capabilities, but between her competence, her confidence, and her allies here at the company, she’s succeeded in paving her own way, and she’s seen a lot of progress in the attitudes women face in IT.
To young women who want to get into STEM, Christina’s advice is to find what you want to do and chase those dreams. She took some time between her Associates and Bachelors, and while she found that work rewarding, she wonders if she could be even further in her career if she had pursued her degree sooner. If you don’t yet know what you want, dabble! Whether through formal school or self-directed learning, Christina suggests finding an avenue to steer yourself towards a goal – actively chase your dreams.
I am one of the Cybersecurity Services Managers. I manage a team of 13 professionals who deliver nontechnical governance, risk, and compliance services.
It was challenging but awesome. I came in at a unique time in GreyCastle Security’s progression – we had established ourselves in certain services, but there was still a lot left to do from a development perspective, so I got to get a little taste for everything. I helped with some Incident Response services. I worked on some of the core services that GreyCastle Security offers, like Risk Assessment, before spearheading the development of our current suite of products, including governance, risk, and compliance.
What was cool was that as long as you were driven, and as long as you showed that willingness to learn and to face challenges head-on, you could see the reward. I came in and interned, and I was guaranteed a full-time position as long as I could graduate. In August, a year before graduating, I knew that I was going to work for GreyCastle Security full-time, which was absolutely amazing.
I came in as an Associate, and I spent almost two years as an Associate before leveling up to a Specialist. I then got a professional certification, and I was able to step into lead roles for some of the services we were offering before moving into content development. I worked on building a data classification service, building a NIST-based policy suite, and finessing the risk assessment services – doing all those different things, all while progressing my knowledge and expertise in the areas I was delivering, so I could play a more specific role. I wasn’t necessarily sitting at the keyboard typing, but actually taking the reins, drilling down and asking questions of clients. I wanted to hear their pain points and tie them back to our services, and I was able to continue my progression that way.
It felt fast-paced to me, which is awesome. I think the way that I carried myself during that progression from Intern to Senior Specialist really showed the business and my boss what I was capable of from a management and leadership perspective, though I didn’t yet have direct reports. You do exhibit certain leadership qualities, like being able to lead services and lead your clients to the solution they’re looking for. I was offered a Team Lead position managing a few folks at that time, and we ended up absorbing a second team. At one point, I had 19 of the 30 direct reports at GreyCastle Security, but I’m back down to 13 – here I am in management!
It’s actually both – because we’re still a growing company, I’m still pretty heavily involved in some development pieces, which allows me to keep my skillset sharp. I still keep current with industry trends and regulations to keep current with our products and how they adapt. I’m not necessarily out on the front lines every day like the team is, solving those more strategic client problems, but being so close to it actually helps me better manage and lead the team. Not only can I talk the talk, I can walk the walk, so when they come to me with questions, concerns, or issues, I can relate because I’ve done what they’ve done and can help better guide them through the pain points they may be feeling.
It’s definitely gotten better by a landslide. There isn’t as much of that stigma of “well, you’re a woman, and you can’t do it,” but there are times when you feel that. There have been times before in a situation where the body language, tone, and demeanor of the male counterpart make you feel that way – makes you feel like you’re inferior or incompetent. What was interesting for me was having other people see that. I’m fortunate that GreyCastle Security has always been very supportive of me; every single person that I’ve worked with in the organization has been very supportive. Even in those very few occasions where that did occur, I can stand up as a tall, proud woman who knows her stuff, but I also get the backing of people who recognize what’s happening and stepping in – not necessarily overstepping like “she can’t do it,” but building up that confidence.
Do it! Absolutely do it. Don’t be afraid of anything. You can do anything you put your mind to. Women can excel not only in technical knowledge and expertise but in soft skills as well. We can be nurturing and caring. There are times where it’s easier for me to relate to something or someone or to deescalate a situation because I’ve got a different set of soft skills that some men in this industry don’t have: a bull in a china closet doesn’t necessarily work all the time. Not that I’m never a bull in a china closet, but I know how to navigate those situations, ultimately. My soft skills are what prevail.
Don’t wait. I took a break after I started in forensic science. What I wanted to do didn’t really set well with my stomach, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I took a pause, and I worked full-time. I managed a nursing home, which was some of the best work – getting to be the light in these people’s eyes, because they don’t really get to see folks – but there was a lag between when I finished my Associates and when I went back for my Bachelors. I could have been in this a long time ago and potentially been further along in my career now.
Don’t wait: know what you want to do. But if you don’t know what to do, dabble. I came to GreyCastle Security with a very specific degree in Digital Forensics, but I don’t do that; with a few small exceptions, that’s not my focus. I took a different track, in governance and risk, before moving into management. It’s okay not to know; just do what you need to do to figure it out, whether that’s schooling, online learning, or certification. There’s a lot of avenues out there that can help you steer to where you want to go if you’re not sure. Chase your dreams. Actively chase your dreams.
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Ho Chin is Chief Financial Officer at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Ho leads Finance, HR, IT and Professional Development. As part of the executive leadership team, Ho works to establish the company’s overall strategy and ensure proper execution of the supporting initiatives pertaining to the above areas of responsibility.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Ho led finance and administrative functions at multiple private equity and venture-backed portfolio companies across multiple industries. Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University in Centre County, Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Michael Stamas is an entrepreneur, board member, Vice President and a founder of GreyCastle Security. With more than two decades of experience in the technology sector, Mike pairs his management and business development skills with a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Mike brings a unique brand of risk-based advising to GreyCastle clients and prospects.
Mike holds certifications in numerous security and technology related areas, including the Department of Homeland Security and other security technologies like Symantec, Cisco and Microsoft.
Mike plays an active role in his community and serves as a board member and Vice President of InfraGard Albany as well as an advisory board position with the Capital Region YMCA.
Mike has been recognized for his numerous achievements through various honors including the Albany Business Review’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award.
Dan Kalil is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Chairman at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Dan provides vision, leadership and strategies that drive GreyCastle Security’s position as an industry leader. With an emphasis on customer success, Dan’s profitable growth model leverages a customer-centric business approach that balances employee wellbeing and social responsibility.
Prior to becoming CEO, Dan served as the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, during which he supported multiple acquisitions and helped the organization achieve substantial sales growth. In addition to serving as CEO at GreyCastle Security, Dan continues to hold the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Assured information Security (AIS) in Rome, New York, a company he co-founded in 2001.
Over the course of the last 22 years, Dan has been committed to advancing the state of cybersecurity and has played an instrumental role in the identification and development of critical, next-generation cyber capabilities. He has held positions in almost every facet of cybersecurity, beginning as a computer forensic examiner and progressing through the management and executive leadership ranks. In addition to co-founding AIS, Dan has facilitated multiple cybersecurity startups, raised investment capital and has served in various lead and support roles toward the acquisition of five companies in the last eight years.
Dan has a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Utica College in Utica, New York.
Dan Maynard serves as GreyCastle Security’s Chief Operating Officer, where he currently leads Sales, Marketing and Legal.
Dan has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry, during which time he has held various leadership positions for organizations such as Rochester Tel/RCI, Citizens Communications (Frontier), PAETEC Communications, IntegraOptics, tw telecom/Level3 and Centurylink.
In addition to various voice and data technology platforms, he possesses a strong background in leadership development, sales and marketing leadership, transformational leadership and strategic planning. Dan has a thirst for knowledge and as a committed lifelong learner, he encourages and supports professional development initiatives for his teams and continues his involvement with Vistage International.
Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he was selected as a member of their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
When not at work, Dan enjoys traveling, golfing, attending Utica Comets hockey games and relaxing in the Adirondacks on beautiful Canada Lake with family and friends.
Dan Didier is the Vice President of Solutions and board member at GreyCastle Security.
Dan has been a cybersecurity practitioner for more than 20 years and uses his knowledge and experience to develop cybersecurity solutions that ensure readiness and preparedness.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in Information Assurance from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
Our Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) have responded to hundreds of breaches, intrusions, malware infections, thefts, employee investigations, fraud cases and other incidents. Our highly-certified experts have extensive experience in command, coordination and correction of incidents in nearly every industry throughout North America, from local businesses to Fortune 500 international conglomerates.
800-403-8350Francesca LoPorto-Brandow is Director of Culture at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Francesca leads all social responsibility efforts and partnerships and develops effective strategies that promote organizational-wide behaviors and attitudes consistent with a culture of safety, inclusion, teamwork, motivation and high-performance.
Prior to this role, Francesca was Director of People & Culture at GreyCastle and with her leadership, the company’s culture has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Nationally recognized Best Workplace, Albany Business Review Best Places to Work and Albany Times Union Top Workplaces.
Before joining GreyCastle Security, Francesca worked as an OD consultant and focused on strategic culture change at The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. for more than six years. There, she facilitated client education sessions, coached leaders and teams, developed and executed consulting interventions and served as strategy project leader on various client engagements. Her work has taken her into Fortune 100 companies and across borders including Panama, Singapore and beyond.
Francesca is a Lean Six Sigma–certified Green Belt, a proud YWCA-GCR board member and in 2013, she coordinated and emceed the inaugural TEDx Troy—a livestream of TEDCity 2.0. Since 2012, she has coordinated and emceed the Troy 100 Forum, a biannual forum for government, religious and community leaders to discuss issues vital to the future of Troy, New York.
Bilingual in English and Italian, Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management & Technology. She was awarded Cybersecurity Recruiter of the year North America in 2017 by the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.
Jamie Aiello is Senior Vice President of Services and Product Management at GreyCastle Security. In this position, Jamie is responsible for leading a high performing and well-balanced team that is ultimately responsible for the identification, selection, execution and successful performance of our company’s diverse portfolio of cybersecurity offerings.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Jamie has held leadership positions with Annese and Associates, ConvergeOne and BlueSky IT Partners with a focus on delivering cost effective information technology solutions for companies across multiple verticals.
Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
