A recent Danish initiative addressing the apparent lack of candidates for the high number of vacancies in cybersecurity has grown out of a headhunter organization.
CEO, Camilla Treschow Schrøder, and her team had been “hunting ghosts” for a long time and realized that if there are no candidates to turn to, you have to build some.
She pitched her ideas to several high-profile industry figures, all of whom confirmed the dire talent shortage. No one else seemed willing to stick their heads out and actually do something about it, and the new headhunter-driven cyber leadership training program 'CISL' was born.
Our path into education and training is defined and motivated by the deep insights and continuous learning that come from our recruitment activities. We speak with both frontline soldiers and senior officers on the “cyber battlefields” during a search and selection process. This has told us how these people think, act, what motivates them, and what common challenges they face.
All of these learning points are reflected in the way our upskilling programs are designed and delivered. We want to bring training and education as close as possible to the needs of real working life. We want, we can, and we are able to bring good professionals to the next level – for the benefit of themselves, their employer, their colleagues, and the common cause – cybersecurity. – Camilla Treschow Schrøder, Founder Treschow&Son
The fight against an image
It has been a challenge to convince reserved employers that a professional headhunter is capable of handling potential conflicts of interest, while simultaneously sourcing candidates in a 'small cybersecurity world' and facilitating upskilling.
We are often put in the 'bad guys spot'. Many still think that we attend conferences with the purpose of running around and bothering people to sell them jobs – it is obviously hard to imagine that we are there to gain insight and educate ourselves to better support our clients in attracting talent and for a valuable and respectful conversation with people in the industry. It has taken us almost 4 years just to get to a place where we are not asked to leave industry-related conferences.
– Camilla Treschow Schrøder, Founder Treschow&Son
Through an early and bold decision to specialize in cybersecurity profiles, Treschow&Son led by Camilla and partner Andrada Son is now recognized as both trusted and relevant advisors as well as reliable headhunters.
Why is education the solution?
Investments are already being made in cyber education and projects to attract the younger generation and create a larger workforce, such as the Danish Cyber Championships, Cyberskills and 'Cyber Conscription'. So why is it not enough, and what is the problem Treschow&Son is trying to solve?
The question leads back to the increasing pressure that Camilla and her team are currently witnessing. While the initiatives are necessary to solve an important part of the problem, they are often driven by universities and academic institutions with long-term effects that do not help with the current pressure on cyber professionals, causing stress and mental health problems such as burnout.
Therefore, Camilla believes in the strong potential for upskilling talents within companies' own organizations.
And she is not alone. Jan Topp Rasmussen, CIO of Semco Maritime, agrees. From his point of view, there is good reason for more industry-focused alternatives to strengthen, for example, CISO talents, which is why he has contributed to the CISL education with great interest.
The pipeline coming from educational institutions is not sufficient to fill the big gap. In my opinion, Camilla and the team have responded to an important market gap with the CISL education, where there is certainly room for more players. – Jan Topp Rasmussen, CIO Semco Maritime
With the ability to point to several good instructors who are open and willing to share their valuable knowledge and experiences, Camilla has a hard time understanding what it is that keeps companies from investing in their own employees and in the development of their individual talents.
Especially when it comes to OT (Operational Technology) security, where resources are more limited and become part of the threat landscape against critical infrastructure.
Whether you like it or not…
A digital war is taking place very close to everyone's doorstep, private or public. It requires mobilization and ongoing training.
For Treschow&Sons founders, there is no doubt; upskilling is a fast track to strengthening our society against cyberattacks. Not only to meet the critical demand, but to ensure that the existing workforce remains to lift the heavy workload from existing experts, who often struggle with a big heart to say no because they want to make a difference.
Upskilling will equip many organizations to address the ongoing challenges of cybersecurity. Whether they like it or not, everyone has to deal with it in some way – especially those involved in critical manufacturing or digital solutions
Camilla Treschow Schrøder, Founder Treschow&Son
In general, companies need to realize that cybersecurity is part of our future as companies face digitalization. It is with good reason that CISL is able to bring prominent board members such as Lasse Bolander (Coop), Jesper Lok (Dagrofa) and Louise Hahn (European Energy) to the program. Cybersecurity is no longer a 'specialist' area, but a mindset that must live throughout the organization.
To support organizational growth and a healthy industry, Treschow&Son defines itself as a Cyber Talent Supply company. After confirming the need for upskilling at CISL, Camilla and her team are ready to go beyond what can be expected of headhunters today. You don't want just any headhunter to train your people.
