Career Stories: Lisa Kelly

After almost five years in the People team, Lisa swapped HR systems and people support for a role in cyber security.

Lisa has always been fascinated by human behaviour and understanding why people do what they do. Her move from Human Resources (Shared Services) to the Cyber Security may seem like a big shift, but for Lisa it had been many years in the making. With a passion for learning, a degree in Criminology and a strong understanding of Vicinity’s systems, Lisa says the move made sense. She shares the learning opportunities she pursued, how she built connections to gain on-the-job experience and what she has learnt in her first few months in the Cyber team.

Hi Lisa! What sparked your interest in cyber security, and when did you realise it was a career path you wanted to pursue?

I studied a Bachelor of Criminology and have always had an interest in people’s behaviour, not just crime, but understanding why people do the things they do. A few years ago, the Head of Cyber & Information Security joined one of our People team meetings to talk about cyber risks and the work his team did. It piqued my interest and I started to consider what a career in that field could look like for me. I’ve always been interested in processes, problem solving and investigating issues to find solutions - skills that transfer well to cyber.

There’s a clear connection between criminology and cyber security too. Both involve investigating patterns and risks, but instead of solving a crime, the focus is on protecting our company, systems and data.

Making a move into a different field takes commitment. What steps did you take to build your skills and prepare for the transition?

In 2024, I reached out to the Cyber team to explore opportunities to gain informal experience. I connected with people across the team to better understand their roles and responsibilities, then began a formal mentoring arrangement with two Cyber Analysts and took on project work one day a week. I also completed courses through Coursera and LinkedIn Learning in areas including cyber security, generative AI and ethical hacking.

Cyber and HR share some core principles, so I was already familiar with data integrity, confidentiality and risk. However, I recognised a gap in my foundational IT knowledge, so I enrolled in a Certificate III in IT. This helped me build my understanding of network fundamentals, business protections, governance, risk and compliance.

You were Vicinity’s ‘top learner’ on Coursera last year. What motivates you to keep learning and how do you find balance?

I really do love learning, and think whether it’s a short course online, or listening to a podcast on a topic you’re interested in, we broaden our perspectives so much when we are curious and open to learning. Having access to Coursera and LinkedIn Learning means if you’re interested in something you can explore it, risk free.

I used to block an hour each week for learning and as I completed more in-depth certifications, balancing that while working full time was tricky!

How did your leaders and colleagues support your development?

The support from my leaders and peers made a real difference. While I was in Shared Services and completing my degree, my leader supported me to work a condensed week for 12 months. This gave me a dedicated weekday for study, rather than having to fit it into the weekend, and helped me maintain balance.

What has surprised you most since joining the Cyber team?

How much the role is about people and relationships. The technical side is to be expected but there’s a lot of time spent working with stakeholders across the business to understand risks, solve problems and find practical outcomes together which I love.

I also enjoy how much learning and development I still get to do in this role. Things are always changing as technology evolves, legislation changes and new common threats and scams come to our attention so we’re always learning.

Is there a memorable project you've worked on or something you're particularly proud of?

Creating new cyber security awareness training was the first cyber project I was heavily involved in. I researched vendors, compared options and presented my recommendations to the Cyber leadership team. It felt great to apply my HR knowledge and experience in a new way. This month, I’ve also helped deliver my first Cyber Security Awareness Month campaign, including coordinating a webinar with guest speakers and developing a fun, engaging phishing simulation to remind people to verify senders and stay safe online.

What's your advice to others who might be interested in exploring a new career path?

Exploring a new career is really hard unless you get a little bit of informal experience. My advice is to speak to people in that area, grab a coffee, learn about a project or shadow them for a day. We’ve got so many diverse teams here, that if there’s a different part of the business you’re curious about, just reach out – people are so willing to talk about their roles and careers and share their perspectives.

---

Inspired by Lisa's career change? See which roles match your skills on our Careers page.