04/18/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/18/2024 11:35
Cisco's advocacy community, Cisco Insider Advocates, brings our customers together and provides a way for them to make powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn from top experts in their field. One of our goals with our advocacy community is to deepen our relationships with our customers. Our Q&A series allows us to shine a spotlight on some of our most passionate advocates as we learn more about their stories and backgrounds.
Today, we have one of the friendliest faces in the community joining us for a chat. I'm excited to welcome Wouter Hindriks from Avit Group BV.
I am a 45-year-old security architect living and working in the Netherlands. I am married to Naomi, and we have two children, ages 12 and 16.
I started working part-time on an internet help desk when many people were getting online for the first time with dial-up internet access. I had multiple jobs and roles after that and worked in different countries before accepting my current position at Avit Group, a network integrator and managed services provider.
The threat landscape keeps shifting, with new bad actors, exploits, and attacks on the horizon. As defenders, we need to keep changing with it. Avit Group protects and monitors our customers' environments for threats and contains incidents before they lead to a disruption. In my role as a security architect, I design our service offerings to ensure we deliver the latest and greatest products and services to keep users and data secure across the globe.
I spend time with customers, colleagues, and Cisco specialists to learn about evolving challenges and proven solutions to help improve our offerings. In addition, through the Cisco Insider Advocates community, I get regular updates from Cisco Talos, Cisco's threat intelligence research organization, as well as insights from my industry peers and other security practitioners worldwide.
Cisco has played an important role in my career since the beginning; I obtained a Cisco CCNA certification, which really helped my career early on. Working at a telco, you'll encounter Cisco in the edge and core networks, and then, you'll be pleased to see Cisco solutions in your data center, site networks, or security setup. The quality of documentation and customer support makes Cisco dependable-both documents and TAC support have saved my day (and night) numerous times!
Cisco Insider Advocates is a global community for technology enthusiasts to connect with one another. New information, interesting articles about Cisco's products and technologies, and posts from other members are always available. Participating in activities in this community also gives you points to exchange for cool rewards too.
I joined the community at Cisco Live Berlin in 2017 and was immediately impressed by the sheer scale and variety of activities available. At the event, I was able to make the most of my visit by using the Cisco Insider App, which offered information on the accessible locations and pushed me to explore different parts of Cisco Live.
Then, after the Cisco Live event, I kept coming back to the community for the knowledge, conversations, and valuable opportunities. Being a member of this community has allowed me to help others and quickly connect with other experts in various ICT fields. As a Rockstar, I enjoy exclusive challenges, rewards, and events. By collaborating with community managers and participating in activities, I've contributed to blog posts, videos, and even spoken at Cisco Live and security podcasts. This enhanced my writing and speaking abilities and strengthened my personal brand, which helped me stand out to colleagues, customers, and potential employers.
Living just 20 minutes from the venue, Cisco Live Amsterdam felt like a home game. It was wonderful showing my daughter around and introducing her to everyone I've met over the years. I'd rate my experience a 4.5 this year as I had an Explorer pass, which limited access to technical breakout sessions. Nonetheless, the event was well-organized with good food, many booths, and knowledgeable individuals ready to assist. Interacting with Cisco's senior leadership this time was really insightful; I was able to have brief conversations with Oliver Tuszik and Jeetu Patel, which enhanced my understanding of Cisco's vision and allowed me to share my own ideas and challenges.
Through Cisco Insider Advocates, I was also able to meet with the Cisco U team to share my thoughts on a user's training and educational needs overall and provide feedback on Cisco's current certifications.
Since 2017, I've attended Cisco Live in Berlin, Madrid, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Amsterdam. It's always a joy to reconnect with friends and meet new people. While the Cisco Insider Advocate activities add excitement to these events, the dedicated lounge for Insiders also provides a relaxing retreat during the busy event, and meeting community members and managers in person is always a treat!
It was a delight to have an interview with David Bombal. We spoke about what it takes to get ahead in IT and what has helped me become a security architect. I emphasized the importance about staying curious, embracing challenges, and learning from every experience while actively participating in the community around you to facilitate growth and learning.
Besides the obvious answer: Wife and children? It would be:
It's been a pleasure to chat with you, Wouter. Thank you again for joining us!
For our customers who have already joined our Cisco Insider Advocates community, say hello to Tim if you haven't met yet. And if you're a Cisco customer but aren't a community member, consider joining. You'll be able to: