“My purpose as President at Women4Cyber is to advocate for more volunteer work, even if it is only five days a year. We need to emphasise why working securely is crucial and inspire others to adopt this mindset.”
Leïla Abajadi, President for the Belgian Women4Cyber chapter
Leïla’s career in cyber security began 15 years ago. After earning a Master’s degree in finance, she joined Ernst & Young (EY) as an IT auditor. “While most of my classmates pursued careers as financial auditors or managers in the private sector, I chose a different path. I don’t know if it was luck, chance or fate, but a serendipitous opportunity dramatically shifted my career trajectory,” she explains.
While working at EY, one of her clients was seeking a French-speaking addition to its bilingual cyber security team. “As a junior team member, I had learned a great deal about IT auditing and security implementation from my senior colleagues. I was captivated by the field: the connection between the operational challenges of implementing security measures and the analytical perspective of evaluating them opened an entirely new world for me.”
Building expertise
This formative experience laid the foundation for Leïla’s career. She subsequently joined NMBS as Deputy CISO, where she helped establish the security team from the ground up, alongside the CISO. Just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she made the leap to self-employed consultant. “Working with multiple clients allows me to stay attuned to the evolving cyber security landscape,” she notes. “If you focus on a single organisation, you miss the chance to learn from both the best and the worst practices of others. These experiences can be incredibly inspiring.”
Belgium’s economic landscape, dominated by SMEs, presents unique opportunities. Leïla observes that these organisations often recognise the value of expert advice. “Smaller teams don’t necessarily mean smaller budgets. These companies understand the importance of investing in expertise to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.”
Being a (female) role model
Leïla is driven by a personal philosophy she also instils in her daughters: prepare today for the changes you wish to see in the future. “Transformation doesn’t happen overnight; it requires effort and planning,” she advises. “When clients aim to implement a new information security system, I always recommend starting with an ‘as-is’ analysis. This helps define the objectives and the actions necessary to achieve them within a realistic timeframe.”
Encouraging women to enter the cyber security sector is another of Leïla’s passions. “We need men to champion inclusivity and demonstrate that cyber security is a space where everyone can make a meaningful impact. It’s essential to focus on individual qualities, profiles and experiences, rather than adhering to quotas based on gender.”
Women4Cyber Belgium
Leïla’s involvement with Women4Cyber Belgium began through her connection with Phédra Clouner, one of the chapter’s founders. Phédra invited Leïla to join the Belgian chapter as a volunteer. With her competencies, she joined the governance stream. When the President stepped down in November 2024, Leïla assumed the role and was officially re-elected in January 2025.
“My primary goal is to enhance visibility,” she explains. “We want to raise awareness among women about the opportunities available to them in cyber security. Women often hesitate to showcase their talents, not due to a lack of competence, but because of societal norms.”
Leïla also emphasises the importance of focusing on one’s strengths. “I’m continually working on myself, whether it’s becoming more extroverted, improving my Dutch, or staying updated as a consultant. This is one of the reasons I am a member of the Cyber Security Coalition, where I meet professionals from different sectors, to exchange and to learn. It truly is a valuable network.”
