MARKHAM, Ont. — As Chinese telecom giant Huawei remains banned from the American market and from wireless networks in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand due to accusations of posing national security threats – while facing a looming decision from the Canadian government on whether its technology should be banned from 5G networks here, too, Huawei Canada announced Tuesday the company’s chief security officer, Olivera Zatezalo, has been named as one of the Top Women in Cyber Security by publisher IT World Canada and the Ottawa-based Women in Security and Resilience Alliance (WISECRA).
The inaugural Top Women in Cyber Security recognition program honoured 20 women in total. The award pays tribute to the important work these women have done to advance the Canadian cybersecurity industry and pave the way for future generations by serving as role models for women in the sector.
“We are pleased to see Olivera recognized for her over 20 years of dedication in reshaping the telecommunications industry and for being a driving force in empowering women globally to enter the cybersecurity industry,” said Eric Li, president of Huawei Canada, in the news release. “We could not be prouder of what she has accomplished thus far in cyber security risk assessments of modern mobile networks, artificial intelligence, and developing comprehensive privacy protection frameworks.”
In addition to her work with Huawei Canada, Zatezalo sits on the governing body of Evanta’s Toronto CISO Executive Summit and on the advisory board of Canadian Women in Cybersecurity. A frequent speaker at events, she is actively engaged as a mentor with a number of post-secondary programs in Ontario, including at University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, University of Guelph and Leading Cyber Ladies Toronto.
