Role Model: Yvonne Bauer
Personal Details
- Title, Name, Surname: Yvonne Bauer, MSc
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-bauer-1b12423/
- Link and information to any initiatives you are involved in that relate to empowering women in ICT:
- Women4Cyber Austria: Women4Cyber Austria is a non-profit organisation under the umbrella of the European Women4Cyber Foundation, which aims to promote, support and encourage the active participation of women in the field of cybersecurity: through role models, mentoring, networking events, webinars and career opportunities.
- LinkedIn (see also): https://www.linkedin.com/company/women4cyber-austria
Expertise
- Your role/job title: HR Manager Partner in a cybersecurity consulting firm, Board Member at Women4Cyber Austria
- Company name: Certitude Consulting GmbH
- Field of expertise: Human Resources, Recruiting, Diversity, and Gender Inclusion in IT and Cybersecurity
Company details
Introduction
Please tell us a few things about yourself.
I am a humanist with many years of expertise in human resources, recruiting, and diversity. After studying psychology and knowledge management, I worked for two consulting firms that focused on comprehensive HR consulting for IT companies. For several years now, I have been working in the cybersecurity industry, where my primary concern is to get more women excited about this field and encourage them to pursue and advance their careers in information security. That is why I volunteer with Women4Cyber Austria. I also work as a project manager at the NGO Hacker School Austria, which aims to give children and young people, especially girls, early and low-threshold access to programming courses in order to spark their enthusiasm for IT and promote 21st century skills such as critical thinking, collaborative work, etc. Through my work, I hope to contribute to finally reducing or closing the gender gap in IT and cybersecurity and to ensuring that diversity is actually put into practice.
Inspiration
What motivated you to enter the cybersecurity field, and how can we make that journey more accessible and visible to young women today?
I have been working in HR for over 20 years, primarily in the IT and technology sector. I have always been fascinated by how quickly things develop and the impact technology has on our everyday lives. Cybersecurity is particularly important to me because it is extremely relevant to society. I really feel like I have found my calling here because you can actively contribute to making the digital world safer.
I think that in order to attract more young women to this field, a lot of awareness-raising work still needs to be done. Even though there are already many initiatives, women often still feel that they don't quite belong in technical teams. That's why role models, mentoring, networks, and targeted training opportunities are so important. Career changers in particular should see that it is possible to enter cybersecurity even without a traditional IT background. This is exactly where we come in with Women4Cyber.
Career Growth
Beyond technical knowledge, which soft skills - such as teamwork, problem-solving, or ethical awareness - are most valuable in your day-to-day work?
I think curiosity and a willingness to learn are absolutely essential in cybersecurity because everything is evolving so quickly. You have to be open to constantly learning new things and adapting to changing conditions. Analytical and critical thinking are also particularly important, for example when it comes to incident response or complex attack scenarios.
I also think that resilience and stress resistance play a major role, because you often work under pressure and interact with other people in tense situations. Good communication and teamwork skills, a certain calmness, and a constructive culture of error and feedback help enormously. Many people who choose cybersecurity already have this investigative mindset and perseverance. In my opinion, this agility is crucial for long-term success in this field.
Memorable Achievements
Share a project or moment that reflects the impact of your work.
For me, there isn't one big moment, but many smaller ones that show me that my work is having an impact. It's especially nice to get direct feedback from the community, for example on Women4Cyber initiatives such as our meetups, the mentoring program, or networking events. When people say that it has encouraged them or opened up new perspectives, it means a lot to me.
My work at Hacker School Austria is also very fulfilling. When I see the enthusiasm of children and young people, especially girls, in our courses, it gives me a lot of confidence. Their active participation shows me how important early support is and that we can really make a difference here.
Challenges
How do you stay ahead in a competitive field, and what obstacles have you overcome?
I am very grateful to work in an appreciative and diverse environment where I have not experienced any personal disadvantages. I try to continuously learn, remain open to feedback, and see mistakes as opportunities for further development. Setting clear priorities helps me stay focused, even when juggling many tasks at once.
With two small children and several professional and volunteer roles, a supportive family environment is essential for me. In addition, my training as a mental coach helps me to stay calm, especially in stressful phases, and to view things from a meta-perspective. I consider challenges as opportunities that allow me to grow.
Work-Life Balance
How do you manage the demands of career and personal life?
I love my jobs and see my work as an essential part of my life. The boundaries between work and life often blend into each other, which is totally okay for me. Conscious breaks are important, though. I am a passionate runner and fan of outdoor activities together with the family and our dog.
Personal motive
What’s your personal motto, or favourite motivational quote, that can also inspire the younger generation to follow studies and a career in an ICT / Cybersecurity field?
I don't have a fixed motto, but I generally have a very positive attitude towards new challenges. I believe that crises and obstacles can strengthen your character and that change takes time. It doesn't always have to be big steps - often it's small developments that have a big impact in the long term. If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I would say that I live by the principle: „Geht nicht, gibt’s nicht.“ (roughly translated: “There’s no such thing as impossible”)
Future
Which emerging areas in cybersecurity, such as AI security, data protection, or social engineering, will be most relevant for the next generation of professionals entering the field? And what role can gender diversity and inclusion play?
I think cybersecurity will continue to be extremely diverse. There are legal and regulatory roles, classic technical areas such as hacking, threat intelligence, and vulnerability research, as well as new attack scenarios created by AI. In my view, social engineering remains particularly relevant because it involves a strong interaction between technology and psychology.
I also believe that awareness, security training, AI and digital literacy will become increasingly important. People remain the biggest gateway for attacks, but they are also the biggest leverage for security. That's why I consider early education and awareness-raising, for example, among children and young people, to be a key area.
Comments / remarks
I see the future of technology and cybersecurity as inseparably linked to diversity and inclusion. In my view, technology is not neutral, but reflects the perspectives of the people who develop it. When diverse teams work together, blind spots and bias are reduced and solutions are created that take different realities of life into account.
I would like to see an inclusive tech culture that starts early and promotes talent regardless of background. In the long term, this not only strengthens innovation and competitiveness, but also digital sovereignty. In my opinion, companies that actively embrace diversity and support initiatives such as Women4Cyber or Hacker School are clearly better positioned for the future.