San Francisco CEO Suggests Gaining Hands On Experience
The recent cyber attack against the federal government is yet another indication that the need for talented information security experts is greater than ever before. With many Bay Area companies leading the industry, one company that recently gained widespread national attention after the announcement of $100 million more in investments is Illumio. Leading the Silicon Valley company is the CEO and Co-Founder, Andrew Rubin. Recently, Mr. Rubin spent a few moments to talk about his career, his rapidly rising company, and practical advice for students hoping to secure a career in the San Francisco tech sector.
What is your background and education?
"I am a co-founder and the CEO of Illumio, a Silicon Valley security startup. I have a B.S.B.A. in finance and marketing, business administration and management from Washington University. In college, I found my passion for entrepreneurship when I became the first undergraduate winner of Washington University's annual entrepreneurial contest known as the Olin Cup. After graduation, I worked for five years as a business developer with VoiceNet before becoming CEO of Cymtec Systems, just six years after my graduation. I then co-founded Illumio in 2013."
What type of services does Illumio provide?
"Illumio secures the estimated 80 percent of cloud and data centers that the perimeter might miss.The Illumio ASP (Adaptive Security Platform) provides a continual delivery system for information security. Illumio ASP determines the ideal security and manages enforcement across any data center or cloud. Morgan Stanley and Plantronics are among the multiple businesses utilizing Illumio ASP to deliver comprehensive and efficient security for today's tech environments."
What career advice can you offer to students interested in a career in technology?
"Invest the time early on to determine what you love and as soon as you know, go do it. Nothing can be better than gaining experience hands on. Take your profession seriously and be around like-minded people who are as passionate and enthusiastic as you are with what they do. Learning is everything – you'll never be finished and that is a great thing. Don't be afraid to work with people who are smarter than you and ask them tons of questions; there's no substitute for firsthand learning. Leading experts in their respective areas of specialization will want to share their knowledge because it's their passion, they will want to see how you take what you've learned to grow in your profession."
Randy Yagi is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. In 2012, he was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University. His work can be found on Examiner.com Examiner.com.
