Women C-Suite Executives In Cybersecurity: Transformational Experiences And Gender Barriers On Their Leadership Journeys

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing industries with a critical role in protecting businesses and people from attacks that continue to grow and affect our nation. There is an increasing gap between the demand to fill jobs in the field and the skilled professionals available. Women currently fill less than 17% of those skilled positions. Understanding the paths of success and the barriers experienced by women cybersecurity leaders is key to determining how to fill the skill gap in the industry. This study uses a qualitative methodology with a descriptive phenomenological design to answer the research questions from the perspective of sixteen women C-Suite executives in the cybersecurity industry. The study focused on the human experience and behavior through descriptions of transformational experiences on a journey toward leadership. Exploring the concepts of mentorship, sponsorship, and trusted advisor in relation to the experiences of these women executives in cybersecurity provides insight into how organizations can replicate similar situations to overcome gender bias and encourage career growth for women in the industry. Participants described organic and informal instances of mentorship and other significant relationships as crucial to their success. Sponsorship was described as the most influential contribution to pivotal moments in their careers. The barriers the participants described were a variety of instances related to gender bias and discrimination with clear examples of both the glass ceiling and the glass cliff. Findings from this study provide organizations a framework by which to shift the organizational mindset away from marginalizing women and toward attracting and retaining them through support, sponsorship, and continued career and leadership development. Some recommendations from the study are: 1. Make it an organizational strategy to define, recognize, and deconstruct microaggressions in practices and processes that perpetuate unconscious bias. 2. Develop sponsorship for women at all levels of the organization. 3. Develop job descriptions in cybersecurity that create pathways for women. 4. Educate women to navigate various aspects of an organization and how to develop relationships that can support their growth

Antifibrotic Effects of the Dual CCR2/CCR5 Antagonist Cenicriviroc in Animal Models of Liver and Kidney Fibrosis

Background & Aims Interactions between C-C chemokine receptor types 2 (CCR2) and 5 (CCR5) and their ligands, including CCL2 and CCL5, mediate fibrogenesis by promoting monocyte/macrophage recruitment and tissue infiltration, as well as hepatic stellate cell activation. Cenicriviroc (CVC) is an oral, dual CCR2/CCR5 antagonist with nanomolar potency against both receptors. CVC’s anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects were evaluated in a range of preclinical models of inflammation and fibrosis. Methods Monocyte/macrophage recruitment was assessed in vivo in a mouse model of thioglycollate-induced peritonitis. CCL2-induced chemotaxis was evaluated ex vivo on mouse monocytes. CVC’s antifibrotic effects were evaluated in a thioacetamide-induced rat model of liver fibrosis and mouse models of diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and renal fibrosis. Study assessments included body and liver/kidney weight, liver function test, liver/kidney morphology and collagen deposition, fibrogenic gene and protein expression, and pharmacokinetic analyses. Results CVC significantly reduced monocyte/macrophage recruitment in vivo at doses ≥20 mg/kg/day (p < 0.05). At these doses, CVC showed antifibrotic effects, with significant reductions in collagen deposition (p < 0.05), and collagen type 1 protein and mRNA expression across the three animal models of fibrosis. In the NASH model, CVC significantly reduced the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (p < 0.05 vs. controls). CVC treatment had no notable effect on body or liver/kidney weight. Conclusions CVC displayed potent anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic activity in a range of animal fibrosis models, supporting human testing for fibrotic diseases. Further experimental studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of CVC’s antifibrotic effects. A Phase 2b study in adults with NASH and liver fibrosis is fully enrolled (CENTAUR Study 652-2-203; NCT02217475)