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Maimouna Sylla, Senior Associate, Cybersecurity, PwC Canada
“The support, inclusive culture, and opportunities to learn from diverse, talented professionals have fueled my growth in cybersecurity. I’m proud to give back by inspiring others to explore the exciting possibilities here.”
As an associate in our market-leading cyber and financial crime consulting practice, I get to have my eyes on all kinds of different projects. Privacy, operational technology security, managed services, cloud security, risk assessment—the on-the-job learning opportunities are limitless.
I came to Montréal, Canada, from Guinea, West Africa, to study business technology management at Concordia University. Before I graduated, I attended a career fair and met a PwC Canada campus ambassador. We instantly connected, and she advised me to learn more about the firm’s values and cyber roles on the careers website.
That evening, I learned that PwC Canada is a one-stop shop for cybersecurity and would be a perfect place to start my career. I looked at the PwC values and felt like I would definitely fit in. I was also excited to discover PwC Canada’s Awards and Mentorship Program. This scholarship provides support to post-secondary students who are Black, Indigenous and/or persons with disabilities studying accounting, business and/or STEM. It includes $5,000, a one-year mentorship with a PwC Canada professional and an offer of employment at the firm.
It felt like a long shot, but the application process was smooth, and the final interview with a cyber partner was remarkable. He made me feel comfortable and genuinely wanted to know about me and my interest in cyber. The process showed me what I had read about the PwC values, especially care, wasn’t just words.
Needless to say, the day I found out I received the scholarship felt like a dream come true.
Since joining the firm, my day-to-day has been a mix of meetings with people who have been in cyber for many years and technical learning opportunities. I’ve already learned so much from the smart and caring people I’m surrounded by. One of these is my formal mentor, a cyber manager based in Vancouver. We meet regularly, and he’s helped me understand what’s expected of me and provided opportunities for me to explore areas beyond cyber. He’s also Black, and it’s been a huge inspiration to see somebody like me succeeding.
I’m also so grateful for the experience of working with women of different levels on my team. They always look out for me and put me on different projects to make sure I’m getting the range of opportunities that initially attracted me to the team. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate everything I’ve learned from these women so far and the way they embody our PwC value of working together.
Maimouna is a senior associate in our Cyber and Financial Crime team. She’s based in our Montréal, Québec, office. She is also an ambassador for PwC Canada’s scholarship program.
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