Meet Dina Atwell

We recently connected with Dina Atwell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dina, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from both of my parents – both such inspiring people that worked so hard to provide me what they didn’t have. My parents didn’t attend college but always told me that my education and hard work would be the key to succeeding in life. My parents always told me, “Whatever you do, do your best. If you are collecting garbage on the side of the road, do your best and with a positive attitude.” I took that to heart, and I started working at 15 years old. I worked three retail jobs, and babysat whenever I could. I then worked through college and graduate school. At my internship at the Department of State, I remembered my parents advice and showed up with a positive attitude every single day. To me, it wasn’t just a 9-5 job that I only had for a few months, but an opportunity to show up everyday with a positive attitude, ready to learn and meet new people.

Being a first generation college student, I didn’t have the advantage of having connections, or knowing how to network. I completely taught myself, and because of that I have been an advocate for other first generation college students in cyber and work to increase diversity. Imposter syndrome is real, and something that I’m working to overcome. Whenever I feel this way, I know that I am one of the hardest workers in the room. I am so thankful for my parents and for instilling such a strong work ethic in me. For that, I will always be thankful!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

If I could use a phrase to encompass my role at at Capital One on the Insider Threat & Technical Investigation team it would be “well managed”.

My team does “all the things” to keep our program running in an organized manner to produce excellent results. Program governance is a practical way for an organization’s program to deliver success by guiding it and providing good management.

The Program Governance team for the Cyber Insider Threat & Technical Investigations team is where my 12+ years expertise in insider threat shines. Within this challenging environment, our team has enhanced the strategic oversight and day-to-day management of the program, ensuring robust audit engagement and methodical guidance. We’ve been able to scale our program, build meaningful relationships with stakeholders, and create a lasting and impactful brand.

Aside from my day to day, I am extremely active in Capital One, and the Insider Threat community. I have a passion for volunteering. I mentor for many different groups spanning First Generation College Students to Women in Cyber groups, organized the first ever Cyber Charity Golf Tournament, lead our Cyber DIB efforts, organize our yearly Cyber Allyship Symposium, and speak at various conferences throughout the year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

A positive attitude, willingness to learn, relationship building are the three most important skills that were and still are most impactful in my journey! Showing up everyday with an open mind and no ego has helped me greatly.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I lean into it and do one of my favorite things: make a list! Planning helps me immensely, and I love writing lists out and blocking time. I live by my calendar and I color code items so I can quickly glance and see if I “need” to go to a meeting. I schedule personal time, syncs, and chores to make sure (or try to make sure) that I am getting everything done. I’m a mom to a 3 year old toddler and have a household to also keep running, all while working at the same time. It’s not easy, and most days I go to bed exhausted, but scheduling and ensuring I stick to it when I feel overwhelmed helps me greatly!

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinarusso/