Post by AlixPartners

Sofia Martinez Gomez's path into cybersecurity began in an industry where a security flaw can become a safety risk: medical devices. The work, she says, was about combining technology with cybersecurity "to develop products that then helped patients and people's lives." Seeing how directly cybersecurity protected people convinced her that it was her field and that critical industries were where she wanted to work. After four years in the medical devices industry, Sofia made the move to consulting for the chance to work across industries rather than within one. One sector alone, she realized, would stagnate both her thinking and her toolkit. AlixPartners offered her the opportunity to learn from a breadth of industries and companies on high-stakes engagements where the best answer is the pragmatic one, not the textbook one. That same instinct—to learn across contexts rather than within one—shapes the advice she'd give anyone considering a similar move: stay open, stay curious, and stay humble. "No matter how many years you've worked in a field, every business is really different. By asking your client what their concerns are and what they're trying to solve, you show an understanding and a willingness to build a relationship. That's what lets you reach the best solutions together." It's a way of working that fits the firm she chose. At AlixPartners, every engagement is a different business, a different problem, and a different chance to learn.