Project Management
Project managers are a vital part of a contract vehicle, bridging the communications between the solicitor and the contracted business. It is imperative to have a hard-working, friendly, and goal oriented PM to guide both parties through the transition to and from working together, while managing the execution of the specific needs of the contract. This is why Crest Security Assurance has trusted Sanjay Kumar, a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience in Project Management, Security Management, and over 10 certifications in the cybersecurity and management sector. It is this invaluable experience that makes Sanjay Kumar the perfect candidate to represent Crest in our business ventures.
Sanjay Kumar has worked with Crest Security Assurance for a little over a year, leading the contractual obligations required of Crest by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Before this, Kumar attended Bangalore University in Bangalore, India, graduating with a Bachelors of Engineering and Electronics. He went on to work with major government organizations like CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration). Throughout his time with Crest and the FDIC he has learned the value of building trust with a client that may not have a regular relationship with a small business like Crest. Large agencies, especially those usually working with consulting groups like Deloitte and AECOM, do not always have the faith in small businesses they inherently possess for familiar companies.
Now we know this trust isn’t implied, so how does a project manager representing a small business gain the confidence and flexibility it takes to complete 100% of the required tasks? Consistency in solutions, consistency in communications, consistency in task efficiency; these are the only ways to become a trusted partner. Trust is built slowly, and mistakes can be made at times, but the ultimate goal is to have the customer (in this case the FDIC) come to you with issues because they have had assurance in the past of your team’s problem solving skills. There are obvious challenges with building this trust of course, like most unfamiliar things, there is a little bit of skepticism; however, with the passing of time and the consistency provided not only by the PM, but every individual on the team, a healthy work relationship can blossom.
This brings us to the personnel portion of project management. Having the client trust the PM is imperative, but the individuals on the team the PM is representing also must be equally reliable. When it comes to choosing the right people for the job, Kumar has been given the flexibility to hire his team through his own lens of what skills are necessary. In his experience, the best and most qualified candidates are those with ISSO (Information Security Systems Officer) backgrounds, understanding of Risk Management Frameworks, and most importantly, the right attitude for the job. Those who have an impressive amount of experience and technical skill may not have the attitude to work in group environments, where the method of output is potentially different to what they are used to. It is a stubborn and individualistic attitude that will automatically dismiss a candidate from consideration in Kumar’s eyes as his job is to cater to the client, not micromanage noncompliant team members.
A recent issue in the industry is the “fudging” of skills and experience due to the high level of success cybersecurity offers. People may believe that because they have taken the CISSP certification test and have 1 year of general cybersecurity experience that they will be fine in a position that requires a minimum of 8-10 years experience. A resume can only tell the PM so much, so often, Kumar conducts ‘stress tests’ where the candidate is asked to answer a series of real-life application questions to understand the extent of qualification the individual has. Often he also uses this opportunity to read the candidate for attitude, aptitude for stressful situations, integrity, and confidence. Depending on the strength the candidate has in any of these areas, the experience may not be deemed as necessary, as long as you will fit in the team environment and are open-minded and flexible.
Because many hats PMs must wear, project management can be a very intensive and high-stress job. There are always “X” amount of tasks that must be completed, and depending on the skillset of the PM’s chosen team, and the communication and accountability of everyone involved in the project, it can be difficult to complete 100% of the tasks 100% of the time. Sanjay Kumar has come to understand this throughout his time as a project manager, and his unwavering commitment to project management makes completing these tasks, on deadline, exactly as the client has asked them to be completed, his absolute favorite triumph in his occupation. It can be especially complicated when you are still building trust with the client, they expect everything you do to be completely efficient… perfection is mandatory. Consequently, the more attention to detail you use when hiring personnel, the closer your team will become to the clients’ expectations.
With the flexibility allowed from a small business like Crest, and the right ambition and attitude for the job, Kumar has proven his cyber expertise and management suave during his time with Crest. He takes each setback as a learning experience, and pushes on to ensure greater evolution and cooperation between each member of both organizations. As far as project management goes, Sanjay Kumar is the perfect representative of Crest Security Assurance’s mission, goals, and leadership.
To learn more about Sanjay Kumar visit his Linkedin profile or for direct inquiries visit the services page of our website.
