Every member of Reciprocity’s Technical Product Management team is a GRC expert, lending their product knowledge to our customers while providing internal guidance as we build out our next-generation platform. Devin Harris is a member of this elite team of ZenGRC experts, and is helping to ensure our game-changing approach to risk management continues to enable our customers to see, understand, and take action on their IT and cyber risks.
It Started with a Road Trip
Devin got his start in technology at a very early age, starting to program at the age of 8 years old after reading a C++ programming textbook while on a family road trip. His first technical job was as a junior developer during his freshman year of high school. However, it was after he joined the Navy that he really found his technical calling.
I spent my last 3 years in the Navy at a shipyard, standing up a maintenance facility detachment and providing support for all the tended ships for everything relating to IT. I wound up leading the transition from the Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DoD IACAP) to the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) for the entire shipyard – this was my first real introduction to cyber security risk governance and policy.
A Multidisciplinary Approach
After getting his Security+ certification and becoming a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Devin transitioned from the Navy to defense contracting and information system security management. Since then, he’s expanded his knowledge base, working for a range of well-known technology companies, including Duo, Cisco, and GitLab, and most recently Elastic, where his multidisciplinary approach to cyber security and risk management was invaluable. And now, he’s joined Reciprocity.
I’m at a point in my career where I’m past wanting to lead a security program for a single company. I’m ready to be part of something bigger, and help find creative cyber security and risk management solutions that make life easier for everyone. Joining Reciprocity and being part of the ZenGRC team is letting me to do this, so I’m really happy to be here.
The Voice of Our Customers
In his current role, Devin needs to connect with customers, as well as our internal team. Sometimes, this means providing support that is similar to what a Solutions Architect would do: providing demonstrations, answering questions about what the ZenGRC can do, identifying what might be on our product roadmap in the future, and communicating customer needs with our R&D team to see if it makes sense to add to features to our product roadmap. It’s important that he understands – and can help justify – these user stories internally, which means he often acts as the voice of our customers.
It’s important to never forget that the most important part of the PPT (People, Process, Technology) Framework is the people. So, you need to find a way to understand where they are coming from and then ‘work the way they work’. So, instead of mandating they something in a specific way because it’s easier for you, try focusing on ways to do things that can make it easier for them. They’ll be happier, you’ll be happier, and it will make doing your job a million times easier.
The Next Challenge
Reciprocity continues to grow at an exponential rate, which is creating new career opportunities for people like Devin, who are always ready for the next challenge. We know there is much more to come from Devin, so definitely keep an eye on him – and his LinkedIn profile – to track his career!
Interested in a career at Reciprocity? Check out our current job openings.