90. How to Challenge Authority At Work

What Rules!?: A career podcast for women of color

It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S.

Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered with her to get ahead.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation with Meredith on how to challenge authority at work so that it benefits you and your company. “It's about being bold and it’s about being noisy,” she says.

Theme: Don’t Do It Alone

Episode Highlights:

• What your LinkedIn banner says about you
• Chase after experiences, not roles
• It’s ok to be different
• Challenging authority at work
• Pushing back benefits everyone
• Be bold and noisy to create change
• Resources to grow your career in tech and other industries
• Work integration with your personal life
• Infuse levity into whatever you’re doing

Mentioned in this Episode:

Empowering Black, Latina, and Native American Women in Tech by McKinsey & Company, 8/29/23

ISACA, a global association for professionals in information security, governance, assurance, risk, and privacy and quality.

ISC2, the world’s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals

SANS, an institute that offers cybersecurity training, certifications and research

Meredith’s Bio:

Meredith Harper is a strategic leader with 30 years of experience, who is passionate about her greatest assets—her team members. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs that cross functional areas while advancing the skill sets and careers of her team members.

Meredith is passionate about empowering women and people of color to embark upon careers in technology, especially in information security, where those populations are underrepresented. She’s committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment and the value it brings. It is her hope that the industry transforms at a more rapid pace so that women and people of color are normalized in tech and security spaces.

Meredith is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she received a Master’s in Health Services Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Master's of Jurisprudence in Compliance, respectively.

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