Episode 76: Jessica Gulick: An accomplished cybersecurity practitioner turned CEO on future focused leadership

Jessica Gulick is widely known for her leadership of the successful growth strategy and marketing firm Katzcy. She is also the Commissioner of the US Cyber Games, a multi-phased cybersecurity program recruiting a US Cyber Team for international competition. She is also the founder of PlayCyber, a new business line promoting cyber games and tournaments. Jessica is also the president of the board at the Woman's Society of Cyberjutsu and a driving force behind their Wicked6 cyber games. In this OODAcast we discuss Jessica's background as a cybersecurity practitioner (she is a 20-year veteran in the cybersecurity industry with proven experience in starting businesses, leading cross-functional cyber teams, co-authoring NIST Special Publications, capturing commercial and government business and running epic cybersecurity games and tournaments). We exam her passion for cybersecurity as an esport where players, fans, and companies can collaborate. We also discuss her leadership style and how that translates to her focus on helping the community as a strong advocate for diversity in the workforce. While examining Jessica's successes and lessons learned she revealed early lessons from mentors that shaped her approach to cybersecurity and continuous learning. We also learned how pursuit of the designation known as PMP ended up shaping her personal mental models and contributed to her ability to get things done. Jessica also discusses a lesson she learned from her son that will resonate with anyone seeking insights into success in the field of business. Related Reading: US Cyber Games: A multi-phased cybersecurity program featuring a US team and international competition. Katcy: A woman-owned growth strategy and marketing firm. PlayCyber: A new business line promoting cyber games and tournaments. Black Swans and Gray Rhinos Now more than ever, organizations need to apply rigorous thought to business risks and opportunities. In doing so it is useful to understand the concepts embodied in the terms Black Swan and Gray Rhino. See: Potential Future Opportunities, Risks and Mitigation Strategies in the Age of Continuous Crisis Cybersecurity Sensemaking: Strategic intelligence to inform your decisionmaking The OODA leadership and analysts have decades of experience in understanding and mitigating cybersecurity threats and apply this real world practitioner knowledge in our research and reporting. This page on the site is a repository of the best of our actionable research as well as a news stream of our daily reporting on cybersecurity threats and mitigation measures. See: Cybersecurity Sensemaking Corporate Sensemaking: Establishing an Intelligent Enterprise OODA’s leadership and analysts have decades of direct experience helping organizations improve their ability to make sense of their current environment and assess the best courses of action for success going forward. This includes helping establish competitive intelligence and corporate intelligence capabilities. Our special series on the Intelligent Enterprise highlights research and reports that can accelerate any organization along their journey to optimized intelligence. See: Corporate Sensemaking Artificial Intelligence Sensemaking: Take advantage of this mega trend for competitive advantage This page serves as a dynamic resource for OODA Network members looking for Artificial Intelligence information to drive their decision-making process. This includes a special guide for executives seeking to make the most of AI in their enterprise. See: Artificial Intelligence Sensemaking COVID-19 Sensemaking: What is next for business and governments From the very beginning of the pandemic we have focused on research on what may come next and what to do about it today. This section of the site captures the best of our reporting plus daily daily intelligence as well as pointers to reputable information from other sites. See: OODA COVID-19 Sensemaking Page. Space Sensemaking: What does your business need to know now A dynamic resource for OODA Network members looking for insights into the current and future developments in Space, including a special executive’s guide to space. See: Space Sensemaking The OODAcast Video and Podcast Series In 2020, we launched the OODAcast video and podcast series designed to provide you with insightful analysis and intelligence to inform your decision making process. We do this through a series of expert interviews and topical videos highlighting global technologies such as cybersecurity, AI, quantum computing along with discussions on global risk and opportunity issues. See: The OODAcast