Finalist announced for Atlassian’s Women Leading Tech Awards 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that Lena Abnes, Information Security Manager at Probe Group, has been named a finalist in this year’s Women Leading Tech Awards, presented by Atlassian.

These prestigious awards showcase the very best of the technology industries, celebrating people who drive innovation, create change and smash glass ceilings.

Lena has been making an impact at Probe Group for many years. Since joining the InfoSec team five years ago she now oversees security for 19,000 contact centre employees across three countries, managing critical areas such as security monitoring, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 certifications and leading a diverse Infosec team in Australia and the Philippines.

Empowering women in cybersecurity

On top of her responsibilities as Information Security Manager, Lena demonstrated a strong desire and commitment to empowering other women in cybersecurity. She did this by creating clear pathways and providing opportunities for training and mentorship. At the 2024 Wicked6 global cyber event, she formed and captained an all-female team from Probe Group's IT department. Many without prior cybersecurity experience. The extensive training, mentorship and practice opportunities she provided led the team to the semi-finals against 15 other teams.

Lena also spearheaded Security Roadshows in Manila, enhancing Probe Group’s employees’ personal cybersecurity by demonstrating practical tools and fostering a supportive learning environment. Her leadership transformed our Infosec team, which now has 50% female representation.

My career transition from desktop support to cybersecurity has been a journey of continuous learning, leadership and advocacy for diversity and inclusion. Seeing more women thrive in cybersecurity with my guidance and support is one of my proudest achievements. I am committed to knowledge sharing and actively involving junior team members in audit activities to deepen their understanding of compliance. I aim for other women in cybersecurity to benefit in similar ways to the guidance and assistance I have received."

Lena's expertise spans governance, risk and compliance. Her technical contributions include designing and implementing a SIEM platform, vulnerability management and actively participated in ISO 27001 certifications and PCI DSS audits. Obtaining her ISA certification in 2024 was instrumental in the successful migration to PCI DSS v4.0.

Dedicated to ongoing professional development and mentorship, Lena also plans on joining the AWSN mentoring program this year.

Congratulations, Lena! Keep an eye out for the awards which will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney on 28 March 2025.