Stacey Naismith on how security enables mission success
Throughout her two-decade career in defence, Stacey Naismith has seen time and time again that you can’t ensure the security of a complex project without a collaborative and healthy relationship with your customer, stakeholders and supply chain.
“In order for a project to be successful, all considerations are to be made at project start-up which includes security,” she says. “That means you avoid remediating security issues, breaches or identifying non-compliances and continuously supporting the project through the life of the project.”
While working in HR administration on board a Royal Navy vessel, Stacey saw first-hand how the effective communication and supporting a culture of collaboration could improve effectiveness. That experience informed her attitude when she moved to work in security herself, which is to ensure you build trust, provide impartial advice and most importantly be seen as an SME to enable the business.
Since joining Leidos as the supply chain security assurance lead in September, Stacey has recognised the positive security culture within the organisation. This is very encouraging and makes Leidos a great place to work.
It helps, too, that so many Leidos employees are fellow veterans, who share an appreciation for collaboration, but also a personal understanding of the stakes involved.
Stacey Naismith
Supply Chain Security Assurance Lead
“Having served in the RN, I understand the impact of the services that Leidos delivers and who that protects on the front line,” she explains. “It’s those people who are serving who may ultimately face the consequences if information is leaked or policies aren’t applied properly. I think that being aware of that gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of why we do what we do.”
Though Stacey enjoyed the camaraderie of her time in the Navy, she also felt herself lacking opportunities that would allow her to advance her career while simultaneously being able to make time for her family. Her turn to working on the civilian side of defence operations allowed her to satisfy both objectives, yet she often found herself feeling like a cog in the machine of an opaque corporate structure.
At Leidos, however, Stacey appreciates how the culture has helped build a strong mutual understanding with people across the company and a shared awareness of how they can all work together to better achieve each other’s aims.
At Leidos, however, Stacey appreciates how the relatively shallow hierarchy means that she’s been able to build up a strong mutual understanding with people across the company and a shared awareness of how they can all work together to better achieve each other’s aims.
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“I really think that every role I’ve taken in the past 20 years has slowly been progressing me to here,” she says. “Each job has given me the opportunity to build up the security knowledge and skills that I’m now utilising every day.”
