EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
Recent Searches
Iulia Popescu shares how she gets to accelerate innovation through a cybersecurity and risk perspective at EY.
Finding purpose and nurturing a passion for cyber and innovation
When I turned 19, I moved to the UK from Romania to pursue my studies in International Relations with Applied Quantitative Methods. My curiosity and openness to understanding the world enticed me to explore different places such as Hong Kong and now Denmark, as well as study various subject matters, developing a global and interdisciplinary mindset.
The research-based Bachelor in International Relations helped me decipher the complexities of the world by studying relationships and patterns within our society and how they will impact the future. Courses in forecasting scenarios and future-focused thinking inspired me to undertake a Master’s in Security Risk Management at the University of Copenhagen.
During this time, I studied the world through the lenses of risk, fostering a motivation to pursue a career in cybersecurity, which for me, serves a higher purpose — to help companies build and use technologies for good through an innovative yet sustainable and cyber- and risk-aware culture.
This journey brought me to EY. Since joining the Cybersecurity team 2.5 years ago and the Global Innovation team almost a year ago, I have been involved in projects that have helped me realize my purpose and passion for new and futuristic technologies and mitigating risks.
Exciting projects at EY with inspiring colleagues
Ever since joining EY, I have been engaged in many client projects. I have assessed the cybersecurity maturity of companies, mapped risks, and conducted GDPR and data privacy risk assessments. In addition, I have executed a gap analysis between a company’s policies and international information security standards and learned how to help companies build a cybersecurity strategy from zero.
One of the best opportunities that EY offers is the possibility to work in cross-competency areas. Thus, I have worked collaboratively with our Cybersecurity team, data and analytics, and law to bring awareness of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act proposal. I have also helped the Data and Analytics team with diverse tasks in eXtended Reality — from research to stakeholder analysis.
These projects have inspired me to increase the focus on new technologies and innovation within the cybersecurity competency area. Thus, I was happy when I got into one of the most exciting projects so far — Web3 and, later on, robotics within the EY Global Innovation (GI). In this project, I get the opportunity to bring a cybersecurity perspective to Web3 and robotics projects while learning from the best in the industry.
So far, I have been involved in many diversified tasks. For instance, I have conducted research on the newest technologies, their capabilities and potential use cases. Furthermore, I have organized events to raise awareness of GI work and contributed to thought leadership articles.
Working for GI, every day is different. You get to work with a highly dynamic team from all over the world and test hardware you might not have expected. I have been testing VR headsets, including Oculus and HoloLens, finding diverse experiences for different target groups, as well as exploring the possibilities of scaling VR and metaverse meetings and their impact on the future of work.
The GI team gave me a chance to test the latest futuristic hardware. One of them is a hologram display — an interactive holographic display that can beam the holograms of presenters, providing a different feeling than regular virtual meetings.
These are only a few of the technologies we have been looking into. However, we are constantly keeping up to date with the latest technologies and working toward building a better working world through innovative solutions. Therefore, I believe it is essential to truly know the technology through experiencing it and pushing it to the limit to know where it is at and where it can have the most impact, as well as the risks involved and mitigating them while not compromising innovation.
For me, this is meaningful work as the market trends show us how companies are automating more and more, using different AI-driven technologies, while questions about the use of data become more complex. Thus, it is crucial to understand these technologies and find relevant and secure use cases to enable business innovation.
As part of Iulia’s role she gets the chance to test the latest futuristic hardware.
Fostering career growth through personal growth while taking care of mental health
It is vital for me that the working environment enables me to develop personally while allowing me to take care of my mental health. In these past years, I have boosted my confidence and learned what is key to building and maintaining a strong team. Moreover, I have discovered what it takes to become a good leader through my projects and also through being surrounded by inspiring colleagues and strong leaders, especially women role models.
It is safe to say that at EY, I have found a culture where you are being given the space to be yourself, ask questions, and propose new initiatives — either for client or internal projects, including wellbeing. You are being given the freedom to take up challenges and get out of your comfort zone, all with the support of your colleagues, while also prioritizing time off and your personal lives.
The hybrid-working model is an excellent tool for finding balance in our lives. When I am not assessing risks for our clients or testing futuristic hardware, I enjoy myself through traveling, yoga, exploring new places and experiences with friends, or enjoying a cup of tea while watching a favorite TV show.
Summary
What excites me about the work at EY Cybersecurity and EY Global Innovation is the possibility of working cross-disciplinary to mitigate possible risks emerging from new technologies. In addition, I will be enabling innovation through a creative and cyber-aware mindset with the best colleagues in the industry from whom I learn both technical and soft skills while remembering to have fun and maintaining a good team spirit. This helps me pursue my higher purpose of building a better working world through using technology security, for the good.