Optiv Honored with 2025 EWF Award for Promoting Women in Cybersecurity

Optiv, a leader in cybersecurity advisory and solutions, has received the prestigious 2025 Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) Corporate Award for its exceptional commitment to fostering the growth and representation of women in the cybersecurity sector. This recognition underscores Optiv’s dedication to promoting diversity through various initiatives aimed at enhancing women’s roles within the industry.

The EWF Corporate Award honors organizations that exhibit a strong commitment to diversity, including support through employee resource groups, mentorship programs, and educational initiatives. Organizations are evaluated based on the representation of women in leadership positions, their career progression within security and privacy, and overall company performance.

Kevin Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Optiv, stated, “Inclusion is more than a core value at Optiv — it’s a competitive advantage. When people from different backgrounds and perspectives come together with a shared purpose, innovation accelerates and culture thrives.” He emphasized that this recognition reflects the remarkable contributions of the women at Optiv and the allies supporting a collaborative workplace.

### Initiatives Promoting Women’s Advancement

Optiv’s commitment to advancing women in cybersecurity is evident through several impactful initiatives:

– The Optiv Women’s Network and Lean In Circles provide women with opportunities for peer networking, mentoring, and leadership development.
– A formal mentorship program has successfully paired over 160 mentor-mentee relationships, offering structured support for all employees.
– Optiv has hosted more than 10,000 live and on-demand learning sessions focused on leadership and mentorship training designed to support women’s career advancement.
– Four STEAM Labs, located in Denver, Kansas City, Toronto, and Bangalore, aim to inspire underrepresented youth, including girls, to pursue careers in STEM fields.
– Employee-led programs are expanding access to tech education for women and girls, highlighted by Optiv’s first all-women hackathon held in India.

In the United States, women comprise 38% of the company’s leaders and nearly 30% of the overall workforce, figures that significantly exceed industry benchmarks.

Heather Rim, Chief Marketing Officer and chair of the Optiv Women’s Network, expressed her pride in the award, stating, “This award is especially meaningful because it celebrates the spirit of connection and leadership that defines Optiv Women’s Network (OWN). What started as a grassroots effort has grown to a global employee resource group with more than 300 members — women and allies — who are shaping the future of cybersecurity together.”

### Continued Recognition for Women’s Efforts

In addition to the EWF Corporate Award, individual achievements of women at Optiv have garnered national recognition. Several employees have been featured in the SIA’s Women in Security Forum Power 100 and recognized among CRN’s 2025 Women of the Channel, showcasing the company’s ongoing commitment to elevating women into leadership roles.

Optiv continues to lead in the cybersecurity landscape, serving nearly 6,000 companies across diverse industries. The firm emphasizes the importance of managing cyber risk to enable organizations to achieve their full potential.

For more information about Optiv and its initiatives, visit their official website.