Award-winning Cyber Security and Engineering Leader, with 20+ years of experience spanning Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Semiconductor industries.
As an Associate Vice President of Application Security at Manulife Financial, Monika leads a global team to ensure that Global Wealth and Asset Management customer data, funds, and capital are secured against cyber threats and fraudulent activity. Her team is responsible for securing 800+ applications worldwide that are used daily for retirement, retail, and institutional investments.
Before Manulife, Monika was the Director of Security Governance at Payments Canada and was responsible for securing and modernizing Canada’s critical payment infrastructure that exchanges and settles billions of dollars every day.
Monika has had a diverse career in the engineering field with over 10+ years of expertise before moving into Cyber Security. She developed cutting-edge video algorithms and microchips that paved the way for customer product launches across North America and Europe. She also led numerous Engineering and Security projects at Rogers Communications that amplified the telecom customer experience and footprint across Canada.
Her educational background includes a Computer Engineering degree from the Schulich School of Engineering and a Master’s in Risk Management and Business Performance from the Schulich School of Business. She holds a Professional Engineer designation and numerous certifications in the field of Information Security.
She has received many awards and recognition for her work, such as being recognized as one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity, Diversity and Equity Alumni Award Finalist for the Top 25 Immigrant Award, and Spotlight Award for her work as a Security Architect at the Bank of Montreal.
Outside of work, she is passionate about empowering women and youth in the field of Engineering, Technology, and Cyber Security. She is an active mentor and speaker on topics related to Diversity and Inclusion.