In recognition of International Women’s Day 2019, we are spotlighting some of the women who comprise Zscaler’s international workforce. These women were selected for their passion for their work, their contributions to their teams, and their support of the Zscaler values and vision.
We are pleased to introduce you to two of our honorees, and we are grateful that they are part of the Zscaler family.
Ayanna Sawyer, Sr. Staff Technical Writer
Ayanna has been interested in cybersecurity since 1999 when all eyes were fixed on the Y2K bug. In 2001, she joined a network security startup and, though she’s explored other technology opportunities, she is most drawn to cybersecurity and believes it’s where she can add the most value. One aspect of her job she finds interesting is being able to see what’s on the product horizon. She enjoys learning about new developments and writing about them from a variety of perspectives. The people in Ayanna’s life who have influenced her the most are her parents, who sacrificed a lot so that she could get where she is today. When she’s not at work, Ayanna enjoys getting far away into the AR and VR worlds of gaming. She’s been a passionate gamer since the introduction of Intellivision. Fun fact: Ayanna was in the running to become a member of the Mickey Mouse Club television show. While it would have been fun to see her on TV, we’re glad to be able to see her in the office, where she brings considerable experience to the documentation team and is known to be an absolute expert in her product areas.
Gretchen Reynolds, Sr. Writer, Content Marketing
As Gretchen was growing up, Silicon Valley was growing all around her. She was always interested in technology and had imagined being a part of the action, working alongside the innovators who were changing the world. She first became interested in security when writing for Network General, the company that developed the Sniffer. Today, she’s glad to have found herself amongst the innovators at Zscaler. Her favorite part of the job is learning about complex concepts to the point where she can write about them in plain language. Gretchen’s mother was her greatest influence, particularly due to her lifelong passion for learning. She was always surrounded by books and often heading off to class in the evenings. Gretchen loves puttering around her house in the Santa Cruz mountains, baking, and walking with her dogs. She plays tennis for a local team and even though she’s realistic about her abilities, when she connects with the ball, for that moment, she feels like Serena. We’re happy to have her on our team.
Congratulations, Ayanna and Gretchen!
Each day of the week leading up to International Women’s Day—March 8, 2019—Zscaler has been introducing women of Zscaler whose lives, locations, and roles are diverse but who share a commitment to a world where information can be securely accessed no matter where it lives.
Read about previous honorees: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.
