Imagine a dutch retailer, serving millions of customers every day. Behind every stocked shelf, seamless checkout, and timely delivery is a sophisticated digital infrastructure that keeps the business running. Protecting that digital backbone has long been a top priority – not just to avoid disruptions, but to safeguard the trust that customers and employees place in the technology that powers their everyday shopping experience. That’s why the retailer’s technology and security teams work continuously behind the scenes to ensure that every digital interaction is safe, reliable, and resilient. At the beginning of 2024, the company took a new direction in its security approach, evolving from a traditional model to a more integrated, business-aligned capability. This shift wasn’t about starting from scratch, but about accelerating maturity, expanding capabilities, and embedding security deeper into the way technology is built and delivered. Recruiting top cybersecurity talent remains a challenge across the industry, and the retailer sought a partner who could help close that gap with professionals ready to contribute from day one. That’s when the company partnered with Cyberella. Cyberella trains women from diverse backgrounds to become job-ready technical cybersecurity consultants. Their mission is to close the talent gap in security while increasing diversity in the industry. The program focuses on the critical knowledge needed to build secure software, particularly in areas like DevSecOps and Application Security. By combining technical training, mentoring, hands-on experience, and continuous learning, Cyberella ensures its consultants are fully prepared to deliver value from the start. The security manager recalls: “Cyberella mentioned that they had a consultant available, Anna-Maria Kolessova, who had completed the program. With a well-structured onboarding process and supervision in place, she quickly became a trusted member of our team. She could adapt and contribute from the start showed how effective Cyberella consultants are, especially when time to value is critical.” What the retailer gained from the collaboration This partnership delivered more than just a successful placement. It helped solve a real business challenge while reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusion. Faster results with less ramp-up The consultant was able to start contributing to security projects from the beginning. Her intense hands-on preparation through Cyberella meant less time spent on onboarding and more time focused on delivering results. Consistent quality through structured support Cyberella’s mentoring and supervision approach ensured alignment with the retailer’s way of working. The delivered work met internal expectations from the start, allowing the team to maintain a high level of consistency without needing to slow down for adjustments. Fresh thinking and stronger collaboration Anna-Maria’s fresh perspective and different background added value and brought new energy to the team, encouraging creative problem-solving and improving overall team dynamics. Scalable talent strategy The success of this placement showed that externally trained consultants can be a reliable way to scale security capabilities, especially when internal hiring pipelines are slow or limited. Retention and long-term engagement The structured onboarding and supportive environment helped build trust and confidence, paving the road for a long-term collaboration. “Joining the security team was a really exciting step for me. It felt meaningful to contribute to the security of a brand that is part of my everyday life,” says Anna-Maria. Since joining the team, she has worked on a range of topics, including static application security testing, threat modeling, and secrets management. The security manager continues: “Since there is such a huge shortage of Cybersecurity professionals, especially in this domain, companies need to rethink their hiring strategies to ensure getting access to the right talent. Instead of requiring 10 years of security experience for every role, it is better to work with companies like Cyberella that invest in upskilling programs to develop talent. Having people on board with the right mindset and learning abilities for security becomes more important every day as the skills gap becomes larger with the fast pace of new technologies. We’ve been impressed with our collaboration with Cyberella so far, since Cyberella’s consultants are trained before their initial placement, which allows them to learn faster. Beyond strengthening our security capabilities, Cyberella has helped us diversify our team, leading to stronger collaboration and even better results. We look forward to our continuing collaboration.” The retailer’s experience with Cyberella shows a great example of collaboration when companies think differently about how they build their teams. By welcoming new talent and creating space for diverse professionals to thrive, organizations can strengthen their security posture while also driving innovation and inclusion.