The 2022 Women Leaders In Technology: Erica Banks

Erica Banks, a Booz Allen Hamilton Principal, promotes innovative client service by leveraging deep technical expertise, harnessing teams' collective ingenuity, and employing mindful/inclusive leadership. Erica is the Program Manager for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Group B&D task orders providing risk-based, consistent, cost-effective cybersecurity solutions that protect federal civilian networks across 13 departments and agencies. Interagency collaboration is critical to reducing Agency threat surface. To increase adoption of cybersecurity tools, Erica pioneered events with more than 70 client stakeholders to share best practices for operationalizing critical cybersecurity tools. Erica's stewardship and dedicated leadership are critical to delivering excellence while navigating the challenging dynamics of keeping data and federal infrastructure secure in the heightened threat environment.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

It is thrilling to work on projects that make a difference in the lives of my fellow citizens and play a small role in changing the world. On a daily basis, I work with incredibly smart and talented professionals to demonstrate the power of technology to improve the cybersecurity of Agencies providing critical functions to the nation. We keep pace with evolving cyber threats and changing technology. As a result, we ensure that citizens can trust the services provided to them – whether financial services, critical transportation infrastructure, or pandemic research.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

In my eighteen-year career at Booz Allen, I have had the opportunity to be a part of many teams and I am most proud of that because it has given me the chance to work with a diverse group of colleagues. I enjoy each time we stand up a new team, bring our diverse perspectives and insights, and tackle a problem. Being a part of so many teams, I take pride in leading my colleagues to become and work as a team to achieve successes grander than I could have ever envisioned. In particular, I was amazed as we quickly gathered resources across Booz Allen to respond to cyberattacks threatening the Department of Health and Human Services. It was a privilege to work with CISA to defend HHS from adversaries seeking to disrupt pandemic response.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

An unwritten rule at Booz Allen is to ask for help when you need it and provide help when asked – "Don't go it alone." That advice has never failed me or the teams I have been a part of. I can solve problems more quickly and efficiently when I depend on the relationships I have built to solve challenges across the firm. At Booz Allen, we have one guiding purpose—to empower people to change the world. Our founder, Edwin Booz said it best: "Start with character… and fear not the future." We bring a ferocious integrity to not only train our clients to tackle the problems they face today, but to help them change the status quo for tomorrow. Each day, we imagine, invent, and deliver new ways to better serve our employees, our clients, and the world.