Q&A with Interim CIO Andrea Daugherty: “Cybersecurity Is at the Forefront of Everything We Do.”

As a self-proclaimed “perpetual learner,” Andrea Daugherty is always looking for the next challenge. And so, when she was contacted late in 2019 about a vacancy at Dell Medical School at UT Austin, the opportunity “to be part of something new and leave my footprint” was too good to resist. Daugherty accepted the role as Director of Information Security, adding the interim CIO position two years later, and has never looked back.

“It’s been an absolutely amazing experience,” she said during a conversation with Kate Gamble, Managing Editor and Director of Social Media at healthsystemCIO. But one that required a lot of learning, which she approached by going on a “listening tour” of the organization that not only helped her understand the work being done, but also helped build valuable relationships.

In the interview, Daugherty talked about the culture of innovation that distinguishes Dell Med from other organizations; the challenges they face in recruiting and retaining top talent, particularly in a tech hub like Austin; the importance of “getting personal” as a leader; and how she’s working with community organizations to raise awareness about careers in cybersecurity.

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Key Takeaways



* On transitioning to an academic medical center: “It threw me for a curveball, but it’s been and excellent learning opportunity, and I’ve certainly embraced it.”

* On innovative initiatives like Nutri: “Being able to work on projects like this and getting them into the hands of the people who will actually benefit from their use is only going to further the desire to leverage technologies.”

* On the cloud environment: “We’re going to see more and more services shift to the cloud… that allows you to be more agile and nimble.”

* On competing for staff: “While we do sell the fact that we are an innovative institution and there are a lot of opportunities here, we are with all of these other tech companies… When people want to come to work for Dell Med, it’s usually because they’re inspired by what we do here, and they want to be part of that.”

* On empathetic leadership: “One of the main reasons people leave is because they feel undervalued and underappreciated. Taking the time to make those personal connections really does make a difference.”

* On raising awareness of cyber careers: “When we talk about education, it’s working with school districts just to make sure it’s part of the curriculum, because the more connected we get, the more important cybersecurity is going to be.”





Q&A with Andrea Daugherty, Interim CIO and Director of Enterprise IT Security & Infrastructure, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas Austin

Gamble:  Hi Andrea, thanks so much for joining. I want to talk about what you’re doing with the organization and get into some of your career path. Just for some background, you’ve been with the organization for about three years, correct?

Daugherty:  Yes, just over three years. I joined in December of 2019.

 

Gamble:  Right before everything happened.

Daugherty:  Yes. In fact, my family and I relocated here from Southern California. I worked remotely that first month, and then we moved at the beginning of January. By the time we closed on our home and were settled and ready to explore our new home, everything was shutting down.

 

Gamble:  We’ll definitely get more into that, but in terms of your current role, you’ve been in it for about a year and a half. What falls under your purview in your role?