Cyberworkplace: the art of sharing & receiving knowledge

Please introduce yourself

It’s a pleasure to introduce myself to all (potential) students, sponsors, and all other interested parties. I am Theo Sinnema, currently 46 years of age. A long, long time ago, I studied Math, in which I have a teaching degree. After about ten years of working for several companies like ING, Friesland Bank, and CGI, I started my own company. Besides giving my expertise on security, operational & fraud risk to companies like Schiphol, Dutch Railways, and Aegon, I also organize security events. In my free time, I like to play Wordfeud (yes, I do) & chess. I also love to have philosophical conversations about anything, especially the state of cybersecurity worldwide, while enjoying a nice barbecue. It’s a great honor for me to be part of the Cyberworkplace family. As a board member, I am responsible for the development of the yearly curriculum.

Theo Sinnema, Cyberworkplace board member

When did you join Cyberworkplace?

I was happy to join the board of Cyberworkplace about two years ago. My motivation to join was to contribute to the cybersecurity community in which I believe youngsters (like our students) should have a fair chance in the job market. It is also essential that they get paid in line with their skills. I love my role within Cyberworkplace, mostly because it’s a non-profit organization with a clear goal and an ANBI status that proves that we are fully committed to the public interest.

What do you like about Cyberworkplace?

It’s different. It suits a need. Cyberworkplace helps youngsters to develop 21st-century tech skills, expand their networks while also creating and facilitating jobs. Cyberworkplace is a family.

What is your most favorite moment at Cyberworkplace?

My favorite moment so far is the CyberHeroes project, in which the collaboration with Cultivating Coders turned out to be a great success. It was an intercultural, international disruptive project, especially for the Native American travelers. For some of them, it was their first time leaving the state of New Mexico (and even had to arrange a passport for traveling abroad).

How would you describe Cyberworkplace with three words?

Cyber Work Place → Hack, Learn, Work

How do you see Cyberworkplace five years from now?

Honestly, I find this a hard question to answer. Choices have to be made from a board perspective, as there are so many opportunities to explore. Most important is that we have to stay clear in our goals, which currently are: “Cyberworkplace is an off-beat initiative focusing on reducing the cybersecurity talent gap and promote cybersecurity awareness. We attract security talents such as gamers, hackers, and tech-savvy youngsters and help them develop the skills they need for the 21st-century cybersecurity labor market.”

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I want to challenge you as a reader to:

  1. Follow Cyberworkplace on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
  2. Contact us if you have some great ideas to share.