Colleague Spotlight: From Store to Cyber Security

To celebrate Cyber Security Month, Torren Walker shares his journey from store colleague to Cyber Security expert.

Written by ??Torren Walker / BTL1 /

A Year of Learning and Growth

For a year, I had the privilege of working as a store colleague, a role that made such a different to both my professional and personal life. This experience was across different parts of retail, each offering a unique array of products and services. What made this time special was the?opportunity to collaborate with a such skilled and talented colleagues.

Learning a diverse range of products became one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. Over the year, I immersed myself in learning about our broad range of products, developing my understanding of all the different product categories.

The most gratifying part was the meaningful interactions with our customers. Engaging with them, understanding their needs, and offering the best solution based on my newfound product expertise brought me great satisfaction.

Whether it was providing detailed information about product features or ensuring top-notch service, going the extra mile for our customers gave me great pride.

My one-year as a store colleague was a great journey that allowed me to grow both professionally and personally and I look back on this experience with such fondness and gratitude for the valuable experience I was able to gain.

Secondee Experience

Back in college, my interest in ethical hacking led me to pursue a course on networking. It was during this time that my previous manager shared a link with me, inviting me to apply for a three-month secondee position as an associate data security and administrator. Eager for a more challenging role and further learning opportunities, I was so happy when I was selected for the position.

Those three months were an incredibly fulfilling period.

I got to be a part of projects that keep H&B safe, learn new skills and techniques in cyber security. The experience was so rewarding that as my secondment came to an end, I was offered a permanent role as an Associate Data Security Analyst and Administrator within 2 months!

Pushing Boundaries in Cyber Security

In my current role, I'm deeply involved in the Right to Erasure process. Collaborating with the Cyber Security team, we've successfully automated a significant portion of the process. I also manage different parts of the process on a day-to-day basis. And I’m actively part of cyber-fraud investigations. Currently, I'm learning Python coding to enhance my effectiveness in this role.

Embarking on an Apprenticeship in Cyber Security

A fantastic opportunity has come my way in the form of an apprenticeship to become a Cyber Security Technologist. This training program promises to deepen my knowledge and skills in the field. At the same time, I'm undergoing Blue Team Level 1 training to sharpen my abilities in detecting and defending against cyber incidents.

As I look ahead, I'm excited about the journey that lies before me. Holland & Barrett has really supported to me in achieving my goals in Cyber Security.

We thank ??Torren Walker / BTL1 / for sharing his career story at H&B.

Interested in joining our tech team where we embark on an EPIC journey to transform health & wellness? We're hiring! To view and apply for our current job opportunities, as well as learn about life at Holland & Barrett, please visit our Careers Website.

We’re passionate about helping every colleague thrive across all dimensions of wellbeing, and we’re committed to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. In line with our EPIC values (Expertise, Pioneering, Inclusive, Caring), we embrace, respect and actively celebrate all our colleagues unique and varying experiences, backgrounds, identities and cultures - I am me, we are H&B.