Tulin Sevgin at MinterEllison - Episode 41 - Women in Tech

From Building PCs to Building Cyber Practices.

Tulin Sevgin on leadership, resilience, and the future of cybersecurity

In this APAC edition of the Route to Networking podcast, host Mitchell Cole sits down with Tulin Sevgin, a senior leader in cybersecurity risk and advisory, to unpack a career that spans hands-on technical work, high-frequency trading, and the challenge of building a national cyber practice inside a major law firm.

What follows is a wide-ranging and refreshingly honest conversation about how careers really evolve, why soft skills matter more than many people think, and how leaders can navigate both rapid technological change and human complexity in today’s cyber landscape

 Finding Cyber Early (and Getting Her Hands Dirty)

Tulin’s journey into technology started long before “cybersecurity” was a mainstream career path. With an early interest in building PCs and a strong pull toward STEM, she studied IT and was introduced to security work almost immediately after entering the workforce.

Rather than easing in gently, her first exposure was through social engineering projects, working with government organisations and testing how far security processes could be pushed in real-world scenarios.

“I was breaking into buildings, stealing things, acting as a criminal per se… trying to see how far we could push boundaries and procedures.”

It was a baptism of fire, but one that sparked a lasting interest in cyber. Even so, Tulin made a conscious decision not to lock herself into a single path too early, stepping back into broader technology roles to gain experience that would pay dividends later.

High-Frequency Trading: Speed, Risk, and Hard Lessons

One of the most fascinating chapters of Tulin’s career took place in the high-frequency trading (HFT) world. Working in application engineering, she helped build risk controls such as panic buttons and kill switches, mechanisms designed to stop catastrophic losses when milliseconds matter.

In this environment, speed often trumped security, and risk appetite was deliberately high.

“Speed was the number one priority instead of security… it was a risk they were willing to accept.”

The experience offered invaluable lessons in decision-making under pressure, risk ownership, and the realities of operating in environments where perfection simply isn’t possible.

 Being a Woman in Cyber: Reality, Resilience, and Finding Your Voice

Tulin speaks candidly about being one of very few women in her cohort at university, and later in the cyber industry itself. While progress is being made, she notes it’s happening more slowly than many expected.

Rather than trying to out-shout others, Tulin developed a different approach: listening carefully, asking the right questions, and choosing her moments to speak.

“I don’t need to be perfect at everything… if you sit back and listen, you learn a lot.”

This evolved into one of her defining strengths - storytelling. Whether speaking to engineers, executives, or boards, she emphasises the power of taking people on a journey rather than overwhelming them with jargon or authority.

 Soft Skills Are Not Optional

A recurring theme throughout the episode is the importance of soft skills, particularly early in a career. Tulin encourages students and graduates to attend events, talk to people, and build networks long before they feel “ready”.

“Create your LinkedIn early. Start building that network as soon as you can.”

She credits this approach with helping her land her first opportunities and shaping the consultative mindset that underpins her work today. In her view, curiosity, communication, and empathy can take you just as far as technical ability, if not further.

 Building a Cyber Practice Inside a Law Firm

Today, Tulin leads and scales a cybersecurity practice within a well-established law firm, a challenge that blends startup energy with corporate structure.

Unlike traditional consulting environments, this role requires navigating governance, approvals, and established ways of working, while still delivering growth and innovation.

“You’re essentially building a business within a business.”

She discusses the realities of wearing multiple hats, balancing strategy, sales, delivery, and people leadership, and learning how to collaborate closely with legal teams during sensitive situations such as data breaches.

The Most Rewarding Work: Helping Clients Through Crisis

Of all her experiences, Tulin finds the greatest reward in helping organisations navigate cyber incidents when emotions are running high and the stakes are real.

“Clients come to us upset, emotional, not knowing what to tell the board or their staff… being able to say ‘it’s going to be ok’ matters.”

This blend of technical expertise, calm leadership, and empathy defines her approach to advisory work and highlights why cyber is as much about people as it is about systems.

 AI in Cyber: Opportunity, Risk, and Reality

AI is impossible to ignore, and Tulin offers a balanced, grounded view of where it’s genuinely adding value today. From admin tasks and proposal work to future opportunities in detection and response, she sees AI as an enabler, not a threat.

“If you look at it as an enabler rather than something that’s going to replace your job, you’ll be in a better position.”

She also stresses the importance of safe, controlled adoption, particularly in regulated environments like law and consulting.

 Advice for the Next Generation (and the One After That)

For graduates, career-changers, and even professionals with 5–10 years’ experience, Tulin’s advice is refreshingly practical:

• Get your foot in the door before investing heavily in certifications
• Don’t underestimate transferable skills
• Learn how businesses actually run
• Focus on communication, storytelling, and relationships

“You don’t need to do everything yourself. Your role as a leader is to remove roadblocks.”

 The Quick-Fire Round

The episode wraps up with our lively, quick-fire round covering:

• The best advice Tulin would give graduates entering cyber
• The biggest myths about working in cybersecurity
• What people still get wrong about the industry

We won’t spoil the answers here but they’re well worth listening to.

Listen to the full episode of Route to Networking to hear Tulin Sevgin’s journey in her own words and why cyber careers are rarely linear, but always human.

If you want to discover more about Tulin, connect with her on LinkedIn here